Congressman Jamal Bowman We hosted a fundraising event A meeting with an Islamic extremist leader who praised Hamas’ October 7 massacre in Israel and was personally condemned by the White House.
The event will take place this week at a private residence in Fairfax, Virginia, and promises to feature Bowman and Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, according to a flyer seen by the newspaper.
News of the event was first posted on X by Jewish Insider.
During his time in Congress, Bowman denounced the Jewish state’s crimes in Gaza and became one of the most anti-Israel figures in Washington. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has announced plans to spend millions of dollars to unseat him, with the first ads expected to be released in the coming weeks.
Bowman is using the pro-Israel lobby’s opposition as a fundraising opportunity.
“As a direct result of his call for a ceasefire in Gaza, AIPAC has pledged to spend $100 million against progressive lawmakers, and Jamal is their No. 1 target,” a flyer for Bowman’s event reads. is written.
AIPAC and other moderate Democrats are backing popular Westchester County Executive George Latimer. One alarming poll for Mr. Bownan showed Mr. Latimer dominating the race, but insiders are predicting a close race.
Back in December, Awad publicly said he was “happy to see” the Hamas massacre in Israel, which left about 1,200 people dead and hundreds taken hostage. He added that “the people of Gaza have the right to self-defense.”
The comments prompted the White House to cut ties with the organization, which has long been accused of being a breeding ground for domestic terrorism.
“We condemn in the strongest terms these shocking and anti-Semitic statements,” White House press secretary Andrew Bates said at the time.
“The horrific and brutal terrorist attack carried out by Hamas on October 7th was, as President Biden has said, ‘abhorrent’ and a symbol of ‘pure evil.’
The White House quickly moved to remove CAIR from the National Strategy to Combat Anti-Semitism.
In a Facebook post, Mr. Awad praised Mr. Bowman as a “faithful defender of Palestinian rights” and called on anyone wishing to attend to send him a personal message.
A representative for Mr. Bowman did not respond to a request for comment.
