Khaberni - Hamtramck Mayor in Michigan, Amer Ghalib, an American of Yemeni origin and nominee for the position of U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait, faced a series of sharp interrogations from Republican and Democratic Senators on the committee tasked with deciding whether to advance his nomination to the full Senate to become the U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait.
Foreign and Arab media outlets and social media platforms circulated clips from the session that generated widespread reaction.
According to what was circulated and broadcast on media and platforms, Ghalib, who confirmed this month that he still has the support of President Donald Trump, said that he faced repeated questions about his record of making anti-Israel statements and others considered by Senate members as anti-Semitic.
At least three members indicated that they would not support Ghalib's nomination, including Republican Senator Ted Cruz from Texas. Notably, Cruz's siding with all the Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee against Ghalib could mean that his nomination would be stalled in the committee, according to what "Al-Qabas" Kuwaiti newspaper reported.
Sharp Questions
Cruz posed sharp questions to Ghalib about posts he "liked" on Facebook, including a comment comparing "all" Jews to monkeys. Ghalib replied that he had a "bad habit" of indicating likes on comments, clarifying that "clicking on them does not mean that I endorse them."
Cruz added that Ghalib’s "long-standing positions" on Israel and Middle East policy are contrary to those of the United States and constitute a reason for exclusion, including his criticism of the historic Abraham Accords; describing Saddam Hussein as a "martyr," and praising the Muslim Brotherhood as an "inspiration."
Cruz said: "You have the right to have your own views, what I do not understand is how you can serve as an ambassador for the United States on behalf of President Trump in the Middle East while you have strong views, including your public opposition to the Abraham Accords – a unique and most impactful achievement negotiated by President Trump."
Misinterpretation
Ghalib reiterated during the hearing that previous statements attributed to him do not reflect his true views, confirming that his controversial activity on social media had been misinterpreted by the media or mistranslated from Arabic. He also thanked Trump for nominating him.
Ghalib said in his opening statement before the committee, "We may come from different communities, with different backgrounds, but serving and representing the interests of the American people is our ultimate common goal, and we may also have different views on some topics, which is natural for us as Americans."
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a prominent Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said she felt "serious concern" about Ghalib's previous comments, regarding the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, as "lies" and deceit.
Shaheen also criticized Ghalib's description of Saddam Hussein saying: "Describing him as a martyr is unacceptable."
Moment of Anger
Ghalib responded that he condemns "all the atrocities and violations that occurred on October 7." He described the day as "horrific" and "tragic," adding: "All the atrocities that happened afterwards were because of that day."
He told Shaheen, "The only reason I did that, and I believe it was in front of a protest at my office, is because President Biden in a statement mentioned beheaded children and things of that kind."
Regarding Saddam Hussein and his other activities on social media, Ghalib said the media was "biased" in translating his posts, some of which were before his election as mayor in 2021, when he was an ordinary citizen. He added, "They were misinterpreted and taken out of context."
Ghalib said, "In a moment of anger, I commended Saddam for containing Iran, and maybe that is the only positive thing he did in his life."
He added, "There is no doubt that he was a dictator, and he committed many crimes, including the invasion of Kuwait, and if this description in a moment of anger offended anyone, I am ready to apologize, especially to the Kuwaiti people."
