As New Jersey’s political landscape gears up for competitive congressional primaries, a pair of Michigan lawmakers reintroduced a resolution recognizing April as Arab American Heritage Month, drawing attention to a community that represents a growing political force in the Garden State.
Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Debbie Dingell announced the legislation this week, which seeks to honor the history, culture, and achievements of Arab Americans nationwide.
National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM) is celebrated in the United States throughout April to honor the history, culture, and contributions of nearly 4 million Americans with roots in 22 Arab countries across the Middle East and North Africa.
The month, officially recognized by the federal government and many states, highlights achievements in fields like medicine, technology, and culture, featuring events such as the Kahlil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Awards.
“Arab Americans have made profound and lasting contributions to our nation,” said Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman to serve in Congress. “As a proud and unapologetic Arab American woman serving in Congress, representing one of the largest Arab American communities in our country, I understand how vital it is that our community is seen, supported, and celebrated.”
Dingell echoed the sentiment, noting that Arab Americans “are doctors, teachers, business owners, service members, and most importantly, our neighbors and friends.”
The resolution comes as several New Jersey races take shape with notable connections to Arab American and Muslim communities.
Local Races to Watch
In New Jersey’s 8th Congressional District, Mussab Ali is running for the seat, while in the 12th District, candidate Adam Hamawy has secured endorsements from CAIR Action (the political arm of the Council on American-Islamic Relations), Justice Democrats, and a new group affiliated with the Institute for Middle East Understanding.
Meanwhile, Ali Aljarrah is on the ballot for Passaic County Commissioner.
In the 5th District, incumbent Rep. Josh Gottheimer faces no primary opposition but has drawn criticism from CAIR-NJ over his vocal support for Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and his criticism of certain pro-Palestinian advocacy groups. The organization has accused Gottheimer of being anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian.
AIPAC’s New Jersey Footprint
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee has endorsed numerous New Jersey politicians across both parties, including Democratic Reps. Donald Norcross, Frank Pallone, and Rob Menendez, as well as Republican Reps. Tom Kean Jr., Chris Smith, and Jeff Van Drew.
State Reps. Herb Conaway and Nellie Pou joined an AIPAC-affiliated trip to Israel in August 2025. Neither faces primary opposition.
AIPAC’s super PAC, the United Democracy Project, spent over $2 million on attack ads to defeat former Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski in the February 2026 primary. Malinowski, a moderate pro-Israel Democrat, had refused to pledge unconditional support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and expressed openness to placing conditions on military aid to Israel.
The nomination was won by progressive Democrat Analilia Mejia, backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is expected to prevail in a special election on Thursday against a former mayor, Republican Joe Hathaway.
A History of Marginalization
The resolution notes that Arab Americans remain “a historically marginalized community” that continues to face discrimination “in all sectors of our society, including at the federal level.”
Despite these challenges, the legislation states, Arab Americans “have helped shape the culture, history, and economy of the United States in profound ways.”
The bill has attracted 13 cosponsors and endorsements from more than two dozen organizations, including the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, CAIR, Emgage MI, and the National Network for Arab American Communities.
In six weeks of fighting, the U.S. and Israel have dealt a devastating blow to Iran’s economy, placing 50% of Iranian jobs at risk and pushing an additional 5% of the population into poverty.
President Donald Trump marketed the war at the outset as a campaign to support the Iranian people. “America is with you. I made a promise to you, and I fulfilled that promise,” Trump said at the outset. But that rhetoric soon hardened into menace.
Trump later described Iranians as “a nation of terror and hate” and threatened to strike civilian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, warning that a “whole civilization” could die, “never to be brought back again.”
In practice, the war has destroyed the lives and livelihoods of ordinary citizens with little influence over the Islamic Republic’s policies. Those supposedly meant to benefit from the war ended up bearing its heaviest human and economic costs. The latest Iranian official estimates put the death toll at 3,370.
Most objective observers believe the United States has lost the war.
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