I'm a Palestinian-American, lifetime resident of the Pacific Northwest, and newly appointed PCO in the 46th Legislative District. I grew up in a house in which both Palestinian and American values were instilled in me. The recent events in Gaza have left me devastated and motivated to be further involved in this process. 

My family’s ancestral home, in the village of Lifta near Jerusalem, was ethnically cleansed during the Nakba in 1948. After the Nakba massacre in nearby Deir Yassin, where settler-colonial militias massacred more than 100 innocent people, the unarmed residents of Lifta fled ahead of the heavily armed militia’s advance, first to the village of al Walaja, and then to Jordan as refugees. Villagers who stayed to defend their home and land, including some of my mother’s relatives, were killed.

The residents of Lifta and their families are now refugees. A settlement sits atop a hill in the village, in contravention of international law. When my people fled Lifta, they believed that Deir Yassin was a horrific massacre that would be the exception and not the rule. They believed that once things settled down, they would return to Lifta. Instead, in their place, settler-colonialists moved in, in some cases inhabiting the immaculate homes my grandparents and other families still have every right to return to. 700,000 Palestinians became permanently displaced refugees. My grandparents waited years in vain to return to the home that they built, but they never returned. Their homes, identity, land, and humanity were stolen from them. My mother was the first in her family to be born a refugee outside of Palestine. We never forget what happened to my family, and we have never forgotten our rights and our unwavering connection to our homeland.

My dad’s father immigrated to the US in the early 1900s. My grandfather served in the U.S. Army during WWI as a pathway to citizenship. Our family has served the United States for generations: My grandfather, father, and three uncles have served in the armed forces in some capacity, fighting for the right for all of us to be safe and secure in our homes here, and for me to be here today to talk openly about the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestine.

As a registered nurse at Harborview Medical Center during the COVID pandemic, I had the honor of caring for some of the sickest patients in the state. Having spent a significant time taking care of COVID patients, I know firsthand the agony of caring for people in high-stress situations and having to watch them die. I know what healthcare workers in my homeland go through as they treat the wounded, sick, and maimed in Gaza.

Since the events of October 7th, I have taken a very active role in advocating for peace and justice, including participating in Advocacy Day in Olympia, where we worked with allies across different ethnic backgrounds, religions, and beliefs. Our coalition was built on a foundation of peace and justice, looking to share our story of truth about what is happening in Palestine and working with our legislators to share our stories, humanity, and beautiful heritage that deserves to be protected. Our story is one of a rich culture where hospitality, food, dance, friends, and family are centered; the story of the Palestinian people must be shared in all venues. As a national delegate, I will bring my experience, and the experience of my ancestors, to the forefront and remind the nation of what’s happening in Gaza.