Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib made a surprise appearance at a Detroit pro-Palestinian conference on Saturday, an event that raised significant concerns due to its advocacy for terrorism, its honoring of terrorists, and featuring a member of a terrorist organization as a panelist. This is a troubling reflection of the increasing acceptance of radical views among certain political figures and groups.
The People’s Conference for Palestine, which Tlaib attended, saw the participation of numerous anti-Israel groups involved in protests post-October 7. Notably, Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud also gave a video address. The presence of Wisam Rafeedie, an activist for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a designated foreign terrorist organization by the US State Department, as a workshop speaker, underscores the extreme nature of the event.
The keynote speaker, Sana’ Daqqah, is the wife of PFLP terrorist Walid Daqqah, who commanded the cell responsible for the abduction, torture, and murder of Israeli soldier Moshe Tamam in 1984. Walid Daqqah’s glorification at the event, alongside references to other terrorists and the promotion of armed resistance, is a stark reminder of the radical ideologies being propagated.
Speakers at the conference openly praised terrorist activities and called for continued armed resistance against Israel. This included celebrating the actions of terrorists like Bassel al-Araj, Ibrahim al-Nabulsi, Udai Tamimi, and even Black Liberation Army convicted murderer Assata Shakur. Activist Sarah Abdelshamy highlighted the exchange of imprisoned Palestinian terrorists for Hamas hostages and the so-called success of the October 7 attack by the Gazan group, further glorifying violence.
The rhetoric extended beyond Israel to anti-American sentiments, with calls to defeat not only Israel but also US imperialism. Academic Rabab Abdulhadi emphasized the intent to fight against and defeat both the Israeli army and US imperialism. The conference’s content and tone reveal a deeply troubling alignment with extremist ideologies and a blatant endorsement of terrorism, raising serious questions about the judgment and affiliations of those, like Congresswoman Tlaib, who choose to participate in such events.
