Oday Aboushi is preparing for his rookie season with the New York Jets. But rather than putting 100 percent of his focus on getting physically and mentally prepared for the year to come, he’s fielding controversy over his political views surrounding the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Oday Aboushi has been touted as being the first Palestinian-American player in the National Football League (NFL), but his radical behavior since being drafted by the New York Jets less than three months ago could get him sent home early. His latest infraction was made as he gave a speech at a radical Muslim conference sponsored by a group denying Israel’s right to exist and associated with blatantly anti-Semitic and terrorist propaganda. ------ But Kaufman also highlights another key point in his article: That Abouski recently spoke at a conference run by the El-Bireh Palestine Society, an organization that the writer said associates with groups that are “involved in violence” against Israel. ------ So, all of this considered, the natural question is: Is the football player really a “Muslim extremist?” Not only does Kaufman believe that this is the case, but he calls for the player to be released from the Jets. His report, of course, has been met with strong reaction. ------ The debate continues, but it’s likely that Aboushi will be more careful what he puts on social media now, especially considering the fact that some will be giving him extra scrutiny.