The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) and American Muslims for Palestine–New Jersey (AMP–NJ) and other partner organizations today held a press conference outside U.S. Rep. Nellie Pou’s office to condemn her AIPAC-funded trip to Israel.
Rep. Pou represents District 9, which is home to one of the nation’s largest Palestinian American communities. When Pou was on her trip to Israel, thousands of her constituents in Paterson, Prospect Park and the surrounding areas endured a water crisis caused by a major main break, leaving them with little to no water in their homes for days.
She was among 14 House Democrats who attended the trip, along with her colleague U.S. Rep. Herb Conaway (NJ-3). Pou’s participation in the trip comes just weeks after she issued a public statement calling for aid to enter Gaza and asserting that “a permanent ceasefire must take hold.”
The trip began just one day after Israel’s security cabinet approved Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan for a full military occupation of Gaza City, which will likely lead to the further forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.
WATCH FULL PRESS CONFERENCE LIVESTREAM: CAIR-NJ Facebook
In a statement following the press conference, CAIR-NJ Executive DirectorSelaedin Maksut said:
“While the Israeli military dropped bombs on Palestinians in Gaza and prevented critical aid from entering the enclave, Rep. Pou chose to take a trip funded by AIPAC — a lobbying group that works to shield Israel from accountability as it carries out genocide and mass starvation in Gaza. This is unacceptable. Rep. Pou was elected to represent the people of District 9, not the interests of a foreign lobby.
“We have met with Rep. Pou in the past, shared stories of how Israel’s brutal occupation devastates Palestinian families and warned her about the harmful role of AIPAC in our politics. For her to ignore these concerns and participate in this trip, while her own constituents were in a water crisis, raises serious ethical questions and deepens the pain of the Palestinian American community she claims to represent.”
Other partner organizations echoed CAIR-NJ’s call, urging Rep. Pou to prioritize her constituents and align her actions with the principles of justice and accountability.
In a statement, American Muslims for Palestine-NJ Development Coordinator Hafsa Habehh said:
“This is not just bad optics; it’s a moral failure. At a time when the world is watching an unfolding genocide in Gaza, our elected officials should be using their positions to demand accountability and call for an immediate end to the heinous war crimes. Instead, they are participating in a taxpayer-subsidized propaganda tour funded by the same lobbying machine that shields Israel from consequences.”
Gabi Rubenstein with IfNotNow-Central NJ said:
“IfNotNow Central NJ is appalled that Congresswoman Nellie Pou took an AIPAC-funded propaganda trip to visit the State of Israel while it is actively starving and massacring Palestinians in acts of genocide. Her constituents deserve better and want to see her reject AIPAC and commit to supporting the Block the Bombs Act.”
Etan Mabourakh with the NJ chapter of the National Iranian American Council added:
“Iranian American New Jersey constituents are disgusted that instead of hosting a town hall offering resources to her community, Rep. Nellie Pou chose to take an AIPAC-funded trip to Israel, which launched an illegal, unprovoked war on Iran, killing over 1,000 Iranians and is currently perpetrating engineered starvation and genocide in Gaza. She should immediately take action to earn back trust by co-sponsoring the Block the Bombs Act & Khanna/Massie War Powers Resolution.”
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Communications Manager Aya Elamroussi, 551-208-5482, aelamroussi@cair.com