General Union Of Palestine Students at San Francisco State University (GUPS SFSU)
The General Union of Palestine Students at San Francisco State University (GUPS SFSU) has been a generator of anti-Semitism at SFSU since 1973 when it was founded.
SFSU is part of the California State University system. The AMCHA Initiative, which charts anti-Semitism on U.S. college campuses, documented more than 200 anti-Semitic incidents stemming from Cal State’s 23 universities since 2015. More than half took place at SFSU.
GUPS is part of an international organization that was founded by Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Yasser Arafat. In fact, the organization was initially administered by the PLO when the PLO was listed by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization.
The virulently anti-Semitic organization Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) was created as an offshoot of GUPS SFSU in 2001 by University of California Berkeley professor Hatem Bazian, who was a GUPS leader when he studied at SFSU.
As of January 2022, SJP lists the group as one of their West Coast chapters on the national website.
While GUPS claims to be an umbrella organization for Palestinian student groups to form alliances with non-Palestinian groups, the group focuses almost entirely on anti-Israel campaigns, including shutting down pro-Israel events, threatening Jewish students and promoting terrorists.
In November 2022, SFSU announced a plan to address anti-Semitism after a 2021 survey conducted by the Hillel organization’s “Campus Climate Initiative” revealed that 65% of Jewish students feel at least some need to hide their Jewish identity on campus.
The survey also found that 11% of Jewish student respondents experienced anti-Semitism at least occasionally, while 44% said they feel blamed for the actions of the Israeli government.
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Promoting Terrorism
GUPS SFSU has a long history of promoting and supporting terrorism, including most recently:
In 2022, as part of Palestine Awareness Week (PAW), the rebranded Israel Apartheid Week, GUPS SFSU promoted a virtual conversation with anti-Israel agitator and terror-supporter Mohammed El-Kurd.
As part of PAW, GUPS SFSU promoted a talk by Ahmed Abu Artema, one of the organizers of the 2018 “Great March of Return,” violent demonstrations by Hamas supporters against Israel.
During the demonstrations, close to 30,000 Palestinians approached Israel’s Gaza border, shooting explosives and firearms into Israel, throwing rocks and attempting to breach the border fence.
In 2021, GUPS SFSU co-sponsored “Israel Apartheid Week,” including a lecture on the Palestinian “right of return” (a recognized means to destroy Israel). Addameer, a group that agitates for the release of Palestinian terrorists from Israeli prisons, participated in another lecture.
In 2020, GUPS SFSU promoted an open classroom Zoom event with Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist Leila Khaled. Khaled, who has become an icon for anti-Israel campus activists, is best known for hijacking TWA Flight 840 in 1969 and El Al Flight 219 in 1970.
GUPS SFSU previously characterized Khaled in an Instagram post as a “fierce woman resisting colonial powers and repression.”In 2019, during Israel’s Operation Black Belt against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror group, GUPS SFSU tweeted, “Rest in peace to our martyrs.”
Erasing Zionism (Jews) from Campus
Despite the immense amount of national and legal backlash, Berkeley Law SJP was not the first chapter to try and ban Zionism from campus.
In 2019, GUPS SFSU promoted an “emergency rally” after SFSU recognized Israel Independence Day on its list of “Religious Observances.” A post by the group declared, “Zionism is NOT allowed on our campus!”
Also in 2019, a GUPS SFSU claimed, “Zionism is not separate from massacre, from ethnic cleansing but that these are inherently Zionist.” The group also urged, “Don’t Normalize Zionism!”
This discriminatory sentiment towards Zionists has been repeated by GUPS SFSU activists over the years in the form of violent, crass and antisemitic social media posts aimed at demonizing and intimidating Jewish students on campus.
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GUPS Terror-Linked Faculty Advisor Rabab Abdulhadi
Rabab Abdulhadi, an associate professor of Ethnic Studies/Race and Resistance Studies at SFSU, is GUPS’ faculty advisor. Abdulhadi reportedly cofounded GUPS SFSU in 1973.
Abdulhadi is also the founding director and senior scholar of SFSU’s Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies (AMED) program.
Abdulhadi has a long history of admiration for Palestinian terrorists, including PFLP terrorists Leila Khaled and Rasmea Odeh and PFLP spokesman Ghassan Kanafani.
In July 2022, Abdulhadi promoted an event in which she was a speaker titled “Celebrating Ghassan Kanafani on the 50th anniversary of his assassination.”
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Abdulhadi, along with AMED, organized a Zoom event for “students, activists, and scholars” featuring Leila Khaled.
The day before the event, Abdulhadi was quoted as saying, “We really idolize somebody like Leila Khaled, somebody who actually stands up for herself, speaks for herself, actually goes to a plane and hijacks it …”
Abdulhadi has also expressed admiration for terrorists Rasmea Odeh and Shadia Abu Ghazaleh, both of whom she referred to as “female freedom fighters.”
In 1969, Odeh masterminded a supermarket bombing by the PFLP that killed two college students in Jerusalem. She also attempted to bomb the British consulate in Jerusalem.
Ghazaleh, a bomb-maker for the PFLP, was notorious for her involvement in many attacks against Israel (until she accidentally killed herself while making a bomb).
In 2014, Abdulhadi invited students to join her on a university-funded “Academic and Labor Delegation to Palestine” she organized. During the trip, which she characterized as a “political solidarity tour,” Abdulhadi met with Khaled and convicted Hamas funder Sheikh Raed Salah.
