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Meet the Democratic Socialist Running to Become NY’s First Palestinian-American Lawmaker

📺 YouTube - 5-16-2026 Saturday News List ✍️ qwart 🕐 May 17, 2026 at 2:30 AM

“ICE is a direct impact of post-9/11 ‘War on Terror’ policies of attack on Muslim communities… It has now transformed into this entity that is a rogue entity that really has no accountability.”

Zeteo political correspondent Prem Thakker sits down with Aber Kawas who is running to be the first ever Palestinian-American in the New York State legislature.

In the interview, Kawas shares her and Zohran Mamdani’s start as organizers nearly a decade ago, the deportation of her father in a post 9/11 New York and why she identifies as a Democratic socialist. As an outspoken critic of US foreign policy and surveillance, Kawas has also come under fire for comments she’s made in the past and responds to her critics. She also reflects on the 78th anniversary of the Nakba.

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CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:40 Political Involvement
03:15 Father’s Deportation
08:41 ICE
11:00 Zohran Mamdani
17:09 Illegal Land Sales
20:49 Democratic Socialist
27:46 Nakba Anniversary
33:16 Critics
38:31 First Priorities

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