What’s Happening:

Even with all the supposed censoring that happens on social media, there are ways to get around watchful eyes. Designating a group on social media as “private” allows members of the online community to freely post their opinions.

Where this can be a problem is from groups with nefarious intentions and public figures, such as politicians, using private groups to shield opinions they don’t want in the general public. One U.S. Congress member has been unmasked as being a member of a private group with questionable intentions.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) is part of a secret social media group in which its members have glamorized Hamas. This terrorist group is at war with Israel and has been credited for attacking and killing hundreds of innocent Israeli civilians last month.

From Fox News:
The Michigan Democrat is a member of the Palestinian American Congress group on Facebook. The group is hidden from non-members and does not appear on the platform’s search engine, though Fox News Digital was able to gain access to it.

The group’s founder, according to Fox News, has extensive ties to Tlaib and has been linked to other liberal politicians. Maher Abdel-qader, the founder, has been criticized for his antisemitic social media posts, including questioning if the Holocaust ever occurred.

The Palestinian American Congress group has promoted pro-Hamas posts following the horrific Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Members have posted calls to get rid of Israel and its people.

On Oct. 12, one group member posted: “We don’t want to throw you in the sea…we want you to ride it back from where you came,” according to Fox News. A picture of an elderly Israeli woman and a Hamas fighter holding her captive was next to the message.

The outlet reported that on Oct. 19 another group member wrote about the “achievements” of the “resistance in Northern occupied Palestine,” including dozens of dead Israeli soldiers. A photo of a Hamas fighter was featured with the post.

According to Fox News, Tlaib became a member of the group six years ago. She made posts in the group during her 2018 congressional campaign. She was called out a year later after a report in the Daily Caller News Foundation exposed her membership and many antisemitic posts in the group.

Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress, has faced criticism over her recent comments about the Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel. She was censured last week in the House of Representatives for her anti-Israel comments. The House voted 234-188 for censure, and the vote included Democrats supporting the action.

Tlaib’s connection to Abdel-qader goes beyond the secretive social media group. He is the founder of the Palestinian American Congress group and has reportedly championed antisemitic conspiracy theories for years. Fox News noted that Abdel-qader has been connected to multiple fundraising events with Tlaib over the years and has also appeared in photos with her that were posted to social media accounts.

The Palestinian activist has personally donated at least $6,500 to Tlaib’s campaign since 2018, according to the outlet. He was also the chairman of her finance committee during her 2018 congressional campaign. Tlaib gave him a medal for his support as a sign of gratitude.

Key Takeaways:

• S. Congress member exposed for connection to secret social media group.
• The secretive group has promoted pro-Hamas posts since the attacks on Israel.
• The founder of the group has raised money for Rep. Rashida Tlaib for years.

Source: Fox News