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Huma Abedin in Trouble for Referring to Pro-Israel Org as ‘That Crowd’

Huma Abedin sits close behind Hillary Clinton
AP
October 6, 2016

Top Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin is in trouble with the pro-Israel community after newly revealed emails show that in 2009 she urged Bill Clinton not to speak to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, referring to the organization as "that crowd."

Abedin was asked in an email exchange from 2009 if Clinton should accept an invitation to speak before AIPAC, America’s largest pro-Israel lobbying group, which she recommended against, the Daily Caller reported. Abedin emailed Bill Clinton’s assistant, Doug Band, asking, "u really want to consider sending him into that crowd?"

In a Sept. 10, 2009, email, Band told Cheryl Mills and Abedin that Bill Clinton was reluctant to attend the AIPAC Jewish forum, stating, "Aipac begging for wjc to come speak at conference.  He doesn’t think he should unless you all do."

Mills, Hillary’s chief of staff, told Band the final decision was up to Hillary Clinton and she would touch base with her. As Mills sought that answer, Abedin comments, "U really want to consider sending him into that crowd?"

An apparently impatient Band pointedly asked, "Go or not go?"

Abedin finally responds: "No go to aipac."

The State Department released the email exchanges on Sept. 21, as part of a Freedom of Information Act request from the conservative advocacy group Citizens United.

The newly surfaced documents come amid recent stories linking Abedin and her family to a radical Islamic journal and showing her father’s support for Sharia law.

Abedin’s comments drew condemnation from the leaders of several organizations, both Jewish and non-Jewish, including the Zionist Organization of America and the Middle East Forum.

The Daily Caller reports that Bill Clinton addressed AIPAC twice while he was president and Hillary Clinton spoke before the group in 2010. Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump addressed AIPAC this year at the organization’s annual policy conference.