Abbas Hamideh, a "Palestinian right of return" activist with a history of calling Israel a "terrorist entity," attended a swearing-in ceremony and private dinner with Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.).
Hamideh, executive director of the U.S.-based Palestine Right to Return Coalition, has equated Zionists to Nazis, said Israel has a "delusional ISIS-like ideology," and called the creation of the country a "crime."
He tweeted out a picture of himself holding a painting of Tlaib and standing beside the newly sworn-in congresswoman on Saturday.
"I was honored to be at Congresswoman @RashidaTlaib swearing in ceremony in #Detroit and private dinner afterward with the entire family, friends and activists across the country. #Palestine #TweetYourThobe #RashidaTlaib," Hamideh tweeted.
I was honored to be at Congresswoman @RashidaTlaib swearing in ceremony in #Detroit and private dinner afterward with the entire family, friends and activists across the country. #Palestine #TweetYourThobe #RashidaTlaib pic.twitter.com/caJPN12ODX
— Abbas Hamideh (@Resistance48) January 12, 2019
Within hours of the tweet, several pro-Israel activists and conservative reporters pointed out some of his old tweets that showed disdain for Israel.
"Criminal Zionism will eventually die just like Nazism. No racist and supremacist political ideology should maintain itself. This is why you’re covert and financed by @AIPAC," Hamideh tweeted on Sunday.
https://twitter.com/Resistance48/status/1084527025325592577
"[I]srael does not have a right to exist. The terrorist entity is illegal and has no basis to exist other than a delusional ISIS like ideology," Hamideh tweeted in 2016.
israel does not have a right to exist. The terrorist entity is illegal and has no basis to exist other than a delusional ISIS like ideology.
— Abbas Hamideh (@Resistance48) November 19, 2016
Similar themes permeated his tweets in 2014 and 2015.
"Israel" wants to be recognized as a Jewish state. Hitler too wanted an exclusivist state w/o Jews. Funny how Nazis and Zionists are similar
— Abbas Hamideh (@Resistance48) March 21, 2014
Yes, the Nazis are still around with a different name: Zionists! #Intifada pic.twitter.com/BvPNnJue2t
— Abbas Hamideh (@Resistance48) October 10, 2015
Quit whining about Jews suffering for 4 centuries that is pure bullshit. The creation of israel is still a crime no matter what religion.
— Abbas Hamideh (@Resistance48) May 11, 2014
Are we done with Apartheid Week? I want to go back to calling israel a terrorist entity.
— Abbas Hamideh (@Resistance48) February 25, 2014
Tlaib, the first Palestinian woman elected to Congress, has expressed her support of the Palestinian state and last week spoke out against Senate Bill S.1, sponsored by Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.). She castigated the "Combatting BDS Act," a measure contained in the "Strengthening America's Security in the Middle East Act of 2019" to combat the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. The BDS movement wages economic boycotts on the Jewish state and its people. Tlaid said the act is "literally an attack on our Constitution."