Rashida Tlaib listed as special guest for event hosted by controversial, allegedly anti-Semitic activist
- Rep. Rashida Tlaib addressed a fundraising event hosted by Maher Abdel Qader, according to social media posts
- He was accused of posting anti-Semitic videos on social media in 2019
- A since deleted video reportedly claimed ‘Satanic’ Jews controlled the media
- It also suggested the Holocaust death toll had been exaggerated
- At the time, Tlaib distanced herself from her supporter’s positions
- Fighting between the Israel Defense Forces and Hamas has exposed differences within the Democratic Party about relations with Israel
Rep. Rashida Tlaib took part in a fundraiser hosted by a Palestinian American activist accused of sharing anti-Semitic social media posts.
Details emerged after Tlaib confronted President Joe Biden to criticize his handling of the escalating crisis between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
Tlaib delivered what was billed as a ‘special message’ of ‘solidarity’ during an online campaign event which counted Maher Abdel Qader among its hosts.
He was exposed in 2019 for sharing a now-deleted video on Facebook that claimed ‘satanic’ Jews secretly controlled the media.
Rep Rashida Tlaib appears at a fundraising event hosted by Maher Abdel Qader
Tlaib has been outspoken in her criticism of Israel as scrutiny of Democratic Party splits increases amid growing violence in the region
Fox News revealed that in March he shared an image of Tlaib, a member of the so called ‘squad’ of progressive Democrats, joining a Zoom call for what he described as a ‘great successful fund raiser’ for a candidate running to become lieutenant governor of Virginia
Abdel Qader was a donor and fundraiser for Tlaib’s successful midterm campaign in 2018.
But after her election, he was one of a number of people singled out for social media posts attacking Israel and spreading anti-Semitic content.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib confronted President Biden on Tuesday when he arrived at Detroit airport, urging him to do more to protect Palestinian human rights in the face of Israeli aggression
At the time she distanced himself from his positions.
“It is unfair to be held responsible for the statements of others, especially when my actions — including votes as a Michigan legislator and leading the Take On Hate campaign — make clear that I oppose all forms of hate and condemn those who dehumanize others,” she told the New York Times in a written statement.
For his part Abdel Qader posted an apology and the video appeared to be deleted.
Screenshots saved by the Daily Caller showed cartoonish images of Jews surrounded by cash.
“Research the truth about the Holocaust, and you’ll definitely start to question what you thought you knew,” the video’s narrator reportedly says.
Progressive politicians have increasingly referred to Israel as an ‘apartheid’ state for its treatment of Palestinians
Tlaib, and other opponents of Israeli’s military actions in Gaza, are in the spotlight once again.
On Tuesday, the congresswoman told Biden he must do more to protect human rights.
She confronted him as he arrived at Detroit Metro Airport for a visit to a Ford factory.
‘Palestinian human rights are not a bargaining chip and must be protected, not negotiated,’ Tlaib told him, according to her congressional office.
She has stepped up her criticism of Israel in recent days, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of committing ‘war crimes’.
And, along with other leftwing Democrats including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, she has frequently described Israel as an ‘apartheid state’ for its treatment of Palestinians.
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