A: ATFP speaks only on behalf of itself, and its Board of Directors [2]. ATFP believes that Palestinian Americans can learn from the experiences of all other American interest groups, ethnic and otherwise, and how, precisely, a group can empower themselves in the American political system and in Washington. But ATFP does not ask the community or other organizations to endorse its approach, and it does not condemn others for pursuing a different course. ATFP supports diversity of opinion and freedom of speech and, while it calls for civility, it also encourages diversity.
Disagreement is healthy. Even robust and intense debate is healthy. But debate must be carried out with civility, mutual respect and a willingness to agree to disagree [3]. ATFP believes that much of the criticism aimed at it is the result of a lack of understanding of what the Task Force does and why. After all, much of what ATFP has done has been innovative and hence controversial. It is also partly a result of ATFP's lack of outreach to the community during its first decade because, given its limited resources, it decided to focus on its primary mission and target audience in the Washington policy community. A core purpose of this set of answers to FAQs is to help clarify these misunderstandings and promote a more informed conversation.
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