‘Squad’ member caught at fundraiser for Islamic leader praising Hamas attack on Israel

A member of the far-left “Squad,” facing a tough challenge from his own party, recently attended a fundraiser co-hosted by an Islamic leader who said he was “glad to stop Hamas’ attack on Israeli civilians on January 7.” “To see October”.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman, who represents New York’s 16th Congressional District, attended the fundraiser at a private home in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 1 and appeared to miss the presence of Nihad Awad, a highly controversial and anti-Semitic figure who served as chairman acts as a non-disturbing national executive director and co-founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

Awad faced intense scrutiny last year after he expressed joy over the Hamas attack that resulted in the deaths of nearly 1,200 Israelis, including women and babies, and claimed Israel had “no right to Self-defense.”

WAR VETERAN IN CRUCIAL BATTLEGROUND RACE EXPANDS CAMPAIGN, PUTS A STRONG FOCUS ON VULNERABLE DEMOCRATS

“The people of Gaza decided to break the siege – the walls of the concentration camp – only on October 7th,” Awad said during the 16th annual Palestine Convention on November 24th near Chicago. “And yes, I was happy to see people breaking the siege and throwing off the shackles of their own land and walking freely into their land that they were not allowed to enter.”

He continued: “And yes, the people of Gaza have the right to self-defense, they have the right to defend themselves. And yes, Israel as an occupying power does not have this right to self-defense.”

The Biden administration later sought to distance itself from CAIR following Awad’s comments, saying it would remove the group from its publicly listed pledge to combat anti-Semitism.

At the time, White House spokesman Andrew Bates told Fox News Digital in a statement: “We strongly condemn these shocking, anti-Semitic statements.”

FORMER TRUMP OFFICIAL ANNOUNCES MAJOR “DEPORT EVERYONE” BORDER INITIATIVE TO SWAP KEY SENATE SEAT

Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., left, and Council on American-Islamic Relations co-founder Nihad Awad (Getty Images/File)

“Hamas’ horrific, brutal terrorist attacks on October 7 were, as President Biden said, ‘abhorrent’ and represented ‘unadulterated evil,'” Bates said.

“October 7 was the deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust,” he continued. “The atrocities of that day shock the conscience, which is why we can never forget the pain that Hamas inflicted on so many innocent people.”

“There are families grieving in fear of their loved ones, and there are also families in fear of death because they are doing everything in their power to free loved ones from captivity,” Bates said. “Every leader has a responsibility to denounce anti-Semitism wherever it rears its ugly head.”

GOP IN BATTLEGROUND STATES DESTROY TRUMP TRIAL JUDGE’S ‘DANGEROUS’ VERDICT

George Latimer, Westchester County Executive (Jeenah Moon for The Washington Post via Getty Images/File)

Ahead of the fundraiser, Awad posted on social media praising Bowman as “a staunch defender of Palestinian rights” and urging people to attend the fundraiser and donate.

It’s unclear why Bowman decided to attend a fundraiser with Awad, and his campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Bowman faces what is expected to be a tough primary fight against Westchester County Executive George Latimer who previously served in the New York State Assembly and state Senate.

The primary election will take place on June 25th. The winner will likely become the district’s next representative, as election analysts rate the race as “safe” or “solid” Democratic.

Timothy HJ Nerozzi of Fox News contributed to this report.

Get the latest updates on the 2024 election, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital Election Center.