Rahm Emanuel and Arab Perceptions

On November 5th, my office sent an email to tens of thousands of our members and contacts congratulating President-elect Barack Obama. In our message, we noted the historic transformation his victory represented and commended the thousands of Arab Americans who participated in this winning campaign.

The initial and near universal response was heartwarming, with many sharing moving anecdotes of their campaign experiences, their reactions to the victory, and their hopes for change.

One day and one announcement later, the tide turned.

With the naming of Congressman Rahm Emanuel as Obama's White House Chief of Staff, for some, not all, the euphoria turned to despair. The emails and calls to my office were both troubled and troubling -- because much of the reaction was based on misinformation and because of what the entire episode revealed about the larger political dynamics involved.

First, the facts.

Rahm Emanuel is a brilliant strategist and a practitioner of hard-ball politics who, in campaigns, his time in the Clinton White House and more recently in Congress, has demonstrated that he knows how to get a job done. Because there will be critical legislation the President-elect will need to move through Congress, from an economic recovery package and health care reform to a comprehensive approach to alternative energy, Obama has tapped Emanuel for his proven political skills. It is that simple.

This, of course, was neither the content nor the concerns raised by the emails I received. Some charged that Emanuel was an Israeli citizen or a dual U.S.-Israeli national (he is neither, he was born in Chicago in 1959); or, they alleged that he served in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), losing his finger confronting a Syrian tank during the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon (he did not serve in the IDF, and lost his finger in a freak accident while working as a teenager in an Arby's restaurant). A few accused Emanuel of skipping U.S. military service to join the IDF in 1991 (also not true -- in the midst of the 1991 Gulf War, while U.S. forces were manning Patriot missile batteries in Israel and the Arab Gulf, Emanuel volunteered for a few weeks, as a civilian, doing maintenance on Israeli vehicles). The most recent story alleges that Rahm Emanuel was fired from the White House in 1998 after being implicated by the FBI, together with Monica Lewinsky, in a Mossad plot to spy on then-President Clinton (a total fabrication, compliments of a shady character who claims to have been a U.S. intelligence official and is a purveyor of many bizarre tales).

That stories such as these have been circulating, and have taken hold, is as reprehensible as the "Barack Obama is a secret Muslim/Manchurian candidate" tale, or the anti-Arab anti-Muslim canards to which I and many of my colleagues have been subjected over the years.

Putting aside the fiction or, more accurately, the slanderous myths, the truth is that Emanuel is an effective leader in Congress. He is a strong supporter of Israel. But then, how many members of Congress are not?

Emanuel is Jewish and his father is an Israeli. Arab Americans should be especially sensitive to attacks on anyone based on religion or ethnicity. He has worked closely with and is liked by the Arab American Members of Congress from both parties, and he was the architect of the 1993 White House lawn signing ceremony for the Oslo Accords that brought Arab Americans and American Jews together. When, in 1994, Rahm accepted my invitation to a luncheon with Arab American community leaders, those who met him were impressed by his openness and honesty.

Beyond these facts, however, there are two concerns that must be addressed.

It is deeply troubling how quickly, for some, the excitement of Barack Obama's victory was eclipsed by cynicism and suspicion, and how receptive some were to wild tales. This could only occur, on one level, because the victory itself was not understood. If it had been, the excitement would have been tempered by an appreciation of political realities.

Obama's victory, no doubt, demonstrated that change is possible -- but incremental change. Pressures remain, from the right and the left and interest groups of all sorts continue to have influence, limiting political options. The economy is in a free-fall and, after eight years of Bush neglect and recklessness, dangers abound in the world. An Obama victory doesn't alter those realities, either. And so our excitement was justified, but our euphoria should never have taken us so high as to lose our grounding and understanding of the limits of what is possible.

My concern is that, for some, the need for change became so great as make them susceptible to wild swings -- from unrealistic expectations to unwarranted despair and, therefore, to become prone to believe the worst.

But the fault here should be shared. I am concerned by the slowness of the Obama camp to respond more quickly or effectively to address the situation. Modern political operations have learned the need to confront false stories, to manage perception, and to anticipate problems -- and, here, the Obama team had been especially masterful.

