Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC) Action is the Southwest Asian North African (SWANA) 501(c)(4) political action group for AROC, a left-of-center legal aid and activist group that provides immigration legal assistance to Palestinian immigrants. AROC Action was founded in 2024 and is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. ¹ One of its main activities is to endorse local, state, and federal politicians. ²

In June 2025, AROC Action co-sponsored an “emergency protest” against Israel held by Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism (QUIT) at the San Francisco federal building. The event was co-sponsored by about 30 groups, including Al-Awda, JVP Bay Area, and the ANSWER Coalition. ³

Activities

AROC Action lists several goals and campaigns on its website such as defending against “anti-Arab or anti-Muslim racism,” opposing surveillance and racial profiling, and advocating increased public education spending and immigrant protections. AROC Action also opposes what it claims is “the genocide in Gaza.”  ¹

AROC Action opposed passage of California AB 715, which would create a local “Office of Civil Rights” to combat antisemitism in California K-12 schools. The law passed in September 2025, creating the office of an Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator who coordinates educational resources and training for school personnel and prohibits the use of antisemitic instructional materials. AROC Action partnered with the California Coalition to Defend Public Education (CCDPE) in its efforts to oppose the bill. ^{4  5  6}

In October 2025, AROC Action joined the Council on American-Islamic Relations Bay Area (CAIR-SFBA), the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), and the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) in advocating a halt in U.S. military cargo shipments to Israel through Oakland International Airport while urging city officials to adopt an city-level arms embargo on Israel. ⁷

In June 2025, AROC Action co-sponsored an “emergency” anti-Israel protest with Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism (QUIT) and nearly 30 other anti-Israel groups at the San Francisco federal building. ³

In 2024, AROC Action joined over 100 other organizations in support of S.J. 111, 113, and 115, resolutions introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) which sought to block the sale of offensive weapons to Israel. ⁸

In 2024, AROC Action endorsed Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-CA), who won a congressional seat in California’s 12th District 12 that year. ⁹

AROC Action has also supported the campaigns of Jovanka Beckles for California State Senator, Aaron Peskin for San Francisco mayor, and Ryan Khojasteh for San Francisco District Attorney.  ²

Affiliated Organizations

The Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC) is the charitable sister organization for AROC Action. AROC has advocated that the United States “abolish apartheid, Zionism, and fascism in our homeland.” ^{10  11}

AROC was one of several organizations that took part in an anti-Israel protest in July 2024 when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited D.C. to speak to a joint session of Congress regarding Israel’s war with terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. ^{12  13}

AROC is a fiscally sponsored project of the Tides Center. ¹⁴

Leadership

Lisa Kiswani is the Executive Director of the Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC).  ^{15  16}

1. “Mission.” AROC Action. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://arocaction.org/mission/
2. “Endorsements.” AROC Action. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://arocaction.org/endorsements/
3. “Latest — QUIT!” Quitpalestine.org. 2025. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://quitpalestine.org/latest/
4. “STOP AB 715.” AROC Action. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://arocaction.org/campaign/ab715/
5. “AB 715: Educational equity: discrimination: antisemitism prevention.” Digital Democracy, CalMatters. 2025. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab715
6. “Home.” The California Coalition to Defend Public Education. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://defendcaeducation.org/
7. “CAIR-SFBA and Coalition Partners Call on Oakland to Halt Military Cargo Shipments to Israel, Urge Oakland Arms Embargo.” CAIR. October 1, 2025. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-sfba-and-coalition-partners-call-on-oakland-to-halt-military-cargo-shipments-to-israel-urge-oakland-arms-embargo/
8. “CREC-2024-11-20-senate.pdf.” Congress.gov. November 20, 2024. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://www.congress.gov/118/crec/2024/11/20/170/172/CREC-2024-11-20-senate.pdf
9. Khan, Nisa. “Where Did a Pro-Israel Super PAC Spend in California Congressional Races?” KQED. December 6, 2024. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://www.kqed.org/news/12016915/aipac-spent-big-in-the-2024-election-how-did-the-money-show-up-in-californias-congressional-races
10. The Fight Against Israeli Apartheid Is A Fight for Freedom For Us All.” Arab Resource and Organizing Center. Accessed. https://aroc.herokuapp.com/page/gaza/
11. “Pro-Palestinian group calls for school walkouts in S.F. and beyond on Wednesday.” Jewish News of Northern California. October 17, 2023. Accessed . https://jweekly.com/2023/10/17/pro-palestinian-group-calls-for-school-walkouts-in-s-f-and-beyond-on-wednesday/
12. “About.” Arab Resource and Organizing Center. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://aroc.herokuapp.com/about/
13. Kaminsky, Gabe. “Familiar faces: Left-wing dark money groups fuel violent DC protest backing Hamas.” Washington Examiner, July 25, 2024. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/investigations/3098852/familiar-faces-left-wing-dark-money-groups-fuel-violent-dc-protest-backing-hamas/
14. “support AROC’s grassroots organizing work.” Arab Resource and Organizing Center.” Accessed November 17, 2025. https://araborganizing.networkforgood.com/projects/100246-main-giving-page
15. “Advocating for Arabic: An interview with Lara Kiswani,” Jody Sokolower, Teach Palestine Project. Published 2017. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://teachpalestine.org/articles/advocating-arabic/
16. “DA Jenkins is enabling hate in our backyard,” Arab Resources and Organizing Center. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://www.araborganizing.org/press/da-jenkins-is-enabling-hate-in-our-backyard/