Amina Maameri

Overview

Amina Maameri has spread anti-Semitism, mocked concerns of anti-Semitism, praised the founder of Hamas and expressed support for terrorists. Maameri has also promoted hatred of Israel and is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

As of October 2019, Maameri’s LinkedIn page said that in January 2011, she helped found the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMN) chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and that she was SJP UMN President for part of the 2011-2012 school year.  

Maameri’s LinkedIn page also said that from April through October 2011, she was a “Student Outreach Representative” for UMN, where sheattended “admissions department diversity fairs and lunches to represent UMN and meet with prospective freshmen.”

Also as of October 2019, Maamari’s LinkedIn page said she was Media Director of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) in Minnesota (AMP-Minnesota), from 2012 to 2014. It also said she was a “marketing communications intern” at the Council for American Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Minnesota (CAIR-MN), from October 2011 to February 2012.  

Maamari’s LinkedIn page also said she received a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Studies from UMN in 2012 and listed the Muslim Students Association (MSA) among her activities. 

Maameri also attended a BDS training camp that was sponsored by Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) in the summer of 2013.

As of October 2019, Maamari’s LinkedIn page also said she was a “UX Design Student” at Design Lab in the Washington, D.C. area, since January 2018 and “set to graduate August 2018.”

On July 1, 2016, the news site spcr.org reported that Maameri was married to Taher Herzallah. At the time of the article, Herzallah was AMP’s West Coast Regional Director & National Campus Coordinator. As of July 2019, Herzallah was the Associate Director of Outreach & Grassroots Organizing for AMP in the Washington, D.C. area. 

Spreading Anti-Semitism

On August 19, 2011, Maameri tweeted: “Funny, Palestinians are expected to sit and compromise with Israel yet no way in hell would Jews have sat and compromised with Nazis #bs.”


On November 30, 2011, Maameri tweeted: “...He also brought up the point that they say in the bible it states isreal is a land meant for the jews. Not true.”

On April 24, 2012, Maameri tweeted: “@AmaleyyTellem ‘Palestinian propaganda seeks 2 rob Jewish people of rich history in Land of Israel.’ WOW. PLEASE Drop some truth on them.”

Mocking Concerns of Anti-Semitism

On March 30, 2012, Maameri tweeted: “Remember: Arabs shoot, kidnap & murder. Israeli only clash, detain and defend themselves. Suggesting otherwise is anti-semetism#sarcasm.”

On March 30, 2012, Maameri tweeted: “when referred to wall Israel has built do not say 'apartheid wall' but say 'security fence'. otherwise it is antisemitism #sarcasm.”

Israel’s security barrier, 97 percent of which is a low chain-link barrier, was built as a deterrent to Palestinian terror attacks. The concrete portions of the fence were built in response to Palestinian sniper attacks.

On March 30, 2012, Maameri tweeted: “When eating tabbouleh, couscous or hummos refer to it as Israeli salad, israeli couscous & hamas.Suggesting otherwise = antiemetic #sarcasm.”

On September 24, 2011, Maameri tweeted: “‘I mean you can't even say Jew without him accusing you of antisemitism’ -autobiography of Malcom X.”

Praising Hamas Founder 

On March 22, 2012, Maameri tweeted: “Sheikh Ahmed Yassin’s grandchildren hold his picture. Rest in peace, a great #Palestinian man.” The tweet included a link with a photo of children holding a photo of Hamas Founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.

Sheikh Ahmed Yassin has been described as the “mastermind of Palestinian terror” behind many suicide bombings against Israeli civilians on buses and in cafes during the second intifada. In January 2003, Yassin said in an interview: “Suicide attacks and jihad reinforce national unity in the ranks…Our voice is one of struggle, of jihad and of suicide…”  

Supporting Terrorists

On February 20, 2012, Maameri tweeted in support of Khader Adnan.

