Senate Hearing: Nominee Grilled on Saddam Hussein, Israel, and Antisemitic Comments

Questioning Nominee Amer Ghalib

• 🎯 Senator McCormick questioned Amer Ghalib, President Trump's nominee to be Ambassador to Kuwait, regarding past comments.
• ⚠️ Ghalib referred to Saddam Hussein, who invaded Kuwait, as a "martyr" in a 2020 social media post.
• 💡 Ghalib explained the comment was made in a moment of anger after Iranian attacks on US bases, complimenting Hussein for keeping the Iranian regime in check, and apologized for any offense caused.

Stance on Israel and BDS

• 🇺🇸 McCormick pressed Ghalib on his past support for the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel and calls for Israelis to "leave the land."
• ❓ Ghalib was asked if he accepts President Trump's view that Israel should be the national home of the Jewish people.
• 🗣️ Ghalib avoided a direct yes or no, stating that everyone has the right to exist and that he trusts and will support the President's policies.

Antisemitic Social Media Post

• 🐒 A Facebook comment from approximately six or seven years ago, which Ghalib liked, referred to Jews as "monkeys" who levy taxes on "the air we breathe."
• 🚫 Ghalib stated this was misinformation, clarified it was not from 2025, and that he told the poster such comments were inappropriate in the US.
• ✅ He asserted he totally disagrees with the comment and, in his official capacity, passed a resolution condemning antisemitism in 2021-2022, which was complemented by the Jewish community.