Detroit - An Arab-American activist charged with lying about her conviction in an Israel bombing wants a Detroit federal judge off her case because of his service to the Jewish community.
Rasmieh Odeh is questioning Judge Paul Borman’s ability to be impartial. He’s Jewish and has received a prestigious award from the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
Odeh, also known as Rasmea Yousef, is associate director at the Arab American Action Network in Chicago. She was convicted by an Israeli military court of placing two bombs at a Jerusalem market in 1969.
Odeh answered “no” on immigration forms in Detroit when asked if she had been convicted of a crime or spent time in prison. She faces trial on Sept. 8.
The judge and prosecutors haven’t responded to Odeh’s court filing.
