Aber Kawas, a Palestinian-American who ran a platform of so-called “democratic socialism,” and has called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has won the Democratic primary for the New York State Senate race in Queens. The victory marks the first time a Palestinian Muslim female was elected in New York state. Kawas was backed by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Kawas was born in New York and has lived there her entire life. The primary victor placed a heavy emphasis on making big changes to the immigration system and working to reverse the affordability crisis happening in the state during her campaign. Reports say that her win plays a pivotal role in Mamdani’s ultimate plan to transform the Democratic Party into a force for democratic socialism.
Along with her anti-ICE efforts, Kawas’s website is chock full of anti-Israel rhetoric, including the development and launching of the “Not On Our Dime!” campaign that seeks to stop organizations registered in New York from donating money to Israel. The group’s official website says their mission is to stop “New York State (is) subsidizing Israel’s illegal settlement expansion and state violence against Palestinians.”
According to a report from Breitbart News, Kawas ran her state Senate campaign as part of the Democratic Socialists for America coalition. The organization put out a statement following her primary win, saying, “Palestine was on the ballot, and now a Palestinian-American democratic socialist is going to Albany. Kawas is exactly who New Yorkers need fighting for them in the State Senate. Because socialists get it done.”
Kawas has had a fair bit of controversy since tossing her hat in the political ring, including a statement saying that capitalism, racism, and white supremacy were the real reasons the 9/11 terrorist attacks happened, adding that it was an attack that “a couple of people did.” A recently unearthed clip shows the democratic socialist commenting on the tragedy.
“The system of capitalism and racism and white supremacy… and Islamophobia, have all been used to colonize lands, to take resources from other people and so this is a long trajectory and we’re just seeing the manifestations of that continuation with 9/11,” she went on to say. “The idea we have to apologize for a terror attack that a couple of people did and then there is no apology or reparations for genocides and for slavery… is something I find reprehensible.”
Another video showed her clutching a headband worn by Hamas terrorists. A post from End Wokeness on social media platform X features Kawas slamming ICE and calling for it to be abolished. “Immigrants are living in fear of ICE every single day. What can we do to resist this? We are calling for abolishing ICE and agents who live to exceptionalize who gets to be part of this country.”
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She then reveals that both of her parents were illegal aliens when they came to the United States. “Both of my parents were undocumented and I remember my parents speaking about what to do should they leave the country. Where they should hide if an ICE agent comes to the home,” she added in the clip. Along with that, Kawas also penned blog posts defending a convicted jihadist who was plotting to bomb a synagogue.
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video