Palestinian American Congress

{{Short description|US-based non-profit established in 1979}} The '''Palestinian American Congress''' ({{langx|ar|الكونغرس الفلسطيني الأمريكي}}) is a Palestinian-American non-profit grassroots organization established in 1979 to assist the Palestinian-American community in coordinating and organizing its political, educational, cultural and social affairs and supporting the Palestinian cause.<ref name=Herald>{{cite news |title=Palestinian cause 'aided by Young' |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=20 August 1979 |page=5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Up1WAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22Palestinian+American+Congress%22&pg=PA3&article_id=5249,3205520}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Arab American Almanac|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_fMpAQAAMAAJ|year=2003|publisher=News Circle Publishing Company|page=166| isbn=9780915652211 |quote= Palestinian American Congress A non-profit organization with nationwide chapters dedicated to assist the community in coordinating and organizing its political, educational, cultural, financial and social affairs, and to support the Palestinian...}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Human Rights Internet Newsletter|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jzVDAQAAIAAJ|date=September 1978|publisher=Human Rights Internet.|page=25|quote= On December 2, 1978, the National Office helped to organize a U.S. Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in NYC, part of a two-day conference of the newly-formed Palestinian-American Congress (a congress of Palestinian- American organizations)}}</ref> It is headquartered in Chicago.<ref name="Nimer2014">{{cite book|author=Mohamed Nimer|title=The North American Muslim Resource Guide: Muslim Community Life in the United States and Canada|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qTemAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA221|date=21 January 2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-135-35516-6|pages=221–}}</ref>

It was formed in 1979 following discussions by 400 Palestinian Americans.<ref name=Herald/>

In 1997, the organization hosted Yasser Arafat for a dinner during a trip to the US to meet President Bill Clinton.<ref>{{cite news |work=The Victoria Advocate |date=3 Mar 1997 |title=Arafat arrives in U.S. for talks with Clinton |page=7A |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b-VHAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22Palestinian+American+Congress%22&pg=PA4&article_id=928,5351326}}</ref> At the dinner Arafat noted that "the Israeli plan to build homes in East Jerusalem" violated the Oslo Accords between the two countries and were aimed at further dividing the West Bank.<ref>{{cite news |title=Clinton welcomes Arafat, delivers criticism of Israel |agency=Associated Press |date=4 Mar 1997 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k0tWAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22Palestinian+American+Congress%22&pg=PA6&article_id=4922,935940}}</ref> In 2000 the San Francisco chapter hosted Hassan Abdel Rahman at a dinner held at the Arab Cultural Center of San Francisco in which Rahman spoke on the history of Palestinian and Israel peace negotiations.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Palestinian American Congress Hosts Hassan Abdel Rahman|journal=The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs|volume=XIX|issue=5|date=Jun 30, 2000|page= 62|publisher=American Educational Trust}}</ref> In 2003 the organization commemorated the 55th anniversary of Al-Nakba with a panel discussion and art exhibition at Rutgers University; the latter featuring sculptures by Rajie Cook.<ref name="AET">{{cite journal|title=55th anniversary of al-Nakba commemorated at Rutgers University event|author=Adas, Jane|journal=The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs|volume=22|issue=6|date=July 2003|page= 45|publisher=American Educational Trust}}</ref> Members of the panel included scholars Naseer Aruri and Ziva Flamhaft, and Abdel Hamid Siyam of the United Nations Department of Public Information.<ref name="AET"/> As of July 2008, it had 21 chapters in various US cities.{{cn|date=October 2022}}

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Non-profit organizations based in the United States Category:American people of Palestinian descent