Ray Hanania is an award winning Palestinian journalist, columnist, author and standup comedian. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize by the Chicago Sun-Times for his groundbreaking series on the Palestinian Intifada in 1990, he has won three Society of Professional Journalism Lisagor Awards and was named Best Ethnic American Columnist by the New America Media in November 2006.
Hanania’s journalism and communications career is extensive. He is the publisher of the National Arab American Times Newspaper, pens "Ray Hanania's World" comic strip which satirizes World and Middle East political events and issues, and is the political columnist for the Southwest News-Herald Newspaper in Chicago. In Broadcast media, Hanania hosts the live radio talk show "Mornings with Ray Hanania" on WJJG 1530 AM Radio, Monday through Friday in Chicago from 8 until 9:30 am. He also is the host of TV Chicagoland, which is broadcast on Comcast Cable TV Channel 19 every Friday night in 145 Chicagoland suburbs.
Hanania has authored eight books including the humor book "I'm Glad I look Like a Terrorist: Growing up Arab in America" (1996), and he is the contributor in seven books including “Foods of Chicago: A Delicious History” which features his Palestinian food recipes as well as experiences growing up Arab in America.
In addition to journalism, Hanania is also the Palestinian performer in two standup comedy troupes, the internationally acclaimed Israeli-Palestinian Comedy Tour, which uses humor to help bridge the gap between Arabs and Israelis, and the Infidels of Comedy, an all Christian Arab comedy troupe.
He can be reached at www.TheMediaOasis.com and by email at rayhanania@comcast.net.
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09/01/2010 - 5:07 a.m. CST -- by Ray Hanania 
Middle East peace requires real courage from both sides By Ray Hanania On the eve of a long-hoped-for meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, members of the Hamas terrorist organization killed four members of the Israeli terrorist settler movement. The murders of the four settlers took place at Kiryat Arba in the West Bank where settlers have celebrated the memory of Dr. Baruch Goldstein, the American Jewish mass murderer who killed 29 Palestinians while they were praying at the Hebron Mosque. Amazingly, he wore an Israeli military uniform and the mosque was under the control of the Israeli army. Talk about an inside job. This act of terror is more than just a reminder that violence takes place on both sides – yes, Israel settlers kill Palestinians, too. It should remind us of the objective of extremist Palestinians and extremists Israelis, which is to block the peace process. The extremists have been encouraged by Netnayhau who has been hesitant to give up his drive to take all of the land of the Palestinians in the West Bank and convert them in to illegal Israeli settlements. He has refused to really freeze settlement expansion and despite a minor hold on some insignificant “outposts,” the settlements continue to expand with new construction and more settlers. Abbas has been trying his best to embrace peace, demanding only that Israel stop expelling Palestinian homeowners from East Jerusalem, which is located in the Israeli occupied West Bank and is a Palestinian majority. Israel has been building homes for settlers in East Jerusalem while demolishing the homes of Palestinian families there for the past decade. The problem facing both Netanyahu and Abbas is a political problem. And the question is, do they have the ... [Read More] |
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08/08/2010 - 11:03 a.m. CST -- by Ray Hanania
Opposition to Muslims and mosques grow in US racist caldron By Ray Hanania Americans have always opposed Muslims, but the opposition started to increase in the 1990s as Muslim immigration to the country began to increase. It came out of the closet after Sept. 11, 2001, when Americans blamed Muslims for the terrorist attacks as a simplistic way to avoid answering their own crimes against the Arab and Muslim World through years of exploitation (the harvesting of oil) and the expansion of foreign policies hostile to the rights and laws of Middle East, Arab and Muslim Countries. The battle in New York City recently waged by closer expatriates who have taken their hatred to the streets is not an exception but the rule. Similar battles have been taking place in American cities and suburban regions for the past two decades. Among the most recent, besides the building of a $100 million community center for Muslims that includes a mosque, located two blocks from Ground Zero, are these, cited by the New York Times:
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07/29/2010 - 7:37 a.m. CST -- by Ray Hanania
