Khalil Atieh is a prominent Jordanian politician of Palestinian origins. He was a member of parliament until King Abdullah II dissolved it in May, and is running in Jordan’s general elections on September 20.
But he’s been marred in a controversy since late 2015 when he fed the American ambassador mensaf (a traditional Jordanian lamb and rice dish) and yogurt. A known advocate of the Palestinian cause, many in Jordan found it hypocritical he would so publicly celebrate a US official, given the US’s support for Israel.
It’s this sentiment that led to Atieh’s anti-Semitic rant in a Facebook Live video where he expressed desire to kill Jews. The video, posted yesterday, has since been widely shared and commented on.
In the past, Atieh has reiterated his opposition to US foreign policy when questioned about his feeding of the US ambassador. And this video clip is no exception. “Listen, listen! I’m against US policy,” he shouted to the camera. “I never met with the Israeli ambassador nor Netanyahu.”
Atieh then took it to the next level in an effort to distance himself from the US and Israel. “By God’s will, I will perform jihad and kill the Jews,” said a visibly angry Atieh.
The video has been shared 483 times and received 822 comments to date. Reactions in the comments section ranged from anti-Israel statements, to laughter, to more criticisms of his meal with the American ambassador and beyond.
This is far from the latest controversy for Atieh this election cycle. He’s also recently distributed campaign flyers with bowls of hummus.
AL
