The New York Democrat fundraiser linked to “Squad” member Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., was placed on administrative leave from his job after reports of his anti-Semitic social media posts.
New York engineering firm AI Engineers (AIE) president Abul Islam announced that the vice president of their Big Apple office, Maher Abdelqader, was being placed on administrative leave.
“Recent news posted on various major media outlets about an officer of AIE, the VP of our New York City Office, may have impacted our reputation as a highly respected consulting engineering firm that has been providing services to many public agencies and private clients for the past 31 years,” Islam’s announcement read.
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Maher Abdelqader was put on administrative leave a week after a Fox News Digital report of his post of several pictures with New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
(Fox News Digital)
“At AI Engineers, we believe in an absolute commitment and respect for all people regardless of color, creed, ethnicity, religion, national origin, or sex,” the announcement continued.
“We pride ourselves on our transparency and commitment to diversity in all our internal and external relationships whether they be clients, subconsultants, suppliers, or the community at large. Please be assured that we will be taking appropriate action based upon the ongoing due diligence being conducted,” it read.
Islam said AIE “is fully cognizant of the anguish and dismay that such news has caused amongst some of our clients and employees alike” and that the company has “immediately placed the individual on administrative leave pending further internal investigation.”
Hochul is facing off against New York Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin for the Empire State governor’s mansion.
((Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images))
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The on-leave AIE vice president is an activist who has propagated antisemitic conspiracy theories, such as sharing a video claiming that Jews are “satanic” and controlling the media and that questions whether 6 million Jews died in the Holocaust.
Abdelqader also promoted claims on social media that the Jews were not really from Israel and used his Facebook account to promote the Boycott, Divestment, Sanction (BDS) Movement targeting Israel.
Abdelqader’s leave from work came a week after a Fox News Digital report revealing he posted pictures of himself with New York Governor Kathy Hochul at a Harvard Club fundraiser last month on Twitter.
The tweet was deleted after Fox News Digital reached out to the governor’s campaign.
Abdelqader has campaigned with several other Democrats, including “Squad” Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
(REUTERS/Rebecca Cook)
Jen Goodman, Hochul’s campaign spokesperson, told Fox News Digital “Governor Hochul strongly condemns antisemitism in any form and has taken decisive action to hold perpetrators accountable and fight back against hate crimes.”
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“Antisemitism and anti-Israel rhetoric are both abhorrent and unacceptable, and the governor will continue her tireless efforts to protect the Jewish community from these attacks,” Goodman said.
The activist has also campaigned with several other Democrats over the past year according to social media posts, including Tlaib, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
