Biden Admin Awards Grant to Palestinian Activist Group Whose Leaders Hailed Terrorist as ‘Hero Fighter’

The Biden administration gave a $78,000 grant to a Palestinian activist group whose leaders attended an anniversary event celebrating the founding of a terrorist group and praised the murderer of a U.S. military attaché as a “hero fighter,” According to a funding announcement.

The grant was given to the Community Development and Continuing Education Institute, an activist group based on the West Bank of the Palestinian Territories. “youth participation and accountability in local governance,” In November, the U.S. Agency for International Development announced that it was closing.

An anti-terrorism group raised concerns about the funding after learning that the board chairman of the activist group was present at a celebration for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorist organisation, while the other board members applauded the convicted terrorists. “heroes” Hamas missile attacks against Israel were applauded and applauded.

NGO Monitor, an independent watchdog group, investigated CDCEI funding and questioned federal government grantee vetting processes. This news about the USAID grant comes at a time when the Biden State department has been subject to criticism. lawmakers For funding Fares Al-Arab runs a Gaza-based journalistic training program that promotes anti-Israel views.

“These findings reinforce the need for USAID to consult a wide array of publicly available sources when vetting potential grantees, to ensure that taxpayer funds are not provided to organizations led by individuals that glorify violence, espouse anti-Semitic rhetoric, or embrace anti-normalization,” NGO Monitor stated. “USAID grantees should align with U.S. goals and values.”

USAID did not respond. CDCEI has not responded to a request for comments.

CDCEI stands for CDCEI. “nonprofit organization established in Bethlehem in 2010” That “promotes the values of human rights, pluralism, equality, good governance, and civic participation within the Palestinian society,” According to its website. According to an NGO Monitor investigation, however, Arabic-language news articles as well as social media posts paint a different picture of the group’s leadership. Washington Free Beacon.

An article by an Associated Press reports that Imad Al-Zeer was the chairman of CDCEI’s board of director since 2012. Al-Hadaf news report translated by NGO Monitor. Al-Zeer was photographed next to Popular Front signs in photos taken at the event.

Senior board members expressed support for terrorists through social media posts.

Mike Salman, the deputy chairman of CDCEI’s board, in an April 2, 2020, Facebook post translated by NGO Monitor praised “hero fighter” George Abdallah called for Abdallah to be released from prison. Abdallah is in France serving a life sentence. U.S. military attaché Charles R. RayBoth an Israeli diplomat and a diplomat from Israel.

“Together, with one another, to support the release of George Abdallah,” wrote Salman. “One of the idioms used by the hero fighter George is ‘I shall never compromise, I shall keep resisting.'”

Salman also celebrated six in 2021’s post escaped Palestinian prisoners “heroes”—including Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade terror chief Zakaria Zubeidi and a Palestinian Islamic Jihad member convicted of killing an Israeli teenager in 2006.

After the Israeli military massacre five members Salman wrote that a Hamas terrorist cell was formed in Sept. 2021. “May Allah have mercy on the spirits of Palestinian hero martyrs, including the five martyrs that rose to the supreme companion yesterday.”

Yasser Shaheed, a CDCEI board Member, applauded Hamas missile strikes on Israel in a May 10, 2021 Facebook post. It was translated by NGO Monitor. “rockets of the Palestinian resistance.” He also wept. “hero martyr Omar Abu Layla,” Three days after Layla’s murder of a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces, a rabbi was killed by Layla.

Jiries Abu Ghannam, a board member, published a post on Facebook in “solidarity with the prisoner fighter Marwan Al-Barghouti in his 19th year in Israeli prison.” Barghouti, a convicted killer who instigated the first and second Intifadas, is now behind bars.

Rana Abu Farha was another board member in a post last march translated by NGO Monitor. “44th anniversary of Dalal Al-Mughrabi and 11 Palestinian revolutionaries’ martyrdom” She praised the female terrorist and called her a “hero”. “beautiful and brave fighter.”

This post refers to Al-Mughrabi’s 1978 bus hijacking, which resulted in the murder of 38 Israelis including 13 children. Al-Mughrabi also murdered Gail Rubin, a niece of a former U.S. senator.

The Biden administration has been scrutinizing funding for CDCEI and other Palestinian groups in recent weeks. Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.) sent a letter Following a protest by Fares Al-Arab’s Gaza-based charity Fares Al-Arab being denied funding, this week called on the State Department. Free Beacon report That group worked with terrorists to find the group.

As recently as 2021, the group collaborated with Hamas on a housing project. A media award was also given by the charity to an Islamic Jihad Movement-run radio network. It honored a self-described journalist who belonged the Popular Front and hosted a press freedom conference that featured a spokesperson for Islamic Jihad and co-led a course on human rights with a convicted terrorist.