Khader Adnan was a senior member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist organization. A 2007 YouTube video showed Adnan praising and encouraging suicide bombings: "Who among you will carry the next explosive belt? Who among you will fire the next bullets? Who among you will have his body parts blown all over?” In May 2023, Adnan died in prison after refusing medical treatment during a hunger strike.

On March 7, 2012, Maameri tweeted about an SJP UMN event in support of Adnan and Hana Shalabi. The event was part of that year’s Israel Apartheid Week (IAW).

Hana Shalabi is reportedly a supporter of the terror group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Shalabi was arrested in 2012 for alleged “involvement in planned attacks” by PIJ.  

Promoting Hatred of Israel

On August 9, 2014, Maameri shared a Facebook post during Israel’s Operation Protective Edge (OPE) against Hamas, accusing Israel of “ethnic cleansing.” 

Israel commenced Operation Protective Edge (OPE) in July 2014, to stop rocket fire targeting Israeli civilians and to destroy Hamas attack tunnels.  

On March 24, 2013, Maameri tweeted: “US money funded 670 weapons for Israel between 2000-2009 which was used to kill at least 2,960 unarmed palestinians #EndApartheidNow.”

On November 16, 2012, Maameri retweeted a November 15, 2012 tweet that accused Israel of carrying out a “MASSACRE,” during an Israeli’s Operation Pillar of Defense (OPD) against Hamas.

Israel launched OPD to stop Hamas rocket attacks on Israeli civilians from Gaza. Over the course of eight days in November 2012, Palestinian terrorist groups fired more than 1,500 rockets at Israel. The majority struck Israel, damaging homes, schools and other civilian areas. Human Rights Watch noted: “Palestinian armed groups made clear in their statements that harming civilians was their aim.”

On August 28, 2012, Maameri tweeted: “One can't expect justice to come from an Aparthied injust state. #BDS.”

On July 18, 2012, Maameri tweeted: “#Israel blaming #Iran for bombings in #Bulgaria... Wow This is worth an earth face palm - @mazochins2.”

On July 18, 2012, Hezbollah carried out a suicide bombing attack on a tourist bus in Burgas, Bulgaria where 42 Israelis, mainly “youths,” were reportedly targeted. Five Israelis and the Bulgarian bus driver were killed, while another 32 Israeli passengers were injured. Hezbollah is a Lebanese terror group dependent on Iran.  

On May 8, 2012, Maameri tweeted: “What's funnier than a zionist saying that israel is a democratic state?”

SJP Activism

On February 15, 2012, while Maameri was President of SJP UMN, she tweeted: “LOL RT: @SJP_UMN: Photo from Monday's walkout protesting IDF soldier.” Maameri’s tweet featured an edited photo from a walkout of an event where an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldier spoke. 

The edited photo showed members of the audience with hearts drawn over the eyes of the people in the first row. A text bubble drawn under one young woman said: “Please tell me more about how I can help support your genocide!” 

The photo also had an arrow pointing at an empty seat, accompanied by the words: “These seats are reserved for zionist lovers.”

On February 9, 2012, Maameri tweeted: “The outcomes of a successful movement planning meeting. Deep love for my SJP buddies @SJP_UMN.” The tweet included a photo of a whiteboard for SJP UMN’s upcoming IAW, outlining strategies and “Narratives” to engage UMN students by promoting BDS as a form of activism against “Israeli Apartheid.”

On March 4, 2012, Maameri tweeted: “Official Page for Israeli Apartheid week at the U of M is up! brought to you by @SJP_UMN http://minneapolis.apartheidweek.org.” 

The link showed that the final event was titled: “The United States of Israel.” The event, held on March 9, 2012, featured an anti-Israel film titled: “AIPAC: The Israeli Lobby,” which demonized American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and “the Israel lobby.” 

The stated mission of AIPAC is to “strengthen, protect and promote the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of the United States and Israel.”

The documentary questioned: “what happens to those who dare expose” the Israel lobby, such as John Mearsheimer and Steve Walt.
 


