Ahmad Elwan

Overview

Ahmad Elwan has spread neo-Nazi propaganda, shared an anti-Semitic conspiracy theorist on Facebook and promoted hatred of Israel.

Elwan is the father of Ayah Ali [Ayah Elwan], a 2019 - 2020 board member of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), at Benedictine University (SJP BenU), who publicly harassed a Holocaust survivor during a talk on Ben U’s campus in October 2019. 

As of October 2019, Elwan’s LinkedIn page said he was the President of Petromax and that he was located in Medinah, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.

Elwan is affiliated with American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) in Chicago.

Spreading Neo-Nazi Propaganda

On December 31, 2017, Elwan shared on Facebook a Youtube video produced by former Ku Klux Klan (KKK) leader David Duke. The video was published on Duke’s Youtube channel in 2013 and titled: “CNN Goldman Sachs & the Zio Matrix.” 

The term "Zio" is a common derogatory reference to Zionists, as well as an often-used anti-Semitic slur among white supremacists.

Duke’s description of the video on Youtube said it showed: “how the biggest economic theft in history, that by Goldman Sachs in the Mortgage meltdown, was covered up by Zio Government regulators, a Zio Prosecutor, Zio Federal Judge, and the Zio influence in media and government.”

In the video, Duke alleged [00:06:56]: “Zio media, Zio banking and Zio politics form a tri-matrix of power. Each Zio finger supports the other Zio finger of influence. Ultimately, the fingers clench in an iron fist of Zio supremacy.” 

The video also featured a graphic that claimed [00:06:02]: “Zios invaded and took over Walt Disney Corp. Just as they invaded and took over Palestine.” 

Duke said [00:02:05] of CNN president Jeff Zucker, that “Zionist tribalism runs far deeper in his veins than news” and that Zucker would “cover up Zionist crimes, even Israeli terrorism against America.” 

Duke concluded [00:13:45] the video: “People are learning that globalist zionist supremacism is the greatest single danger to the entire planet, to all human expressions of life and culture and heritage on the planet, to all nations and all peoples who want to be free and independent.”

Sharing an Anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theorist

On December 27, 2016, Elwan posted to his Facebook a video featuring Ken O’Keefe spreading multiple anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.

Ken O’Keefe has been described by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) as “a raving David Duke-endorsing anti-Semite.” He has also denied the Holocaust, spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and praised Hitler  

In the video, O’Keefe said [00:01:25]: “I would say that ISIS stands for Israeli Secret Intelligence Services. It’s a perfect acronym for who is benefiting most from ISIS because when you look at ISIS, it’s real intention is to basically rip apart the Middle East so that Israel, which is all part of the greater Israel project, so that Israel can expand.”

O’Keefe later said [00:02:04] “All of these American sons and daughters who have been fighting in the Middle East have been fighting for the so-called Jewish state, not for American interests.” He blamed [00:02:12] Israel for domestic financial and racial turmoil in America, concluding [00:02:39]: “All of this is being done because our government is owned by the Jewish state of Israel, literally.”

O’Keefe also said [00:04:35] that Israel was a “Jewish State that was built on the back of an Ethnic cleansing of Palestinians who had committed no crime against them during the so-called Holocaust.” 

O’Keefe then said [00:04:53]: “Why is it that we can’t even talk about Jewish control of the mainstream media?” He also alleged [00:04:55] that certain American Jews and Israel were behind the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.

Promoting Hatred of Israel

On May 30, 2018, Elwan shared a Facebook video featuring anti-Israel professor Ilan Pappe, who said [00:00:57]: “I think we should understand that Israel is colonizing Palestine. It started colonizing it in the late 19th century and is still colonizing it today.”

The video was produced by the Middle East Eye. 

On May 27, 2018, Elwan shared a Swedish music video on Facebook that opened [00:00:01] with the lyrics: “Leve Palestina och krossa sionismen [Live Palestine and crush Zionism].” 

The video also said [00:01:11]: “Och vi har kastat stenar på, soldater och poliser. Och vi har skjutit raketer, mot våra fiender. Och hela världen känner till vår kamp. [And we've thrown stones at soldiers and police. And we've fired rockets against our enemies. And the whole world knows about our struggle.]”

Rocket fire from Gaza targeting Israeli civilians has led to multiple Israeli Operations including Cast Lead (OCL), Pillar of Defense (OPD) and Protective Edge (OPE) in 2008-09, 2012 and 2014, respectively.

On December 20, 2017, Elwan shared a Facebook video demonizing Israel.

The video — produced by the anti-Israel Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) organization —accused Israel of “institutionalized discrimination” against non-Jews. The video also claimed that Israeli Arabs are second class citizens of Israel and represented Israeli security policies as discriminatory and unjust.

The film portrayed Israel as an aggressive, oppressive force that can be influenced only through pressure and described peace talks as “theater to cover a land grab.” 

On October 15, 2017, Elwan shared a change.org petition titled: “GOOGLE: Put Palestine On Your Maps!” The petition claimed that Israel is undertaking “ethnic cleansing” and condemned Google for denoting the modern-day state of Israel within its internationally recognized borders, instead of listing the British Mandate of Palestine, which became defunct in May 1948.  

On March 7, 2017, Elwan shared on Facebook an SJP Benedictine post promoting its “Apartheid Week.” 

AMP

American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) was founded by UC Berkeley Professor Hatem Bazian as a vehicle to generate mainstream support in the United States for the Palestinian national cause.

On its website, the organization lists Bazian as the chairman of its national board and describes itself as “a national education and grassroots-based organization, dedicated to educating the American public about Palestine and its rich cultural, historical and religious heritage.” 

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has accused AMP of promoting “extreme anti-Israel views and has at times provided a platform for anti-Semitism under the guise of educating Americans” about Palestinians. The ADL further stated that AMP is directly involved in campus-based anti-Israel activity through Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).

Prior to founding the AMP in 2006, Dr. Bazian created SJP together with fellow UC Berkeley Professor Snehal Shingavi in 2001. The close working relationship between AMP and SJP has been documented several times over the years by several organizations, including NGO Monitor and StandWithUs. 

In addition to providing financial, public relations and legal assistance to SJP, AMP has also been accused of having connections to Hamas. The AMP national board includes former members of both the Islamic Association of Palestine (IAP) and Holy Land Foundation (HLF), both of which were found liable for aiding and abetting Hamas. The IAP was founded by Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzook, a senior member of Hamas.

 

Social Media and Weblinks

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/100001542741296/ 

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahmad-elwan-b4140378/