Good news is hard to come by By RAY HANANIA JERUSALEM POST Columnist Positive stories from the region are few and far between but they do exist and they do inspire some hope. Palestinians and Israelis spend a lot of time blaming each other. Sometimes, we can’t even remember what started the argument because the bad things that consume our attention happen so fast. So, it might be nice, once in a while, to look at things that are good. And each side does have some good in them. Although Israelis refuse to recognize the Goldstone Report, Israel’s government has quietly begun prosecuting a few soldiers who violated the rights of Palestinian civilians. That’s good news, though maybe not the way many Palestinians would want. One soldier is expected to be prosecuted for killing two civilian women during the 22-day long Operation Cast Lead. News reports say the IDF “disciplined” another officer who ordered an air strike near a Beit Lahiya mosque that resulted in 15 dead and 40 others wounded. Okay, it’s far from what the Goldstone Report determined were war crimes, but it does represent some form of justice. Under pressure from US President Barack Obama, Israel will now permit many food and personal items to enter the blockaded Gaza Strip, banning only anything related to weaponry and building materials that could be used for the tunnels or manufacture of rocket launchers. That it banned any kind of food, soap and even many medicines was not a good thing. But that it lifted the ridiculous bans is a positive move forward. On the Palestinian side, no one built a monument for Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, the man accuse... [Read More]
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07/22/2010 - 3:03 p.m. CST -- by Ray Hanania
Yalla Peace: The Israel question By RAY HANANIA 07/20/2010 JERUSALEM POST Extremists in America force many to examine its policies more closely. A seismic shift in American politics has occurred over the past decade that has created a gap so wide and so bitter that America is a nation of growing polarization where issues once embraced by both sides are now being challenged. In the shift, the far right has embraced Israel as a means of separating itself from Democrats, causing many Americans to question what, until then, has been unquestioned loyalty. Although Israelis have always enjoyed support from both mainstream political parties, the extremists in America who are using support of Israel as a litmus test are forcing many to examine its policies more closely. Israel has become a flagship platform issue for far-right groups like the Tea Party, which has come under attack from groups like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) which has accused it of being plagued by bigots and racists. For the first time, many Americans are saying they support Israel, but question the occupation of the West Bank, its exclusive claim to Jerusalem and the conduct of its military. CAN AMERICANS support Israel’s security and still criticize its policies? It’s a question now being raised in the heated race for the US Senate in Pennsylvania, where the public’s rock-solid support for Israel is coming apart at the seams. Joe Sestak is the Democratic candidate who defeated longtime Israel champion Arlen Specter in last May’s pr... [Read More] |
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07/12/2010 - 5:06 a.m. CST -- by Ray Hanania
Yalla Peace: What Abbas must do for peace By RAY HANANIA0 Jerusalem Post Columnist/Creators Syndicate
As long as Israel has the US on its side, its government knows it can do no wrong. It plays games with Middle East peace by provoking extremism in the Arab world with excessive policies that fuel anti- Israel sentiment more than they protect Israeli citizens. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu may not be the poster-child of moderation, but he is smart enough to recognize that if Israel loses the ball in the US court of public opinion, he will lose the game completely. So he swallowed his pride and again reached out to President Barack Obama, after the Obama administration slammed him harder than any Israeli government. But Israel made it easy for Obama. Netanyahu’s irrational refusal to stop the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and in east Jerusalem as a means of returning to peace talks with the Palestinians has put Israel in a strange place in American public opinion, which increasingly recognizes the settlements as obstacles to peace. Then, there was Israel’s playing right into the hands of the extremists by taking the bait and taking over the flotilla of boats seeking to break its blockade of the Gaza Strip. Although Israel has refused to release a complete list of what the blockade prevented from entering the Gaza Strip – insisting the banned items are intended to prevent terrorism – it’s since been impossible to keep the truth from coming out. The fact is the Israelis not only have prevented weapons from entering the Gaza Strip, they also hav... [Read More]
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06/22/2010 - 8:39 p.m. CST -- by Ray Hanania
