The Joe Biden administration has never been one to put America’s interests first. They’d rather lift up the nation’s enemies than help it’s own citizens.
And the Biden White House’s ties to this terrorist group has the nation on high alert.
A recent White House National Security Council (NSC) meeting has drawn significant attention after it was revealed that one of the attendees, Shadi Zaza, CEO of Rahma Worldwide, has connections to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization.
The NSC meeting, held on September 11, 2023, included leaders from the Syrian-American community and was meant to discuss issues related to Syria’s Assad regime, according to officials. However, unearthed social media posts and Arabic media reports suggest that Zaza’s Michigan-based organization has a history of collaborating with Hamas officials, raising questions about the meeting.
Evidence has surfaced showing that Zaza and Rahma Worldwide were involved in aid projects with Hamas, particularly in Gaza. This included meetings with the terrorist group just days before Hamas launched its deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
While the NSC claimed it was unaware of these ties, the revelation has sparked concern, particularly among Republicans in Congress. Critics have pointed to the Biden administration’s history of, at times, providing platforms for individuals accused of harboring anti-Israel views.
A senior Senate GOP aide stated that the NSC staffers who allowed someone “openly supporting a foreign terrorist organization like Hamas to enter the Eisenhower Executive Office Building are either grossly incompetent or fully support Hamas.” This sentiment reflects a growing frustration from Republican lawmakers who feel the administration is not taking sufficient steps to distance itself from those aligned with Hamas.
Adding to the controversy, Palestinian media reports reveal that in August 2024, Rahma Vice President Adib Choiki signed a cooperation agreement with Hamas’s Gaza Health Ministry. This was for a blood drive, one of many collaborations between Rahma and Hamas officials. Days before Hamas’s October 2023 attack, Zaza and his team were again in Gaza, meeting with Hamas-run ministries on aid programs for low-income families.
Further complicating matters, Rahma Worldwide received nearly $175,000 in federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services for a vaccine program. These funds were granted around the same time as their alleged collaboration with Hamas, raising questions about federal oversight.
Moreover, Kuwait’s Islamic Heritage Revival Society, a group sanctioned by the U.S. for its links to al-Qaeda, reportedly backed a Rahma initiative in October 2023. Photographs and media reports even show Hamas officials, such as Sami Barhoum, attending events alongside Zaza.
Sam Westrop, who heads the Middle East Forum’s Islamist Watch project, explained that Rahma Worldwide is likely part of a “Hamas-aligned network” operating in the U.S.
Westrop voiced concerns over the organization’s ties to Hamas, stating that it “appears to be a key component” of the network. He went on to express alarm at Rahma’s ability to secure U.S. government funds while allegedly partnering with Hamas.
In its defense, Rahma Worldwide has denied any affiliations with political or militant groups. The organization stated that its operations in Gaza are strictly humanitarian, adhering to international standards and ensuring the delivery of essential aid services. A Rahma official emphasized, “Our mission is solely to aid the vulnerable and displaced.”
Despite this, Rahma’s history raises further red flags. In 2021, Zaza signed an aid agreement with Hamas’s Health Ministry and met with Ghazi Hamad, a senior Hamas figure. Hamad later made incendiary comments following the October 7 attacks, vowing continued violence against Israel.
In a 2023 speech, Zaza openly discussed Rahma’s work with several Hamas-run ministries in Gaza, including the Ministry of Social Development and the General Administration of Zakat. The event, hosted at a luxury hotel in Gaza City, took place next to a Hamas military training camp.
Further allegations connect Rahma to Aid 48, a Turkish Hamas front group. Jewish News Syndicate has reported that Rahma has collaborated with this group on Palestinian aid efforts. Westrop concluded that the federal government’s funding of Rahma while it simultaneously engages with Hamas is “appalling” and could potentially lead to legal ramifications.
Attorney Marc Greendorfer, of the Zachor Legal Institute, warned that Rahma could face legal challenges for providing material support to a terrorist organization, even if the aid was not directly tied to terrorist activities.
“As such, they not only would be liable in criminal and civil litigation for providing material support to terror and aiding and abetting a foreign terror organization, they would be in violation of IRS 501(c)(3) rules and should have their tax-exempt status revoked,” he said.
The NSC, meanwhile, has emphasized that the September meeting was conducted by lower-level staffers, not White House leadership. Nonetheless, the fallout from this meeting continues to grow, with more questions being raised about how Rahma Worldwide, an organization with such controversial ties, found its way into the White House. The Department of Health and Human Services has yet to comment on the situation, leaving many to wonder whether more oversight could have prevented this diplomatic scandal.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
