MUSCATINE, Iowa–When Ruzi Odet of Al-Quds Open University in Muscatine’s sister city of Ramallah, Palestine invited Muscatine Community College professor John Dabeet to give a paper on how members of the Palestinian-American community have influenced American foreign policy, he considered it an honor in and of itself. He prepared the paper as requested, and looked forward to presenting it via Zoom.
Nov. 29, Dabeet spoke virtually at the Self-Liberation for Palestinians Conference, presented by Al-Quds Open University at the request of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. In English, Al-Quds Open University translates to the Open University of Jerusalem.
Dabeet presented for a little under 10 minutes on ways Palestinian-Americans, including himself, have worked to contribute to American public policy. In his paper, he shared how he had worked with President Joe Biden’s transition team to determine their public policy goals and several points on relations with Palestine that Biden’s team had adopted.
He also discussed the work of the US-Palestinian Council, which he serves as vice president of, to inform national senators and representatives about conditions in Palestine and to urge them to vote for policies that promote, “justice and peace for both sides, not just Palestine.”
Finally, he stressed the importance of citizen diplomacy and how relationships, such as those created by Sister Cities International, help people around the world learn more about Palestine. Dabeet works with Sister Cities International both as the president of the Muscatine Chapter as well as the representative for Palestine on the Sister Cities International Honorary Board in Washington D. C.
Dabeet made up just one of many presenters who spoke at the conference that day. Of note, one of former South African President Nelson Mandela’s sons also spoke at the conference. Abbas also attended the conference.
Near the end of the day’s proceedings, Dabeet heard something he never expected to hear. The conference’s organizers announced they would present a new award, the Palestinian President Academic Diplomacy Award. They then shared they had selected Dabeet as the first recipient of the honor.
Dabeet felt shocked. “It was a very surprising and big moment for me,” he recalls.
He also took great pride in receiving it, as it recognized the years of work he has put into strengthening public relations between Palestine and the United States. “It was a very defining moment for me, and it told me that the work we are doing here is felt around the world, especially in my native Palestine,” he shared.
The Palestinian President Academic Diplomacy Award represents the second major award Dabeet has received this year. In January, Dabeet received the 2020 Palestinian Person of the Year Award from the Palestinian Lady of the Earth Foundation, along with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
