Congressman Lawler Slams USAID Payment to Organization Headed by Anti-Israel Rapper

Rapper LIV64, Raffoul Saadeh

Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) slammed USAID for dispersing over $3 million in payments to Tomorrow’s Youth, an organization headed by a vicious anti-Israel rapper who advocates for Jew hatred in his music. Raffoul Saadeh, the Executive Director of Tomorrow’s Youth, has a long history of antisemitism, comparing the Palestinian experience to that of the Jews in Auschwitz. Scars of Gaza, From the Ghetto, and Tears over Palestine are just some of the songs in which Mr. Saadeh verbally assaults Israel and Jewish people.

“USAID giving $3.3 million to an organization headed by a vicious anti-Israel rapper is beyond the pale and emblematic of the problems that can exist when transparency is lacking in our government,” said Congressman Lawler. “Tomorrow’s Youth’s Executive Director compares the Palestinian experience to that of the Jews in Auschwitz is disgusting and calls into question the decision-making process by those at USAID.”

“We cannot allow the antisemitism and anti-Israel bias that has run rampant throughout the UN and other international organizations to infect our institutions here in the United States,” concluded Congressman Lawler. “This demands a full and thorough investigation from the Trump Administration – we need to get to the bottom of why the Biden administration was funding Jew hatred.”

Lawler also reacted to news this week that Hamas was going to pause its release of hostages taken on Oct. 7, 2023.

“For over 16 months, Hamas has used these hostages in a perverse attempt to evade responsibility for the terrorist attack on October 7th,” said MENA Subcommittee Chairman Mike Lawler. “As they have in the past, they are once again breaking the terms of the cease fire and using these hostages for their own survival. The failure to immediately release the hostages should result in severe and unrelenting consequences.”