During the campaign, for example, they repeatedly demonstrated how tuned-in they were to public perception -- and in particular to matters that might have created discomfort in the Jewish community. They knew that these stories needed to be shot down quickly. (American Muslims understood much of this, despite feeling slighted, at times.) But in this most recent instance, the Obama camp displayed both inattentiveness and tone-deafness to Arab misperceptions about who Rahm Emanuel is, and what role he will play. (Aside from the flap over the comments made by Rahm's father, for which Rahm, himself, has now profoundly apologized.) As a result, the situation festered.

The campaign is now over, and the President-elect is playing on a world stage with more than one audience at stake. And in the Middle East, especially, sensitivities are as great and (perceived) sleights are felt as acutely as they are among any people in the world. With feelings having been rubbed raw by decades of U.S. policy miscues, and with U.S. favorability ratings at all-time lows, and extremists preying off resentment and fear - perceptions matter.

If we are to succeed in making changes in U.S.-Arab relations -- and I believe that an Obama administration can -- greater attentiveness and sensitivity is in order.

Bottom line -- there are lessons to learn and work to be done. Arabs and Arab Americans need to ground their expectations in political realities and be wary of slanderous attacks smacking of anti-Semitism, and U.S. political leadership must learn to be as attentive to Arab sensitivities as they are to the concerns of others.

Comments

[goldcoastsailor]

The middle east needs to be ignored. The US should adopt a policy of stone silence towards this part of the world. Israel and the Arab countries have an inflated sense of their importance in world affairs. If Europe, Russia, and the rest of the world followed our lead, the middle east would turn into the insignificant region it once was.

[mick7191]

Does that mean cutting off money to Israel?

[Horus45]

Any money Israel gets MUST be spent in the US, they don't just get gobs of money to pass around to their citizens.

[terramartom]

Yes, it is high time that the Israel and Palistinian people solve the two state issue once and for all so that the Middle East can move forward. There must be equality and nuetrality from the USA for both sides of the discussion. Get past religion, because we are all humans first!

[iggy06]

Yes it is high time they move on... the problem is Israel doesn't want to move on. While they have a conflict, they are able to receive billions of dollars in aid that ends up going towards destroying Palestinian homes and erecting new illegal settlements that we US taxpayers foot the bill for. Not to mention the billions of military hardware given to Israel annually so Israel can "defend itself". How ridiculous that we are trillions in debt while Israel is unaffected by the economic crisis yet we give them approx. 10 billion a year in money and weaponry to defend against a bunch of kids with rocks.

[GZLives]

The Israelis don't want to?

Hmmmm but Hamas that controls half of the Palestinians want to kill Jews .. read their Charter. They refuse peace, recognition or any end leading to coexistence.

The Palestinians have been offered their own state many times and each time have rejected it and opted to try and destroy Israel instead.

Arafat told his people when they realized they couldn't do it militarily, that they would destroy Israel piece by piece and demographically ergo the Arab right of return which isn't only the right for the original Arabs to return to homes they ran from or were driven out of, but for all their descendants to do so as well rendering Israel nothing more then another Arab country. These are deliberate attempts to stall any permanent peace.

There are many who would like to coexist with Jews and non Muslims, but to stand up in the public square and say so could be very dangerous to one's life.

As for military aid, the Arabs get almost as much and despite your claim, by law all that aid is spent in US factories ... ie American workers.

I'm assuming your dislike for Israel doesn't outweigh your desire to see less unemployment of our people ?

[johninbigd]

I agree wholeheartedly, which is why the selection of Rahm Emmanuel worries me. Can an Obama administration be completely neutral when his Chief of Staff is rabidly pro-Israel? Can anyone actually trust us to be impartial enough to get the job done? I doubt it, but I guess we'll see.

[batguano]

Thanks James for putting this appointment in perspective. I also had some misgivings about what it meant for future policy, but as you point out, Emanuel works for Obama and has critical function in the coming battles. We must continue to have faith while at the same time working to make our voices heard for progressive change and peace, and not descend into defeat. This is a special time and we need to nurture and maintain it, not divide our coalition of hope; we need to grow it. "You don't always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need". And we so desperately need to maintain our unity and participation in this new administration.

