Politics
Report: Tlaib part of secret Facebook group glorifying Hamas
By CM Chaney · November 16, 2023
In brief…
- Report: Rashida Tlaib member of Facebook group where Hamas glorified
- Group founded by her friend who's made anti-Semitic comments before
- Screenshots show anti-Jewish images, Holocaust denial video in group
- Tlaib constantly criticizes Israel, calls it 'apartheid state'
A new report from Fox News claims that controversial liberal Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has long been a member of a private Facebook group where members have “glamorized” the terrorist organization Hamas.
The group, called the Palestinian American Congress, was founded by Maher Abdel-qader, a friend and fundraiser for Tlaib, according to the report. Abdel-qader has previously been accused of making anti-Semitic social media posts about the Holocaust.
On October 12, five days after Hamas’ attack on Israel, a member of the Facebook group wrote: “We don’t want to throw you in the sea…we want you to ride it back from where you came,” referencing the phrase “from the river to the sea,” which is considered anti-Semitic. The post included a photo of an elderly Jewish woman with a Hamas terrorist.
Other posts in the group praised Hamas fighters for killing Israeli soldiers and blamed the media for playing a role in the creation of Israel. Fox News reported that pro-Hamas messages were common in the group even before October.
Tlaib, who represents a Michigan district, has reportedly been part of the Facebook group since 2018. The House voted to censure her in November for online comments about the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Over the years, Abdel-qader has faced controversy for questioning if modern Jews are actually Jewish, as well as for Holocaust denial, which he later retracted. He has donated thousands to Tlaib’s campaigns and hosted fundraising events for her.
In 2018, Tlaib distanced herself from Abdel-qader’s positions, saying: “It is unfair to be held responsible for the statements of others.”
Screenshots from 2021 allegedly showed anti-Semitic images in videos posted to Abdel-qader’s group. Tlaib has frequently accused Israel of war crimes and described it as an “apartheid state.”