Clinton Campaign Appoints Ambassador Edward Gabriel as Advisor to Arab American Outreach Efforts

posted on: Aug 31, 2016

BY: Nisreen Eadeh/Staff Writer

Democratic presidential nominee, Secretary Hillary Clinton, has developed an ethnic outreach effort to gain votes from various groups, including Arab Americans. Advising her campaign in Arab American outreach is Edward Gabriel, the former U.S. Ambassador to Morocco.

Mr. Gabriel has been an active leader in the Arab American community for many years. He was the U.S. Ambassador to Morocco during President Bill Clinton’s administration, where he developed a close friendship with Mrs. Clinton. He has been a Middle East Policy Advisor in the last three administrations, and is currently serving in leadership positions at the Arab American Institute and the American Task Force for Lebanon. Mr. Gabriel is also involved in non-profit efforts. He is the co-chair of two American schools in Morocco and works often with ACCESS and the Arab American National Museum.

For his part, Mr. Gabriel is conducting outreach in Michigan, Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, but the campaign hopes to reach Arab Americans in all 50 states. “There’s a great effort by Hillary and the campaign to make sure Arab Americans are a vital part of this targeted outreach effort,” Mr. Gabriel told Arab America.

“Hillary’s theme is stronger together and that theme is across the board in this plan to reach Arab Americans. We are casting a wide net to encourage as many people as possible to get excited about Hillary and to get to know her.”

Mr. Gabriel and other advisors have set up many initiatives to reach Arab Americans. In the works are small group meetings of leaders from each state, an “Arab American Day for Hillary” in Michigan, phone banking, social media outreach, and visiting top cities to meet with influential community members.

The former ambassador’s plans have two main goals. “One is to make sure Arab Americans turn out and vote for Clinton and get in volunteer roles. The second thing I hope to achieve is showing a strong Arab American presence in electing her as president. That way we deserve a seat at the table when it comes to solving domestic issues,” said Mr. Gabriel.

One of the main domestic issues Mr. Gabriel hopes to see addressed are Arab American civil liberties. Since 9/11, Arab Americans have been disproportionately targeted in surveillance, racial profiling, and unchecked terrorist watchlists, hindering the community’s civil rights. Mr. Gabriel believes “Hillary is the best candidate in either party when it comes to protecting and caring for the civil liberties of Arab Americans. When it comes to Donald Trump, it’s not even a contest.”

When asked about how Arab Americans can overcome Clinton’s stance on Israel – an issue that prevents many in the community from supporting the candidate – Mr. Gabriel said that he trusts her to earn the confidence of Israelis and Palestinians to work together.

“I can say unequivocally that she cares about all people in the Middle East… She was the first to call for a two-state solution, which has now become the official policy of the United States,” recalled Mr. Gabriel. “I’ve watched her and I’ve listened to her in [the peace process] and I believe she’s taken the exact approach necessary to gain the trust of the parties to move forward,” he added.

Although Mr. Gabriel was not in the position to discuss policy opinions on behalf of the campaign, his faith in Hillary Clinton is sure to motivate other Arab American voters in time for the election.

Other prominent Arab Americans included in the community outreach efforts are Jim Zogby, President of the Arab American Institute in Washington, DC; Fay Beydoun, Executive Director of the American Arab Chamber of Commerce in Dearborn, MI; and Saba Shami, founder of the New Dominion Political Action Committee for Arab Americans in Virginia.

In order for Arab Americans to see their concerns addressed by political leaders, they must get involved. “We have a real seat at the table with this outreach plan,” said Mr. Gabriel. “She cares a great deal about the community and hearing our voices, which is why our interests are best served by Hillary Clinton.”