Democratic Rep. Summer Lee on Tuesday canceled her plans to attend the annual fundraising dinner sponsored by the Council on American-Islamic Relations after backlash over anti-Semitic comments made by several other scheduled speakers. was withdrawn and changed its policy.
Rep. Lee (D-Pennsylvania) said in a statement that he had wanted to attend an event hosted by CAIR Philadelphia, citing the rise in “anti-Muslim hatred and violence,” but had to withdraw following the controversy. He said he was forced to do so.
“I do not condone or support the previous comments of other speakers. I continue to condemn anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia and transphobia wherever it occurs.” she said in a statement.
“To prevent the Muslim community from becoming the target of further politically motivated Islamophobia, and to ensure that Jewish and LGBTQ+ voters know that their concerns are heard, I am no longer taking this action.” I won’t be attending any events,” she added.
Last year, CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad said after the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack that killed an estimated 1,200 people across southern Israel, “people are breaking the siege and throwing off the shackles of their land. I’m glad to see that.”
His comments prompted a fierce backlash, including from the White House, with press secretary Andrew Bates saying at the time: “We condemn in the strongest terms these shocking and anti-Semitic statements.”
on monday, jewish insider Flagged past statements by several speakers scheduled for the banquet, including author Ibrahim Jaber explained about the Israelites as a “devil”. Comedian Nadira Pierre said after the October 7 attack: “May Allah destroy them even worse than they tried to destroy other people.” and Yasir Fahmy, an academic who called Zionism a “sick, sadistic cult.”
Criticism of Mr. Lee’s scheduled appearance was led by a press secretary for the Democratic governor of Pennsylvania. Josh Shapiro“Hateful and anti-Semitic rhetoric is unacceptable and should be condemned and not elevated by our nation’s political leaders.”
Edgewood Ward Councilwoman Babini Patel, who is challenging Lee in the Democratic primary, also slammed her.
“Summer Lee needs to cancel this appearance and apologize for agreeing to share the stage with them in the first place,” Patel wrote in X.
Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick went a step further and called for Lee to resign.
“Today I ask, [Democratic Sen.] “Bob Casey please join me in calling for Summer Lee’s immediate resignation,” he posted on X Monday.
“Pittsburgh’s Jewish community deserves a true leader with moral clarity to stand up to the atrocities of Hamas and anti-Semitism across the country.”
Lee was the first black woman elected to the Pennsylvania state legislature and is often counted among the “squad” of hardcore House progressives.
She has criticized Israel’s war against Hamas since October 7.
CAIR reached out to The Post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Prior to Lee’s resignation, CAIR defended the congressman, along with Philadelphia chapter executive director Dr. Ahmet Selim Tekerioglu, characterizing the speaker’s criticisms as “disingenuous.” said in a statement on Monday. “Media pieces that take comments from our leaders and speakers out of context are being exploited by unscrupulous circles.”
