Aber Kawas: First Palestinian-American Muslim woman elected to the New York State Senate

Aber Kawas has made history in American politics by becoming a new face of Muslim and Palestinian representation. She won New York State Senate District 12 in the US midterm elections held on November 3. With this victory, the political activist becomes the first Palestinian-American and the first hijab-wearing Muslim woman to serve in the New York State Legislature. Her election also marks a significant moment in the growing political presence of immigrant, Muslim and Palestinian communities in the United States.

Kawas contested the election as the Democratic candidate from District 12, which covers parts of Queens in New York City. Her Republican challenger was Han Khoon To. Defeating him, Kawas secured the Senate seat. Following the announcement of the results, she took to social media and wrote, "We made history." Her victory was celebrated by several progressive political leaders, including New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Kawas's political rise is rooted in years of grassroots organising and social activism. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, she comes from a Palestinian immigrant family. Her parents moved to the United States from Palestine in the 1990s. Growing up in an immigrant household, she became familiar with the harsh realities of the American immigration system from an early age.

One incident involving her father had a particularly profound impact on her life. While Kawas was still in school, US immigration authorities detained her father and subsequently deported him to Jordan. The separation left a lasting impression on her political outlook and shaped her understanding of the struggles faced by immigrant families. She experienced first-hand the uncertainty, bureaucratic harassment and emotional toll of families being torn apart. This experience would later play a significant role in drawing her towards the movement for immigrant rights.

Long before entering electoral politics, Kawas had spent more than 15 years working with grassroots organisations and labour movements. She campaigned for fair wages, immigrant rights and affordable housing while speaking out against police surveillance and social inequality. She was also associated with the Fight for $15 movement, which demanded higher wages for low-paid workers. Improving the living conditions of working-class people and expanding access to public services have remained central to her political agenda.

Kawas has also been actively involved in the movement for Palestinian rights. She has opposed the Israeli occupation and the military campaign in Gaza, participating in protests and advocacy efforts across the United States. Through various organisations in New York, she has challenged financial support for Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. In 2023, she joined the 'Not on Our Dime!' campaign, which sought to stop New York-based non-profit organisations from using their tax-exempt status to channel funds towards the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. Although a proposal addressing the issue was introduced in the state legislature, it ultimately failed to become law.

The rising cost of housing, universal healthcare, better public transportation, workers' rights and immigrant protection featured prominently in Kawas's election campaign. She has also been critical of the powers and operations of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She has called for local authorities to refrain from cooperating with federal immigration agencies in detaining or deporting immigrants.

Kawas received support from several prominent political figures during her campaign, including New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, US Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. She is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. Earlier, in June, she had also secured a decisive victory in the Democratic primary.

Her election comes against the backdrop of a long history of suspicion, hostility and discrimination directed at immigrant and Muslim communities in American politics. The victory is particularly significant given that Kawas has been an outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights. Her entry into the state legislature reflects the growing political space for voices willing to challenge established positions on the Israel-Palestine question in the United States.