Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna is set to join a controversial lineup at “ArabCon” in Dearborn, Michigan, this weekend. The event brings together speakers faced with accusations of antisemitism and those who have defended the violent Hamas attack on Israel from October 7. Khanna, elected in 2017 and representing Silicon Valley, seeks a place in the national dialogue, eyeing a potential run for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.
This four-day gathering features a number of activists and academics frequently criticized for their support of terrorist organizations. Among the notable figures speaking at the conference are Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud and Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student from Columbia University. Hammoud has drawn fire for telling a Christian resident, “you are not welcome,” after the man protested the renaming of an intersection to honor a journalist known for praising terrorists. In an escalation of tensions, Hammoud labeled the resident a “racist bigot” and “Islamophobe.” His comments reflect a broader stance against perceived racism, even as he has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
Khalil, who has been vocal in opposing the Trump administration’s measures against campus antisemitism, refers to himself as the “lead negotiator” for Columbia University Apartheid Divest. He gained notoriety for his role in a protest that occupied a building at Columbia, which included assaults on Jewish students while praising the Hamas assault on Israel. The Department of Justice has claimed that Khalil failed to disclose his previous employment with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), an agency under scrutiny for its alleged ties to Hamas.
The presence of other speakers, such as Mara Kronenfeld, the executive director of UNRWA USA, and San Francisco State University Professor Rabab Abdulhadi, adds another layer of complexity. Abdulhadi has a history of organizing events with members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, deemed a terrorist organization by the Anti-Defamation League. She has expressed views that frame the October 7 attack as “merely defending themselves” against what she characterizes as “colonial & racist violence.”
The conference is clearly a hub of strong opinions and radical rhetoric. Amer Zahr, who is set to moderate a panel, has previously stated his solidarity with Hamas and Hezbollah in their opposition to Israeli actions. Zahra Billoo, an official with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, has drawn criticism for analogizing Hamas’s actions to an extreme and violent situation, stating, “blaming Hamas for firing rockets at [Apartheid] Israel is like blaming a woman for punching her rapist.”
Linda Sarsour, a notable activist who stepped down from her position in the Women’s March over allegations of antisemitism, will join Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin in another panel. Code Pink has faced allegations about its connections with the Chinese Communist Party and its involvement in disruptive protests linked to pro-Palestinian causes.
For his part, Khanna continues to lead a coalition within the Democratic Party advocating for U.S. recognition of a Palestinian state, despite the lack of a response from his office to inquiries surrounding the event. The lineup at ArabCon raises significant questions about the broader implications of political alignment within the Democratic Party and attitudes toward Israel amidst rising tensions and divisions.
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