Abeer Qawas.. First Palestinian woman to enter the New York State Senate

Democratic candidate of Palestinian origin Abeer Qawas achieved a political milestone by winning a seat in the New York State Senate, becoming the first Palestinian to reach the state's legislative chamber, after advancing in the US midterm elections held on Tuesday, according to preliminary vote counts. Qawas's victory came after an election campaign she waged amid strong competition, and campaigns of criticism and defamation targeting her political positions, particularly her calls to stop US funding for the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, and her opposition to Israeli policies in the occupied Palestinian territories. Qawas had secured the Democratic Party nomination in the primary elections held last June, for the 12th district in Queens, after internal party competition, later running for the seat held by Senator Michael Gianaris before his retirement. Her campaign was supported by prominent progressive figures, including Senator Bernie Sanders, Representative Rashida Tlaib, and New York Mayor Zheran Mamdani, along with the Democratic Socialists of America. Abeer Qawas was born in New York City to a Palestinian family that emigrated from Palestine during the 1948 Nakba, settled in Jordan before moving to the United States. Her personal experience is linked to issues of immigration and civil rights, as her father was detained and forcibly deported by immigration authorities.