“American Citizens of Arabic-Speaking Stock”: The Institute of Arab American Affairs and Questions of Identity in the Debate over Palestine

Abstract

When it comes to the history of the United States and Israel, the general understanding is that the US recognition of Israel was a foregone conclusion. The pro-Zionist lobby had powerful allies, large numbers, and overwhelming support among both the general public and politicians. Any challenge or disagreement over that policy is largely attributed to the State Department, often with the suggestion, if not outright accusations, that anti-Semitism motivated such opposition. For decades, scholars mostly ignored or dismissed the possibility of a concerted Arab American effort to change US policy toward Palestine in the 1940s. The consensus stated that the Arab American community was too small, too fragmented, and too politically disinterested to have any kind of impact until the watershed year of 1967 (see Davidson 1999: 228; 2001: 170; Suleiman 2006: 3). This understanding, however, is being questioned as historians begin to take a closer look at the early political activities of the Arab immigrant community in the united States. The evidence shows that, in fact, Arab Americans were politically active prior to 1967, particularly when it came to the debate over Palestine. By the end of World War II, the United States played a dominant role in determining the future of Palestine and, as the Arab and Jewish residents of Palestine struggled for control of the territory while the British prepared to withdraw, Zionist and Arab organizations battled to sway American public opinion.