DEARBORN, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The Muslim comedian and school board member for the Dearborn public school district recently detained in Israel has a history of supporting Hamas and attacking Israel.
Inflammatory jokes.
Amer Zahr’s controversial comments over the past four years have been documented by pro-Israel organizations, such as United With Israel and Canary Mission.
MORE NEWS: Poll Shows Deep Divisions Over Which Leaders Honor America’s Founding Principles
Zahr has joked about the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led massacre, that according to the Israel Defense Forces, killed more than 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostage.
In addition, Zahr supported people linked to terrorist attacks and organizations designated as terrorists by the U.S. government.
The past catches up.
In a 2025 rally in Dearborn, Zahr said in a Facebook video, “We say very proudly, that we stand with every resistance against Israel and every resistance against the occupation, whether … it’s called Hamas, whether it’s called Hezbollah, we stand with everybody who stands against Israeli …” Then applause drowned out his final word. Then he joked, “Don’t make me say Hamas again, … get arrested.”
In 2021, he posted a video that called for activists to no longer condemn antisemitism or acts of terrorism.
“This is a message to all the activists and leaders out there that are condemning antisemitism and condemning terrorism right now,” Zahr said in the 2021 video. “Stop it! Stop! You are not helping! Alright? You are playing their games. It’s a distraction. We’ve been condemning antisemitism for 20, 30, 40 years. If they didn’t believe us by now, stop it!”
He added, “Don’t condemn s**t. … Say free, free Palestine and nothing else.”
In 2021, he tweeted, “My two Palestine Valentines. Fatima, Leila… Will you marry me?” The photos he included were of Fatima Bernawi and Leila Khaled.
MORE NEWS: No Kids, No School Tax? GOP Lawmakers Float Property Tax Overhaul
The Jerusalem Post reported that Bernawi and other terrorists had attempted to bomb the Zion Cinema in Jerusalem in 1967. The explosive was put in a handbag and found before it detonated. Bernawi was arrested and was in prison before being released in a prisoner swap.
Canary Mission reported that Khaled participated in the 1969 hijacking of TWA Flight 840 and the 1970 hijacking of El Al Flight 219.
In September, Zahr was the moderator for ArabCon in Dearborn. That’s when he joked about the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, asking a anti-Israel panelist tongue-in-cheek, “Do you condemn October 7th?”
The audience laughed.
Zahr in America.
San Francisco State University’s Rabab Abdulhadi answered Zahr’s question by saying, “I condemn Israel and the United States and all oppression and imperial war around the world. I never ever condemn Palestinian resistance and any resistance around the world.” The clip was first posted by the Manhattan Institute.
On Instagram, Zahr showed support in 2018 for Marwan Barghouti, a Palestinian activist arrested by Israel and serving five life sentences for what Israel said was his involvement in attacks that killed Israelis.
Zahr tweeted a photo of himself with Rasmea Odeh in 2021: “Who can say they were lucky enough to serenade the amazing Rasmea Odeh? I can! #internationalwomensday #PalestinianWomen #Palestine #FreePalestine … Rasmea was unjustly stripped of her US citizenship. They thought they could defeat her, but they don’t know us Palestinians!”
Odeh was stripped of her U.S. citizenship and not allowed to ever return and was deported to Jordan in 2017, according to the U.S. Custom and Immigrations Enforcement. Odeh was convicted in Israel for participating in a deadly terrorist bombing, according to ICE.
