Obama Khalidi

Barack Obama has been questioned about his relationship with Rashid Khalidi, a Palestinian who has been vocally critical of Israel.WorldNetDaily: Obama Worked With Terrorist (February 24, 2008) During Obama's time on the Woods Fund board with William Ayers, he reportedly granted funding to the Arab American Action Network, which Khalidi co-founded. Despite these reports and others that Obama and Khalidi were close friends, Obama has stated that Khalidi "is not one of my advisors; he's not one of my foreign policy people."American Thinker Blog: Obama's Good Friend Rashid Khalidi (May 23, 2008)

The Los Angeles Times reported on the story and claimed to have video from 2003 of Obama celebrating with pro-Palestinians during a farewell dinner for Khalidi before his move to New York from Chicago. The Los Angeles Times has not released the video.FOX News: Videotape of Barack Obama You Won't See on the News... (October 28, 2008)

On October 28, 2008, the Huffington Post reported that John McCain also had ties to Khalidi. McCain led the International Republican Institute (IRI), which gave many grants to a research group founded by Khalidi. Khalidi's group, Khalidi's Center for Palestine Research and Studies for work in the West Bank, has conducted studies and opinion polls in Palestine. Huffington Post: [McCain Funded Work Of Palestinian His Campaign Hopes To Tie To Obama] (October 28, 2008)

"You mentioned Rashid Khalidi, who's a professor at Columbia. I do know him because I taught at the University of Chicago. And he is Palestinian. And I do know him and I have had conversations. He is not one of my advisors; he's not one of my foreign policy people. His kids went to the Lab school where my kids go as well. He is a respected scholar, although he vehemently disagrees with a lot of Israel's policy."—Barack ObamaAmerican Thinker Blog: Obama's Good Friend Rashid Khalidi (May 23, 2008)