Brenda Abdelall has joined Vice President Kamala Harris’ team as director of Arab-American relations. However, this appointment caused controversy, as Abdelall had 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, he claimed that “Zionists control most” of American politics. This was the reason for the electoral defeat of former Congressman Earl Hilliard Sr.
Abdelall’s mother, Mona, founder of the Michigan chapter of the Muslim American Council, also echoed these views, pointing to the Bush administration’s support for Israel.
The Harris campaign came to Abdelall’s defense, emphasizing that the 2002 comments do not reflect Brenda’s current views or the campaign’s position. In its statement, the campaign noted that Abdelall played a key role in implementing the National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism and led the United We Stand summit to counter hate violence.
Abdelall joins other controversial figures on Harris’ team, such as Nasrina Bargzi, who will also be working with Muslim and Arab voters. Mort Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America, expressed concern about Bargzi and said she was trying to stop investigations into groups targeting Jewish students. Other Harris campaign advisers are also known for calling for more pressure on Israel and strengthening U.S. relations with Iran.
Earlier, Kursor reported that US Vice President Kamala Harris said 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.
