A supporter of Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) has posted anti-Semitic theories about the origins of Jews to Facebook, the Daily Caller first reported.
Maher Abdel-qader, an engineer and fundraiser for Tlaib, publicly shared a video earlier this month that falsely suggests that Jews are descended from Khazars, a semi-nomadic Eurasian tribe that was destroyed in the Middle Ages.
In April 2018, Tlaib presented Abdel-qader with a “medal of appreciation” for his support of her campaign. Abdel-qader help organize campaign events for Tlaib across the country, the Daily Beast reported.
Image by facebook
A screenshot of a video Maher Abdel-qader posted to Facebook.
Image by Facebook
A post about Khazars from 2016.
Tlaib has previously come under fire for her opinions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In 2017, gene-testing company 23andMe erroneously told Jewish users that they might be descended from Khazars. They later retracted the statement.
Ari Feldman is a staff writer at the Forward. Contact him at feldman@forward.com or follow him on Twitter @aefeldman
Author
Ari Feldman
Ari Feldman is a staff writer at the Forward. He covers Jewish religious organizations, synagogue life, anti-Semitism and the Orthodox world. If you have any tips, you can email him at feldman@forward.com. Follow him on Twitter @aefeldman.
Tlaib Ally Posts Anti-Semitic Khazar Theory On Facebook