Summary
- Congressman Ro Khanna spoke at ArabCon in Dearborn Saturday.
- Advocated recognition of a Palestinian state without Hamas.
- Emphasized protecting Israel’s security alongside Palestinian statehood.
At the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee's national conference, ArabCon, political analyst Cenk Uygur conducted an interview with Khanna, a progressive Democrat.
According to a news release from his office, Khanna and 47 other members of Congress wrote to President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, pleading with the United States to formally recognize a Palestinian state. Khanna "took the lead" on the letter, according to Uygur. The congressman stated that he ought to include more Democrats than 47 in the letter.
"How can you be a Democrat in the Congress and not believe that it is time for the United States to recognize Palestinian aspirations at a time when Ben-Gvir, Smotrich and Netanyahu are annexing the West Bank and erasing Palestinian identity,"
he said, leading to claps and cheers from the crowd. He was referring to Israel's minister of national security, finance minister and prime minister.
A number of Western nations, including France, the United Kingdom, Canada, and others, have lately declared or affirmed their recognition of a Palestinian state.
U.S.-born journalist Doron Levin, who resides in Metro Detroit and was born in Israel, told The News that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not seized any land in Gaza or the West Bank. The notion of Palestinian self-determination has been "long recognized" by the United States, he continued.
Khanna also discussed his cooperation with Republicans in the House on foreign policy and the Epstein files during the Saturday morning discussion at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center. The lecture was attended by more than a hundred people, some of them wore keffiyehs around their necks or on their shoulders. Khanna supported the First Amendment as well.
"What's going on in our university campuses, with people who are criticizing foreign policy and then getting harassed, that's not standing up for free speech,"
he said.
"It's what we've been preaching for the last 30 years,"
he said.
"Now there's a letter actually saying, 'Let's, let's actually do it.' And suddenly people are saying, 'No, no, no, no, no.'"
He noted that
"that's the irony."
"This is the policy that's been the policy of Reagan,"
he said.
"It's been the policy of Bush."
ArabCon is a chance for members of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) to network with individuals from over the nation and gain knowledge about various issues and themes, according to Abed Ayoub, the ADC's national executive director.
Burhan Ghanayem, a Palestinian American and retired research scientist, traveled from North Carolina to attend the seminar.
Although the Palestinian state is being recognized, he claimed that "in reality, there is no place to have a Palestinian state." He mentioned that Israel is occupying Gaza and that Israel has settled a large portion of the West Bank, where he hails from. He went to the West Bank recently.
What has Khanna previously proposed in Congress on Gaza policy?
He has advocated for formal US recognition of a Palestinian state, and called for an end to the war in Gaza due to the humanitarian crisis and hunger from the blockades.
Khanna has sponsored or supported letters and resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza to stop the violence and allow humanitarian aid to civilians.
He believes it is inappropriate to continue providing unconditional military assistance to Israel and has urged the administration to consider whether our assistance to Israel is being used in a way that results in civilian casualties.
In discussions regarding US support for Israel’s self-defense against Hamas, Khanna has stated support for civilian casualties to be minimized and for essential humanitarian supplies like food, water, and fuel to be supplied to everyone in Gaza.