Our Newsletter
May 2026
June 2nd, Primary Endorsements
CA Lieutenant Governor: Oliver Ma
State Insurance Commissioner: Jane Kim
State Superintendent of Public Instruction: Nichelle Henderson
CA Congressional House District 11: Saikat Chakrabarti
CA Congressional House District 19: Sean Dougherty
Santa Clara County District Attorney: Daniel Chung
Alameda County Zone 7 Water Board of Directors: Seema Bader
* Please refer to the end of this Newsletter for the full list of candidates endorsed and recommended for the upcoming primary election!
Upcoming Community Events:
25th Annual Palestinian Cultural Day
Join the SCC Board of Supervisors and the Palestinian Heritage Committee in a flag-raising ceremony and cultural day celebrating the richness of Palestinian heritage and local community.
Saturday, May 16th from 12:00pm-1:30pm
Santa Clara County Government Center
70 W Hedding St, San Jose, CA 95110
Movie Night: Palestine 36 and Exhibit of Rare Traditional Palestinian Dresses
In 1936, as the British Empire tightens its grip on Palestine, Yusuf is caught between his village home and his work in Jerusalem. Amid an anti-colonial revolt, and Jewish refugees fleeing persecution.
Sunday, May 17th at 5:30pm
Arab American Cultural Center
3968 Twilight Drive, San Jose, CA 95124
News From Palestine
Israel approves the death penalty — for Palestinians
On March 30th, Israel’s Knesset passed the Death Penalty Law requiring the Israel Prison Service to carry out executions by hanging within 90 days. Israel’s conviction rate of Palestinians is over 96% and largely based on confessions extracted under severe torture and duress. Several in the Knesset wore gold noose lapel pins in celebration of the law passing while drinking champagne. The law, written in a way to ensure it applies only to Palestinians, has drawn condemnation from leaders around the world. Over 9,500 Palestinians are held under Israeli custody, many without charge. 350 of those are children and 84 are women.
Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem
Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem continues to escalate resulting in dispossession displacement and land theft with full impunity and encouragement of the IDF. Thirteen Palestinians have been killed during Israeli settler incursions in the West Bank since March 1, 2026. Fifty-nine communities have been displaced and 170 illegal outposts established since Oct 7, 2023.
More information: UN Press Release issued March 17, 2026
Global SUMUD Flotilla
Israel has intercepted the Sumud Flotilla (22 boats) and kidnapped the 180 members aboard mor than 600 nautical miles from the Gaza shore (in International waters) that was en route to Gaza to break the siege and deliver much needed humanitarian aid. Two of the members are still being detained.
Follow the Sumud Flottila: globalsumudflotilla.org
Did You Know?
The Palestine Catastrophe, also known as the “Nakba” (Arabic word for catastrophe) is commemorated on May 15th every year, acknowledging the forced mass displacement and dispossession of the Palestinian people that resulted in the 1948 creation of the State of Israel on stolen Palestinian land.
