Joe Biden has been accused of hypocrisy after he disowned a Palestinian-American woman whose activism was celebrated at the Democratic National Convention (DNC).
Biden’s campaign conddemned Linda Sarsour after she spoke at a DNC fringe meeting on Tuesday in favour of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign “to end international support for Israel's oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law.”
"Joe Biden has been a strong supporter of Israel and a vehement opponent of anti-Semitism his entire life, and he obviously condemns her views and opposes BDS, as does the Democratic platform", his campaign spokesperson Andrew Bates told CNN.
"She has no role in the Biden campaign whatsoever", Bates added emphatically.
But a video entitled "America Rising: Women’s Suffrage to Women’s March", broadcast from the virtual convention on Wednesday, contained footage of the 2017 Women’s March which Sarsour co-chaired.
The activist hit back in a tweet, accusing the DNC of using the video to “make themselves seem relevant” while “throwing my communities under the bus.”
In 2017, Politico magazine called Sarsour “the lighting rod of the resistance” to President Donald Trump for her co-leadership of the January 21 march in Washington DC and other cities protesting the inauguration of President Donald Trump the previous day.
Many attendees wore signature pink ‘pussy hats’ created for the occasion.
American-Israeli lawyer Ady Barkan, who also spoke at the DNC on Tuesday, leapt to Sarsour’s defence against what he called a “vile and dishonest statement” by the Biden campaign.
"Linda is a fierce advocate for justice and freedom, and a leading antiracist and organizer against anti-Semitism", he wrote. “The Biden campaign must retract and apologize.”
He urged others to sign a petition in Sarsour’s support.
BDS has been attracted controversy for tactics such as its call for a cultural boycott of Israel, pressuring musicians and other artist not to perform there.
