WASHINGTON, 8 November 2004 — Rep. Jim Moran, 59, from Virginia’s 8th district, is one of the few Congressmen who voted against the war in Iraq and criticized Jewish community leaders. It was no surprise that he had a tough time being re-elected.
Yusif Farsakh, a Palestinian-American who moved to the US from Beir Zeit in 1953, works with the “Arab-American Democrats of Virginia,” a group he said was instrumental in helping Moran win the primary elections against his opponent, lobbyist and political newcomer Andrew Rosenberg.
Rosenberg obtained funding from AIPAC, a strong Jewish lobby in Washington, and ran a dirty primary campaign against Moran, said Farsakh. “Moran is still willing to speak up about Arab-American affairs, but he was very chastened by the experience with Rosenbaum.”
“After the primary, Moran personally thanked us. We worked hard prior to last week’s election to energize the community. We must have called over 10,000 Arab and Muslim-Americans throughout the district.”
Farsakh said most of Moran’s district is Democratic and the majority of them supported him. “But I don’t think the Jews are finished with him yet. A lot of people are still angry with him for what he said.”
He was referring to last March when Moran set off a firestorm by explaining why he thought antiwar sentiment was not more effective in the United States.
“If it were not for the strong support of the Jewish community for this war with Iraq, we would not be doing this,” Moran said. “The leaders of the Jewish community are influential enough that they could change the direction of where this is going, and I think they should.” Moran, a seven-term Congressman, apologized the next day, saying, “I made some insensitive remarks that I deeply regret.
“I should not have singled out the Jewish community and regret giving any impression that its members are somehow responsible for the course of action being pursued by the administration, or are somehow behind an impending war,” Moran said, elaborating on an apology to Jewish news organizations and rabbis that was widely distributed.
“Many people still hold this against him,” Farsakh said, “even though his daughter is married to a Jew.”
“Jim Moran’s no anti-Semite — but he feels the Palestinians have a just cause, so he knows he has to be careful.
“But I don’t want to portray him as someone sympathetic only to Arab-Americans,” said Farsakh. “He’s been wonderful to federal employees, educators, to education funds and transportation. He’s very focused and a very good Congressman.”
Asked about his immediate concerns following the Republican takeover on Tuesday, Farsakh said his greatest concern is the Patriot Act, which he said Bush intends to strengthen.
“Just before elections, 900 Muslim and Arab-Americans were rounded up and jailed, this is very disturbing to all of us.” Farsakh the Arab and Muslim American community voted against Bush because “they were furious with Bush for his love affair with Sharon.”
“My issue as a Palestinian is that if Bush thinks Sharon is, as he called him, ‘a man of peace,’ then we don’t have much hope for America to be an honest broker in Middle East negotiations. But Farsakh said the Arab and Muslim American community voted Democrat not because of Kerry — “because his positions on Israel are the same as Bush — but because they thought the Democratic Party would be better.”
On Iraq he said, if the Iraqi election goes well “the best thing we can do — for them, and for us — is to withdraw. The longer we stay and fight, the more they will hate us.”
Pausing to reflect, he added: “But that won’t happen. Bush is a stubborn man and wants to win, and the Iraqi government that takes over will never be able to control things on the ground there.”
The Sunni population is key to this issue, said Farsakh. “If they bring some solution to the area and get the Sunnis to vote and bring them into the Iraqi transitional government, then there’s a chance for a more stable situation. If not, we’re really in a quagmire.
“This is a very delicate time, both here and there,” said Farsakh.
