In an example of the effect that the Israeli-Palestine Liberation Organization’s accord has on domestic politics, a major Arab American leader has won election to a key position on the Democratic National Committee.
James Zogby, the president of the Arab American Institute and a longtime Democratic party activist, was elected last month to be one of 65 at-large members of the DNC.
At a joint Jewish and Arab American reception at the DNC’s fall meeting last month, Zogby spoke of his desire for the DNC post, which he said he had been “afraid” to seek in past years because it was politically “too hot.”
“I don’t think it is this year” in the wake of the Israeli-Palestinian accord, he said at the reception.
In recent years, Jewish and Arab American Democrats have waged fierce battles over Middle East policy planks at Democratic conventions.
But at last month’s reception, representatives of the two groups spoke of a new era of cooperation in which Jewish and Arab-American Democrats could work together on domestic and foreign policy issues.
Zogby was one of 33 new at-large DNC members elected last month. The at-large DNC members were nominated by Chairman David Wilhelm and elected by DNC members at a full committee meeting.
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