California's Democratic Representative Ro Khanna is set to participate in the "ArabCon" event in Dearborn, Michigan, this weekend.
The event has raised eyebrows due to its roster of speakers, some of whom have been accused of antisemitism and endorsing Hamas's recent terror attack on Israel on October 7.
According to the Western Journal, the four-day event, which commenced on Thursday in the United States' largest Arab-majority city, features a series of activists and academics who have previously faced criticism for their support of terrorist organizations.
Khanna, who represents a significant portion of Silicon Valley, has expressed his desire to be a part of the national discourse, potentially positioning himself as a contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.
Khanna is slated to join Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks on Saturday for a panel discussion on the ongoing "political realignment" as the "genocide in Gaza continues to spark global outrage." Other notable speakers include Dearborn's Democratic Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, who recently faced backlash for telling a Christian resident that he was not welcome in the city.
This incident occurred after the resident expressed his opposition to renaming an intersection in honor of an Arab American journalist known for his support of terror groups.
Hammoud, who has previously accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, labeled the resident a racist bigot and Islamophobe. He stated, "Although you live here, I want you to know as mayor, you are not welcome here. And the day you move out of the city will be the day that I launch a parade celebrating the fact that you moved out of this city."
Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia University, is also on the speaker list. Khalil, a Syrian-born Palestinian activist, has become a prominent figure in the resistance against the Trump administration's efforts to curb antisemitism on campuses.
Khalil, who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in March, has identified himself as the "lead negotiator" for Columbia University Apartheid Divest. This group was at the forefront of an illegal encampment last year that involved protesters occupying a school building, assaulting Jewish students, and applauding Hamas's October 7 massacre in Israel.
The Department of Justice has stated that Khalil failed to disclose his previous employment as a political affairs officer for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on his permanent residency application. UNRWA is a notorious UN agency that has been accused of maintaining ties with Hamas. Mara Kronenfeld, the executive director of UNRWA USA, is also expected to attend the conference.
Another speaker, San Francisco State University professor Rabab Abdulhadi, is known for organizing events with members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a group recognized as a foreign terrorist organization by the Anti-Defamation League. Abdulhadi has also argued that the Hamas terrorists who attacked Israel on October 7 were simply defending themselves against "colonial & racist violence."
Amer Zahr, who is moderating a panel on Friday, stated at a Dearborn rally in 2017, "We stand with everybody who stands against the Israeli occupation whether its called Hamas, whether its called Hezbollah." Zahra Billoo, a Council on American-Islamic Relations official who once wrote, "Blaming Hamas for firing rockets at [Apartheid] Israel is like blaming a woman for punching her rapist," is also scheduled to speak at the conference.
Muslim activist Linda Sarsour, who was compelled to resign from her position in the Women's March in 2019 due to allegations of anti-Semitism, will participate in a panel with Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin. Code Pink has been associated with the Chinese Communist Party and is known for organizing disruptive pro-Palestinian protests.
Khanna, who was first elected in 2017, is leading a group of Democrats urging the Trump administration to recognize a Palestinian state. His office did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation's request for comment.
This event and its roster of speakers continue to raise questions about the balance between free speech and the endorsement of controversial viewpoints.
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