Arab American Almanac, the most comprehensive reference on Arab Americans By Ray Hanania One of the pioneers of American Arab journalism is Joseph Haeik who is a member of the Arab Journalism Society in Los Angeles and also a founder of the Arab American Historical Foundation. He is publisher of the immensely popular “News Circle Magazine” one of the most professionally written publications in the community and founded in 1972. His most important work, however is the publication of the Arab American Almanac, a detailed compilation of American Arab achievements, leaders and achievers. This month, Haiek released the 6th Edition of the Arab American Almanac and it far exceeds the heights he has already reached from his previous five editions. The Arab American Almanac, published by The News Circle Publishing House (www.Arab-American-Affairs.net), offers a detailed history of every aspect of Arabs in America compiled in 608 tightly packed and informative pages. The writing is compelling and accurate, built upon more than a half century of professional writing and journalism. The book offers a list of the most important books written about Arab and Middle East topics. It offers endless lists including one detailing the achievements of American Arabs in Hollywood and film, in government and politics, and in business. It provides a comprehensive listing of the most important American Arab organizations in the country with thumbnail histories that put the existence of Arabs in America in full perspective. It lists Arabs in the military and includes stories of Arabs in America that give a context to their existence in a way most other books about the community have failed to achieve. You cannot understand the depth and substance of the Arabs in America without this Almanac and it is essential to any researc... [Read More] |
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06/19/2010 - 5:36 a.m. CST -- by Ray Hanania
Illinois Congressional candidate builds campaign on vilifying Palestinians By Ray Hanania Some candidates for public office take on issues. Others, usually who are more desperate, turn towards racism and hatred to fuel their campaigns. In the 2nd Congressional District, an obscure Republican named “Isaac Hayes” has issued a press release defending Israel as a part of his platform. That is his right, of course, and in America, we can debate issues of foreign policy and discuss how they impact our nation. “Isaac Hayes” is seeking to unseat incumbent Congressman Jesse L. Jackson Jr. But, in the case of “Isaac Hayes,” he goes far beyond a political debate and uses a pejorative assault against the Palestinians as a means of trying to build support. Normally, I might ignore the ignorant, but I thought that we should be reminded that there are many people, including in public office, who engage in race baiting and hatred rather than focusing their efforts on debating legitimate issues. Here is a portion of a press release that “Isaac Hayes” – I know, he is not the popular singer but I am sure he hopes his name will bring him some votes – issued this week: The Palestinian Menace |
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06/08/2010 - 4:41 a.m. CST -- by Ray Hanania
The lynching of American Arab journalist Helen Thomas By Ray Hanania Helen Thomas has survived attacks from every president of the United States, from Eisenhower to Obama, but alas, the champion of Middle East truth could not stand up to this country’s fanatically pro-Israeli media and movement. It was an amazing display of what Israel and its power players consider important in this world. They didn’t hesitate to destroy Thomas’ outstanding career in journalism over a few exaggerated comments she made – Abe Foxman the bigoted head of the Anti-Defamation League celebrated in total rapture when he heard the news that Thomas had resigned. I mean, she’ll turn 90 years old in August. Yet the same legion of verbal stone-throwers who pilloried Thomas remained defiant in the face of criticism of Israel’s military murder of nine civilians aboard several boats in international waters that were trying to bring food and medicine to the 1.5 million besieged Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Israel’s defenders like Elliott Abrams have tossed in the word “Lynch mob” to define criticism of Israel over the Gaza flotilla massacre. But the truth is the phrase is more appropriate for what has happened to Helen Thomas. It is supporters of Israel who are doing the lynching, this time stringing up an 89 year old little old lady on a tree of hypocrisy under which Israel can do no wrong and on the basis of words of criticism of Israel that have been wildly distorted and taken out of context. And Helen Thomas’ comments were clearly taken out of context and distorted into an ugly mass of anti-Semitism. What perfect timing, 11 days after the fact in the eye of a storm of criticism over Israel’s killing of nine civilians including one American whose death drew hardly a whimper of shock from other A... [Read More] |
