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DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
theJEWISHNEWS.com
commentary
Arthur M. Horwitz
Publisher / Executive Editor
ahorwitz@renmedia.us
Arab American Backing Of Sanders Has Possibilities
F. Kevin Browett
Chief Operating Officer
kbrowett@renmedia.us
E
lections do have consequences and
Michigan. Especially when the paper’s
so do campaigns. In this case, the
endorsement also stated that on foreign
campaign of Democratic presi-
policy, “Sanders has shown the most even-
dential candidate Bernie Sanders
handed approach to the Israeli-
carries more than just the promise
Palestinian conflict.”
of a political and economic revo-
Consider this: On the night of
lution. His campaign so far bears
the Michigan primary, 80 percent
more significance than the hope
of Democratic voters in Dearborn,
of a radical change on Wall Street
the largest concentration of Arab
and the offering of free tuition at
Americans outside the Middle
public colleges.
East, supported Sanders over
Sanders, the first Jew and
Clinton.
Bankole
Democratic socialist who has
A recent poll conducted by
Thompson
made it this far in the presidential
the Institute for Social Policy
primaries as a major candidate,
and Understanding revealed that
has proven to be a rarity in our body poli-
among Muslims nationally, 27 percent
tic today. His ability to appeal to diverse
favor Sanders for president, compared to
demographics that traditionally would
24 percent among Jews.
stick with the typical mainstream candi-
Often the Middle East question has
dates like Hillary Clinton is a plus.
weighed in heavily on the relationship
The most vivid example of this is the Arab between Jews and Arab Americans in the
American News’ endorsement of Sanders
region, and sometimes the complexities
over Clinton before the March 8 Michigan
of that question on the survival of Israel
primary. The Dearborn newspaper run by
and Palestine make the relationship more
Osama Siblani, its founder and editor, has
complicated. But Sanders’ candidacy and
been a voice for the Arab American commu- his public support from the Arab American
nity for decades. The paper has been a vocal
News present an opportunity to open a
platform for issues affecting that community, new frontier of dialogue between these
and Siblani doesn’t waste any time in tak-
two communities.
ing on those who often misunderstand the
I’ve have had the privilege of occupy-
work of the paper as an advocate for Arab
ing a front-row seat for several years on
American interests.
the issues facing these two communities.
The newspaper’s backing of a Jewish
I know Siblani as a caring and principled
candidate like Sanders, stating that the
journalist and a genuine Arab American
candidate “stands for racial justice and has leader. In fact, when he was inducted in the
unequivocally condemned Islamophobia,”
Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame, I had no
signals a potential roadmap to enhance
hesitation in writing one of the nomination
more collaborative dialogue between
letters making the case for his induction,
Jews and Arab Americans in Southeast
only the second ethnic journalist (the first
being Detroit Jewish News founding edi-
tor Philip Slomovitz) to be enshrined. His
endorsement of Sanders, the Jewish presi-
dential candidate, was genuine and must
be seen as an avenue to have constructive
engagement in our region.
The storied Detroit Jewish News has
always been a ready platform to engage
in this new dialogue that the Sanders
endorsement now creates. Arthur Horwitz,
the leader of the Detroit Jewish News, has
not only been a coalition builder but one
whose understanding of the deeper issues
affecting these two communities can help
build serious bridges.
The Sanders endorsement is more than
just a historic footnote.
I recall several years ago, Horwitz,
myself and a few ethnic media leaders
spent an entire afternoon at the West
Bloomfield home of Siblani for lunch and
spirited dialogue. We looked at each other
beyond the public labels that often try to
confine our possibilities.
With reimagined engagement from the
broader Arab American and Jewish com-
munities, we can leverage the Sanders
endorsement as a way to identify and
advance initiatives that both communities
can support and embrace in Michigan and
nationally, regardless of deeply held and
often opposing positions regarding the
map of the Middle East.
*
Bankole Thompson is a columnist for the Detroit
News where he writes about politics, culture and
social issues. He can be reached at bankole@
bankolethompson.com. This column was also set to
be published in the Arab American News.
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guest column
‘Central High, Our Hearts Are Singing …’
S
he’d be embarrassed if I
Schecter, Pete Albertson, Carmi
were to say that she was
Slomovitz.
the prettiest girl in the
Of the other 600 was one pretty
Detroit Central High School
girl after another. About several
1951 graduating classes.
dozen I either went on dates with
Of my 1,200 or so classmates,
or wanted to go on dates with but
about half were male, and
was afraid to ask or asked and was
among those 600 or so was one
turned down.
Norman Prady
good guy after another, some
First was Marilyn Wolfe (later
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Amdur) when we both were 11.
around the neighborhood, some I still see. Between classes one day I asked if she’d
Stuart Glasier, Bert Stein, Barry Safir, Earl
like to go to a movie on Saturday. My
Rudner; and some who are gone from my
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life, one way or another. Bob Friedlander,
Theatre on Campus Martius. Saw a Tarzan
Howard Robinson, Morrey Katz, Bobby
film. Marilyn got frightened when Tarzan
Nederlander, Paul Fleiss, Basil Nemer, Al
was captured by a giant Venus flytrap. I
held her hand to comfort her. Tarzan got
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egories of “went,” “wanted to” “was dis-
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Helen Alexander, whose singing voice
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continued on page 6
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