YALLA VOTE ‘08 Our Voice. Our Future.

In part One, we brought up the insult delivered to Arab Americans this week when Dunkin Donuts yanked an ad featuring Rachael Ray in a scarf that may or may not have been a keffiyah. This week delivered another incredible dig at the issues that concern Arab Americans… here comes the second part…

2) Injury

Much more seriously, and even less explicably, as The New York Times and AP reported today, eight Palestinians in Gaza have lost their Fulbright scholarships.

Why?

Because the Israeli government would not let them out of Gaza, and the U.S. government never lifted a finger to help resolve the situation - and that is the most shameful aspect of the whole affair. U.S. silence.

Born of the same type of anti-Arab bias that fuels attacks on kaffiyehs in ads, this time it frustrated the purpose of one of the most prestigious U.S. public diplomacy programs, U.S. efforts to promote peace and build Palestinian civil institutions, and shattered the dreams of eight promising young people - people who are exactly what U.S. policy depends on. “I was building my hope on this scholarship,” says one disappointed young woman who, according to the article in the New York Times, voluntarily remained in Gaza even as her family fled.

This outrage should not be allowed to stand.

The Fulbright program provides life-changing opportunities for young men and women all over the world. Palestinians should not be denied the right to participate in this because of Israeli obstructionism, and the U.S. should not be silent in the face of this Israeli behavior.

Let the responsible parties know that you insist that the Fulbright scholarships be reinstated, and that Israel be pressed to allow the awardees to travel:

Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board Chair
Ms. Shirley Moore Green
202.453.8189
greenm@state.gov

Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs
Political Affairs Office
Matthew Rosenstock
(202) 647-1481
rosentstockms@state.gov

Deputy Secretary of State for Visa Services
Stephen A. “Tony” Edson
(202) 647-9584
tonye@state.gov