The Arab American Civic Council (AACC) is a left-of-center anti-Israel group based in Anaheim, California. ¹ It was an endorser of the November 2024 National March on Washington to Free Palestine ² and refers to the Israel-Hamas war, which resulted from the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel from Hamas, as “Israel’s massacre of Palestinians.” ³

Background

The Arab American Civic Council was created in 2011 to promote “grassroots democracy” and “justice and equity,” along with “an empowered Arab American community.” ⁴

In April 2025, AACC urged its constituents to call their representatives to support freeing Mahmoud Khalil, a foreign national who had expressed support for Hamas and allegedly had a leadership role in the occupation of a university building at Columbia University. ^{5 6}

AACC has claimed that the U.S. Congress is funding “genocide” in Gaza, posting to Twitter/X the statement “End the Ongoing Nakba” the day after Israel’s Independence Day in 2024. ⁷

On October 7, 2023, the day of Hamas’s attacks against the state of Israel, the group tweeted, “Senator [Alex] Padilla, ignoring the daily Israeli violence and apartheid practices against Palestinian enables continued violence against them. Listen to your constituents and condemn Israeli violence.” ⁸ AACC also reposted a statement by Amer Zahr on October 7, who claimed “Nothing about today is ‘unprovoked.’” ⁹

Initiatives

Little Arabia

The Arab American Civic Council was involved in convincing the Anaheim City Council to designate an area in west Anaheim, Brookhurst Street, as “Little Arabia,” in reference to it being a hub for the local Arab community. ^{10 11} “Little Arabia” was officially designated in August 2022. ¹⁰

MENA Inclusion

AACC has worked to have Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) designated as a “distinct ethnic minimum reporting category” to be used on all forms in the state of California. ¹² The group claims “MENA populations and subpopulations have experienced prejudice and systemic bias.” ¹²

Civic Education

AACC provides civic education for its constituents and encourages civic participation. ¹³ The civic education includes promoting Arab voting, advancing U.S. Congressional advocacy, delivering an effective public comment, and requesting a “proclamation” from a city government in support of a cause. ¹³

Financials

In 2023, the Arab American Civic Council reported a revenue of $362,764, expenses of $225,643, and total assets of $284,659. ¹⁴

That year, the group received $40,000 from The California Endowment ¹⁵ and $120,000 from the Proteus Fund. ¹⁶ In 2022, it received $10,000 from the Tides Foundation. ¹⁷

AACC has also received funding and in-kind donations from the RISE Together Fund (a Proteus Fund initiative), The California Wellness Foundation, the National Network for Arab Communities, the Center for Arab American Philanthropy, Resist, the Weingart Foundation, Groundswell Fund, and the Orange County Social Justice Fund. ¹⁸

Leadership

Rashad Al-Dabbagh is the founder and executive director of the Arab American Civic Council. Amin Nash is the policy and advocacy coordinator, and Ayah Shiadah is the organizing manager. Shiadah is a photographer who has documented the “Palestinian liberation movement” throughout Southern California. ^{19 20}

Al-Dabbagh has expressed anti-Israel sentiment on X (formerly Twitter). On April 9, 2025, he tweeted an Electronic Intifada article entitled, “Key 7 October ‘mass rapes’ witness denounced as liar by Israeli reporter.” ²¹

In response to a March 9, 2025 tweet from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) supporting “severe consequences” for those who provide support to terrorist organizations or incite violence, Al-Dabbagh claimed, “ADL’s mission is to intimidate and harass anti-genocide protestors.” ²²

1. “Arab American Civic Council.” 2024. Arab American Civic Council. March 20, 2024. https://aaciviccouncil.org/blog/.
2. “National March on Washington: Free Palestine!” ANSWER Coalition, www.answercoalition.org/national_march_for_palestine_saturday_nov_4.
3. “TAKE ACTION NOW!” Arab American Civic Council, 20 Nov. 2023, https://www.aaciviccouncil.org/takeaction/.
4. “About Us.” Arab American Civic Council, 11 Sept. 2018, https://www.aaciviccouncil.org/about-us/.
5. “Protect Free Speech : Demand the Release of Mahmoud Khalil.” Arab American Civic Council, 4 Apr. 2025, https://www.aaciviccouncil.org/2025/04/04/demand-release-of-mahmoud-khalil-call-congress-now/.
6. “Immigration Judge Rules Columbia Anti-Israel Activist Mahmoud Khalil Can Be Deported.” Timesofisrael.com, 2025, www.timesofisrael.com/immigration-judge-rules-columbia-anti-israel-activist-mahmoud-khalil-can-be-deported/.
7. “Arab American Civic Council.” X (Formerly Twitter), 2025, https://www.x.com/AACivic/status/1790803084052152484.
8. Arab American Civic Council. X (Formerly Twitter), 2025, https://www.x.com/AACivic/status/1710734595136856363.
9.  Zahr, Amer. X (Formerly Twitter), 2025, https://www.x.com/AmerZahr/status/1710683029553684599.
10. “Organizing Little Arabia.” Arab American Civic Council, 19 July 2021, https://www.aaciviccouncil.org/designate-little-arabia/.
11. Bakkar, Hadia. ““We’re Here, We Deserve Dignity”: Arab Americans Advocate for Little Arabia in Calif.” NPR, 7 Mar. 2021, https://www.npr.org/2021/03/07/973035368/were-here-we-deserve-dignity-arab-americans-advocate-for-little-arabia-in-calif.
12. “California MENA Inclusion.” Arab American Civic Council, 20 Dec. 2023, https://www.aaciviccouncil.org/our-work/california-mena-inclusion/.
13. “Civic Education.” Arab American Civic Council, 21 Feb. 2023, https://www.aaciviccouncil.org/civic-education/.Accessed 9 May 2025.
14.  Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Arab American Civic Council 2023. Part I, Lines 12 and 18. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/453309117/202411479349300301/full Lines 12 and 18.
15. Return of Private Foundation Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). California Endowment Fund 2023. Part XIV, Section 3a. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/954523232/202540449349100304/IRS990PF
16. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Proteus Fund, 2023. Schedule I, Line 18. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/43243004/202413199349304956/IRS990ScheduleI
17. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Tides Foundation, 2022. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/510198509/202400469349300305/full
18. “Our Supporters.” Arab American Civic Council, 22 Sept. 2017, https://www.aaciviccouncil.org/our-supporters/.
19. “Staff for Arab American Civic Council.” Arab American Civic Council, 11 Oct. 2017, https://www.aaciviccouncil.org/our-team/.
20. Ayah Shiadah. “Ayah Shiadah, Author at Knock LA.” Knock LA, 2024, https://www.knock-la.com/author/ayah-shiadah/.
21.  Al-Dabbagh, Rashad. “Key 7 October “Mass Rapes” Witness Denounced as Liar by Israeli Reporter.” X (Formerly Twitter), 9 Apr. 2025, https://www.x.com/Happy_Arab/status/1910014427367367026.
22. Al-Dabbagh, Rashad. “ADL’s Mission Is to Intimidate and Harass Anti-Genocide Protestors. #DropTheADL.” X.com, 2025, https://www.x.com/Happy_Arab/status/1899496173708427644.