2024-09-03 03:53:32
Brenda Abdelall has joined Vice President Kamala Harris’s team as director of Arab-American relations. However, the appointment has sparked controversy, as Abdelall has previously accused “Zionists” of controlling much of American politics, the Washington Free Beacon reports.
In an interview with The New York Sun in 2002, while attending the American Muslim Council convention, she said that “the Zionists control most” of American politics, which led to the defeat of former Congressman Earl Hilliard Sr. in the election.
Abdelall’s mother, Mona, founder of the Michigan chapter of the American Muslim Council, also echoed those views, pointing to the Bush administration’s support for Israel.
Harris’ campaign defended Abdelall, saying the 2002 comments did not reflect her current views or the campaign’s positions. In a statement, the campaign noted that Abdelall played a key role in implementing the National Strategy to Combat Anti-Semitism and led the United We Stand summit to combat hate violence.
Abdelall joins other controversial figures on Harris’s team, such as Nasrina Bargzi, who will also target Muslim and Arab voters. Mort Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America, has expressed concern about Bargzi, saying she has tried to stop investigations into groups that target Jewish students. Other Harris campaign advisers are also known for calling for increased pressure on Israel and stronger U.S. ties with Iran.
Earlier, Cursor reported that US Vice President Kamala Harris said that Hamas “must be destroyed.” Her statement came after the body of US citizen Gersh Goldberg-Polin and the bodies of five other hostages were found in Gaza.