A prominent Palestinian-American activist who campaigned for former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders thanked the Vermont senator on Monday for "changing her life forever," tweeting a framed picture of them together.
Linda Sarsour thanked Sanders and his wife over Twitter for "memories that will last forever," indicating that she still supports his White House bid with a "#StillSanders" hashtag.
What an amazing gift. Memories that will last forever. Thank u @BernieSanders & @janeosanders. You changed my life forever. #StillSanders pic.twitter.com/TTo1EBj5Z9
— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) March 21, 2017
Sarsour is the executive director of the Arab American Association of New York, which the New York Police Department previously sought to probe with informants as part of a large-scale terrorism investigation.
In 2012, Sarsour claimed that the NYPD fabricated evidence against the American-Muslim community to frame them as terrorists, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
"The cases that they have supposedly foiled, we believe many of those cases are entrapment cases," Sarsour said. "We believe that the NYPD informants actually manufacture these cases so they can justify the funding that comes to the NYPD."
Sarsour has come under fire in recent years for making controversial statements about Israel and Zionism. She claimed earlier this month that Zionists cannot be feminists because Israel persecutes Palestinian women.
She also came under heavy criticism in October 2015 for tweeting a picture of a Palestinian boy carrying rocks and approaching what appears to be security forces, holding him up as "the definition of courage."
The definition of courage. #Palestine pic.twitter.com/VchvSQMGCi
— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) October 12, 2015
"Palestinians often hurl rocks and other objects at Jews and Israeli security personnel," the Washington Free Beacon reported at the time."
The same month, Sarsour tweeted that Zionists are "trolls out to play."
"The Zionist trolls are out to play. Bring it. You will never silence me," Sarsour said.
The Zionist trolls are out to play. Bring it. You will never silence me.
— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) October 12, 2015
Sarsour, who has called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "a waste of a human being" and a "bigot", has also maintained that "nothing is creepier than Zionism," equating it to racism.
Nothing is creepier than Zionism.Challenge racism, #NormalizeJustice. Check out this video by @remroum http://t.co/q282BYT8
— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) October 31, 2012
During the 2016 presidential race, Sarsour actively campaigned for Sanders, a self-declared socialist, who was challenging Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary.
The Sanders campaign held an event at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee with Sarsour during the campaign titled "Islamophobia and the Elections." Sanders' team described Sarsour as a "working woman, racial justice and civil rights activist" and a "voice shattering stereotypes of Muslim women."
"Linda will be discussing what it means to be Muslim in America, how to have a voice in politics, and ways we can work together to elect our candidate, Bernie Sanders, as the next president of the United States," an ad for the event said.
Sarsour also spoke at a Sanders rally in Washington Square Park in New York City on April 14, 2016. During her speech, Sarsour echoed some of Sanders' main campaign talking points.
"The establishment has counted you out before you went to the polls," she said. "We have a political statement to make in New York City."
Sarsour touted several of Sanders' policy positions, including on minimum wage.
"Sisters and brothers, there is only one candidate that supports a federal 15 dollar minimum wage; there is only one candidate in this race that has had the backs of labor," she said.
Sanders, who is Jewish, was criticized for being a harsh critic of Israel during his campaign. At one point he falsely stated the number of civilians in Gaza killed during the 2014 war between Hamas and Israel.