Ilhan, do not apologize. You have us.

Dear sister Ilhan,

As a Palestinian, I can tell you that we have seen this movie before.

You stand for justice for Palestinians.
You say something in that regard.
You get labeled an anti-Semite.
Repeat cycle.

Ilhan, we love you dearly. And I’m here to tell you why we never apologize to them.

(DISCLAIMER: By “them,” of course I mean pro-Israel lobby groups dead set on making sure Israel gets as much taxpayer money and congressional protection as it can get. I don’t mean, quite obviously, all Jews.)

First, we Palestinians have stood with you. And we will continue to stand with you as you speak a justice-based, unvarnished truth. We will continue to be by your side as you navigate through their insincere demands for apology. As you navigate through everything. Above all, remember the following:

We’ve been through this. We know this.

Our experience makes us aware of another important point. They will forever call you anti-Semitic. They won’t ever stop. Supporting Palestinian rights means you are a threat to them. Look in the mirror. You will forever be a threat to them. Nothing scares them more than an articulate Arab/Muslim/Palestinian challenging their talking points and unchecked influence. Remember, their whole strategy rests on making people like you and us seem backwards, uncivilized, and intolerant. It’s their stock and trade.

We’ve been through this. We know this.

(DISCLAIMER: By “they,” “their,” and “them,” of course I mean pro-Israel lobby groups dead set on making sure Israel gets as much taxpayer money and congressional protection as it can get. I don’t mean, quite obviously, all Jews.)

It doesn’t matter how many times you apologize at their call. They’re gonna ask you again. And again. If you dare to utter the word “Palestine,” they will ask you yet again. Your apology fully serves their purpose, and none of ours. I know you know that. I know you feel that. Your apology will serve as their ammunition to silence the rest of us. They will weaponize it. The demand for you to do it didn’t come from a pure place. That’s why you shouldn’t have done it. That’s why you should have asked them to apologize to you for asking you to apologize to them. That’s why you need to consult us.

We’ve been through this. We know this.

(DISCLAIMER: By “they,” “their,” and “them,” of course I mean pro-Israel lobby groups dead set on making sure Israel gets as much taxpayer money and congressional protection as it can get. I don’t mean, quite obviously, all Jews.)

Also (this one’s extremely important), some people will call themselves “liberal” and even “progressive.” This doesn’t mean they are allies, supporters, and well-wishers. They will abandon you when it comes to Palestine. Some, in fact, already have.

We’ve definitely been through this. We know this one very well.

(This time, by “they,” I mean… well, you know who I mean.)

Please, keep speaking the truth. They believe, with your apology, that they have won. But it doesn’t have to be a defeat. Don’t stop. We are begging you. Of course, if you march forward, they will ask you to apologize again. And that’s ok. We are here for you when you refuse.

We can advise you on how to handle that. We’ve been through that. We know that.

So, my sister, lean on us. We have seventy years of experience in dealing with their ways. And we haven’t fallen yet.

Lean on us, Ilhan. Lean on us before surrendering to them. You have something in your corner that’s stronger than anything they could ever throw at you. You have us.