The longtime executive director of CAIR, Awad has a long history of making antisemitic and pro-Hamas statements. He stated that he was “happy to see” more than 1,200 Israeli civilians slaughtered by terrorists on October 7, 2023, and that it was a source of “inspiration.” Awad also blamed the outcome of the 2025 election on the Democrat nominee’s pro-Israel stance in the “Israeli genocide in Gaza.”