[terry52]

I have followed discussions on the arab israeli relations for years, and I realize how important the right man is for honest relations in the middle East..especially concerning the israeli palestinian situation that desperately need world attention. I wathced recently on democracy now, how people in the gaza are vertually starving while Israel is still expanding terroritories. THey have been completly shut of from the world. Now the world did not accept what happened in south Africa with apartheid. but they certainly never cared about palestine.,You hear calls all the time from activists to stop the stuffering in Darfur, but where are the calls to stop the suffering in the occupied territories.

[julierbutler]

http://www.freegaza.org/index.php
Here is one voice:
by Ramzi Kysia
GAZA CITY, FREE PALESTINE (29 October 2008) - This morning I walked to the Indian Ocean and made salt in defiance of the British Occupation of India. This morning I marched in Selma, I stood down tanks in Tiannamen Square, and I helped tear down the Berlin Wall. This morning I became a Freedom Rider.
The Freedom Riders of the 21st Century are sailing small boats into the Gaza Strip in open defiance of the Israeli Occupation and blockade. This morning I arrived in Gaza aboard the SS Dignity, part of a Free Gaza Movement delegation of twenty seven doctors, lawyers, teachers, and human rights activists from across the world, including Mairead Maguire - the 1976 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
When I close my eyes, I still hear the crash of ocean waves, I still feel the warm sun on my face, and I still taste salt from the sea spray. When I close my eyes, I can still see the Israeli warship that tried to intimidate us when we reached the twenty-mile line outside Gaza, and I can still see a thousand cheering people crowding around our ship when we refused to be intimidated and finally reached port in Gaza City. Today, the proudest boast in the free world is truly, "Nam, Nehnu Nastatyeh!" - "Yes, We Can!"

[suvbaby]

Our new president needs to address these ugly accusations maybe against Rahm when he is on 20/20 and shut them down. If they are allowed to fester and grow we will have a ditto of the campaign happening.

[johndordan]

Mr. Zogby your piece is disingenuous. It denies a fact: the Israeli lobby. Today in papers in Europe headlines report the starvation, food insecurity, and chronic malnutrition in Gaza because of the illegal occupation by Israel. In US papers there is no mention of this fact. Nor is there mention of the ethnic cleansing or apartheid because to do so results in the writer being vilified as antisemitic. Nor is the crime of the occupation of Palestine and denial of a state to the Palestinian people discussed. We have elected a president who was so terrified of having two women with headscarves in a line of sight when he was speaking at a campaign event that he had them removed from their seats. Obama's obeisance to AIPAC is well known. Rahm Emmanuel did volunteer for Israel; not the US in 91. He has backed the occupation of Palestine. He is militaristic and backs America's wars of terror in the Middle East. Yes, there is a great deal to be distressed about. Papering over these realities with happy talk is not constructive.

[GZLives]

Would America supply food and fuel to Cuba if cities in Miami were being attacked day and night by rockets and missiles?

Where does it say Israel has to supply a sworn enemy, pne who REFUSES and REJECTS any peace with Israel?

What sort of double standard is that ?

The Palestinians were offered a State in 1947 and chose war and again during the Clinton years and chose war. Do you believe the Palestinians are exempt from any responsibility for their own actions?

And despite your claim that AIPAC and whatever other overinflated notions you have of Jewish influence, they pale in comparison to Saudi Arabian influence ...

The sad plight of the Palestinians is primarily of their own making and that of an Arab world that still for the most part is intolerant and refuses to accept a non Muslim Jewish State - when they put down their guns and stop their terror, they will find peace, but until then, the Israelis will continue to defend themselves and continue to be supported by a majority of Americans.

[fussygorilla]

James, thanks for the good article except your Arab bias shows. It is not ARAB GULF. It has NEVER been Arab Gulf. It is and will always continue to be PERSIAN GULF for eternity. From you, I did not expect this and expect your correction.

[RetireGreen]

You say tomato I say tomato. Let's have a war! Oh yeah, I forgot, their already is a war between Arabs and Iranians, it's called Iraq.

Why do Iranians get so upset by this issue? Does it belie their hegemonic desires? There is a little island in the "Gulf" called Failaka.. On this small island are Greek ruins left by Alexander the Great. So to avoid another war let's call it the "Greek Gulf". And then only Arianna will be happy. :0

[ohbytheway]

Why does it matter? Because creating the name arab gulf is the result of a pan-arab movement started inthe 70's which included racism against iranians. And they dediced to all of a sudden pretend that this group of people and their culture don't exist and never really did. The better question is why do arabs have such a problem with a body of water being called Persian? Why are they paying off every western publisher in the world to change the names on the map and replacing Persian with arab?