Abdulhadi later responded to a lawsuit brought against her for using tax-payer money to meet with terrorists, saying both individuals were “part of the Palestinian people's authentic and legitimate leadership.”
During the same trip, Abdulhadi made efforts to establish ties between SFSU and two Hamas-dominated Palestinian universities: Birzeit and An-Najah. Following the visit, a Memorandum of Understanding was reached between An-Najah and SFSU enabling a student exchange program between the two universities.
In 2016, GUPS SFSU posted a statement of support for Abdulhadi and the memorandum. The statement condemned pro-Israel organizations for denouncing the partnership.
In 2017, Abdulhadi was slapped with a lawsuit for spearheading the collaboration with An-Najah since it was a “known recruitment facility for Hamas.”
The lawsuit said, “students indoctrinated to hate Jews would be sent to San Francisco and SFSU students would travel to An-Najah where they would likely be radicalized in ways that could further endanger Jewish students on campus … or at least exacerbate the already hostile environment for Jews on campus at SFSU.”
GUPS SFSU Activists: 1973 - 2022
Hatem Bazian spread classic anti-Semitism, reportedly promoted religious anti-Semitism, denied Jewish peoplehood and Jewish history and has compared Israel to Nazi Germany. He is the founder of the anti-Israel organizations Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and American Muslims for Palestine (AMP).
Rabab Abdulhadi [Rabab Ibrahim Abdulhadi] has spread anti-Semitism, led pro-terror academic trips and glorified terrorists. Abdulhadi has also promoted hatred of Zionists, America and Israel. She is a leading anti-Israel activist in America and is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Mohammad G. Hammad has threatened violence and expressed support for terror. He has also promoted violent hatred of Israelis and Israel, celebrated the death of Israelis and promoted bigotry. Hammad is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Sabreen Imtair [Sabreen Khairy Imtair] has expressed hatred of Zionists, spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, promoted a terrorist leader and glorified a terror group. Imtair has also idolized terrorists, expressed support for terrorism, spread hatred of Israelis and demonized Israel and Zionism.
Ashar Abdallah has spread hatred of Zionists and Israelis, promoted a terrorist leader, glorified a terrorist and demonized Israel. Abdallah has also engaged in anti-Israel activism.
Lena Azzouz has spread an anti-semitic conspiracy theory, demonized Israel and promoted a terrorist leader. Azzouz reportedly served as a board member of the General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS) at San Francisco State University.
Adhila Bukhari [Addie Bukhari] has threatened violence and spread both bigotry and hatred of Zionists. Bukhari has also expressed support for terrorism and engaged in anti-Israel activism.
Ivan Garcia has spread anti-Semitism, as well as hatred of America and the police. Garcia has also promoted a terrorist leader.
Jamal Dajani has expressed support for terrorists and defended the Hamas and Hezbollah terror groups. Dajani has also compared Israel to Nazi Germany and promoted hatred of Israel.
Adan Deeb has promoted a terrorist leader, glorified terrorists, spread anti-Semitism and promoted incitement. She is also a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Lubna Morrar [Lubna Gadir Morrar] has led anti-Israel protests, glorified terrorists, promoted incitement and spread hatred of Israel and the police.
Amena Elmashni has spread hatred of America and glorified terrorists. She was an activist with the anti-Israel organization General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS) in 2016 at San Francisco State University (SFSU).
Saliem Shehadeh [Saleem Wakeem Shehadeh] has promoted a terrorist leader, targeted a Jewish group and engaged in anti-Israel activism.
Jacob Perez [Jacob Matthew Perez] has expressed hatred of Zionists, defended terrorists, spread hatred of Israel and engaged in anti-Israel activism. Perez is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Savannah Landau has spread hatred of Zionists and the police. Landau has also demonized Israel and Zionism and expressed support for terrorists. Landau is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Noel Suha [Noel Madbak] demonized Zionists and Israel, promoted a terrorist leader and engaged in anti-Israel activism. Suha served as a “board member and…President” of General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS) at SFSU San Francisco State University.
Imani C. Davis [Imani Connie Davis] has expressed support for terrorists, disrupted a campus event and spread hatred of Israel. Davis was an activist with the anti-Israel organization General Union of Palestine Students (GUPS) at San Francisco State University (SFSU) in 2016. GUPS is an affilate of the national campus group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).
Linda Ereikat attempted to shut down a campus talk by an Israeli dignitary and expressed support for terrorists. Ereikat has also expressed support for pro-terror academic partnerships at San Francisco State University (SFSU).
Yusra Oweis has demonized Israel, expressed support for violent protests and engaged in anti-Israel activism.
Rinad Hawit has expressed support for a terrorist and violent protesters. Hawit has also engaged in anti-Israel activism and idolized anti-Israel politicians.
Roger Martinez [Roger Eric Martinez] has spread hatred of Israel and the police. He was affiliated with General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS) at San Francisco State University (SFSU) in 2019. Martinez is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Ariana Khateeb promoted a terrorist leader, spread hatred of Israel and was a General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS) board member in September 2020.
Daniella Shofani has promoted a terrorist leader as a board member for the General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS) at San Francisco State University (SFSU) in September 2020. Shofani was also an activist with GUPS in 2021.