Sanders’ campaign released a video of Rashida Tlaib calling him “uncle” in Arabic on the heels of endorsements from fellow anti-Israel lawmakers Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
By United With Israel Staff
Following a rally in Detroit on Sunday, where Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) joined Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) in endorsing Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, the Sanders campaign released a video in which Tlaib calls him “Amo Bernie.”
“Amo” is Arabic for uncle.
“I am endorsing Amo Bernie Sanders because he’s not gonna sell us out,” Tlaib says in the video. “He understands that it’s not just about policies and about words. But it’s going to be also about completely transforming the structures in place that are hurting American people.”
Tlaib’s endorsement of Sanders follows Ocasio-Cortez and Omar’s endorsement two week’s ago. Known as “The Squad,” the only group member who has yet to announce her backing of Sanders’ presidential bid is Representative Ayana Presley of Massachusetts.
The four progressive lawmakers are working diligently to push the Democratic Party far left.
Sanders, along with his staff and “The Squad,” are known for their anti-Israel stances. For example, the presidential hopeful recently said that if he were elected president, he would take the US military aid package Israel uses to defend itself against terrorism and other threats, especially from Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah, and send part of that money to Gaza, which is ruled by Islamic terror group Hamas and home to several others.
Tlaib, who proudly speaks of her Palestinian ancestry and was sworn into office wearing a “traditional Palestinian dress,” has publicly supported the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
In the video, she says, “My family has never, ever really come together on a lot of political issues, honestly, after the passing of my father. But Amo Bernie seems to be able to unite us.”
Taking the stage in Detroit, Sanders was quick to compliment Tlaib. “I will look to her for her leadership in Congress under a Sanders’ administration,” he said.
Receiving the endorsement of “The Squad” is considered crucial for the 78-year-old Sanders to attract young voters to his campaign.
The Democratic Socialists of America, the country’s largest socialist group, applauded Tlaib’s decision to back Sanders.