That body of water has been called The Persian Guld and it's recorded in maps as old as 2000 years old. There is the arabian sea and persian don't go around calling is the perisan sea. The French don't go around calling the English Channle the French Channel. The gulf of mexico is not referred to as the gulf of the united states!! It may be just a name, but it's the intention behind it that matters. That kind of blind hatred and natinalism that passes from generation to generation is dangerous and it effects everybody.

[abdallac]

Excuse me Mr. Fussy...but did you ever think that people of other backgrounds may have other names for people, areas, things... We have not cornered the market on naming everything that exists. Is is called "Burg el Arab" in our language - translated as "Arab Gulf".

[rzan1]

Thank you, Mr. Zogby. You have cleared up a lot regarding Rahm Emanuel. I did think he had served in the Israeli Army, and I was disappointed in Obama because it looked like he was taking sides by appointing Mr. Emanuel. I am relieved. Mr. Emanuel also apologized to the Arab-American community for some comments made by his father which were insulting to Arabs. We shouldn't assume that he agrees with his father.

[Kerris]

Thank you for clearing up those points about Emanuel's background. I am not a blind cheerleader for Obama or his coming administration, but I found the attacks on Emanuel disturbing in that they were exactly the same kinds of attacks eschewed by the left during the campaign when they were targeted at Obama. Character assasination, lies, and guilt by association (yes, even association with one's own father) are *not* acceptable. Rahm Emanuel has his own record and achievements and statements that are to be judged fairly for what they are -- the time for listening to rumors and lazily allowing scare-mongers to tell us what they want us to believe is over.

[ohbytheway]

Mr. Zogby,

Thank you for clarifying the rumors. Since it seems you are not a fan of myths, I suggest you stop another rumor and give up your arab nationalism and stop using false name of "arab" gulf. The correct name is the PERSIAN gulf. The name "arab gulf" never existed nor was it documented in history anywhere., ever! It was creatied inby arab nationalists in the 70's who can't stand to to utter the word Persian out of their mouths. Enough with hatred and nationalism on any front.

[bubbuh]

The volitility of the sentiment surrounding every step taken by Obama's transition team is, I guess, understandable. Fortunately, our President-Elect and the staff he has assembled to date seem well able to ride these storms with equanamity and making the right moves as each little crisis presents itself.

[cadawa]

You are too kind regarding Emmanuel. One of the jobs he knows how to get done is undermine credentialed progressives. Christine Chegalis and Paul Hackett to name a few. We can thank Emmanel for the continuing presence of quisling Lieberman in the US Senate when he refused to recognize the man who beat Lieberman in the Primaries as the official Democratic candidate.
The other jobs he "got done" gave congress approval ratings in the single digits.
I think his appointment will do a great deal of damage to Obama's image as an even handed arbiter in the Middle East. The tasteless remarks from his father (former Urgun member) this past week and his slow response are just the beginning.
Emmanuel's participation in one of Israel's wars and his dual citizenship are also unfortunate.
I think he damages the Democrats brand. America is sick to death of the heavy handed, behind the scenes enforcers that abounded in the Party that was thrown out of power.
They would like a brand new day.

[Ohdingo]

Nations that allow themselves to be ruled by the likes of Saud Family, Mubarak, Khadaffy et el do not deserve respect. They always -had been-looking for a "hand out" from every American administration since 1948. But they NEVER look at themselves in the mirrors and see why no body listen or care about them. They need to rise up, rid themselves of these ugly, corrupt regimes, build their societies, be self reliant...maybe then the world will respect them. To sit down and do thing for the past 50+ years but blame all your ills on American Jewish influence will get them nowhere.

[serecovery]

How about this....Who cares? First and foremost its going to be the economy, economy, economy, followed by the economy. We're going to need the arm twisting and prowess of Representative Emanuel as well as the behind the scenes negotiating power of Vice President elect Biden.

Persian Gulf? Boo Hoo. We've got serious problems and we need serious and professional people to deal with these problems.

[MaxChampion]

This is great leadership. From Australia, thank you.