On September 28, 2011, Maameri tweeted a solicitation of funds for the first National SJP conference: “@BrotherAliMpls @murmyH @amanali @HindaAli19 Be it $5 or $50+ your contributions to SJP National conference are needed! http://sjpnational.org/donate/.”

One of the stated goals of the conference was to “facilitate and support the advancement of existing campaigns and the development of new campaigns with particular (but not exclusive) emphasis on Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS).”

On September 2, 2011, Maameri tweeted: “Help fund the National SJP conference! Oct 14-16 in NYC. Donate here: http://bit.ly/pXnp0D For more info: sjpnational.org.”

Supporting BDS

On March 2, 2016, Maameri posted on Facebook a graphic that said: “UMN DIVEST 2016.” UMN DIVEST is an SJP UMN campaign promoting BDS.

On November 19, 2014, Maameri tweeted multiple times about playing a game called “divestment bingo.” She also used the hashtag “#UCLADivest,” referring to a BDS resolution vote in the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) student government.

The “divestment bingo” game has been linked to BDS resolution votes on college campuses, where anti-Israel activists have used it to dismiss students’ concerns of anti-Semitism. The game can also be used to mock advocacy for Israel and Zionism. 
In one tweet, Maameri wrote: “Divestment bingo has begun ‘Antisemetic’ 2-state’ and ‘Dialogue’ have been crossed out.”

In another tweet, she wrote: “‘Jewish self-determination’ ‘BDS Movement’ ‘Peace’ ‘When I visited Israel’ have been crossed out #DivestmentBingo #UCLADivest.”

In a third tweet, she wrote:“BINGO! Looks we got a full dose of zionist propaganda in the house!#DivestmentBingo#UCLADivest.”

Maameri retweeted a November 18, 2014 tweet identifying people who opposed BDS at UCLA as “Racists.”

On August 1, 2013, Maameri tweeted indicating that she attended a five-day BDS training camp in New York. The camp, titled: “Summer BDS Institute for Student Leaders,” was sponsored by JVP and AFSC.

On November 13, 2012, Maameri replied on Twitter to a tweet by anti-Israel activist Zahra Billoo that said: “Is #IrvineDivest redemption for the #Irvine11?”

The "Irvine 11" was a group of University of California students, including Herzallah, who were reportedly convicted of “two misdemeanors to conspire and then disrupt” Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren’s speech at the University of California at Irvine (UCI), in 2011. They were all sentenced to community service.

Maameri replied to Billoo, writing: “redemption is the day Zionism & it's atrocities face consequences for their actions. This is is one step towards a greater goal.”

SJP UMN Promoting Anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theories: 2011-2012  

On September 24, 2011, SJP UMN promoted a post on Facebook alleging that Israel controls America and influences American mainstream media, so that one “will always find the news tailored” in Israel’s favor. 

SJP UMN urged their followers to “READ IT & SHARE IT.”

On March 9, 2012, SJP UMN was scheduled to host an event for Israel Apartheid Week (IAW), titled “United States of Israel.” IAW is a series of events on university campuses promoting BDS.

One event included a screening of a documentary, titled: “AIPAC: The Israeli Lobby,” which claims AIPAC, Congress, the White House and Israel “seem to have ended up in a suffocating embrace.”

SJP UMN Promoting BDS: 2011-2012  

On October 14, 2012, SJP UMN promoted a petition on Facebook calling on Minnesota’s NBA team, the Timberwolves, to boycott Israel and cancel a scheduled game against the Israeli team, Maccabi Haifa. 

The petition was part of a campaign organized by Minnesota Break the Bonds (MN BBC), which sent a letter to each Timberwolves player. The letter said: “Don’t normalize apartheid!” and urged them to boycott the game. It also said they were being used by Israel’s “propaganda machine.” 

MN BBC was reportedly formed in 2006 to pressure the State of Minnesota to break economic ties with Israel.

SJP

SJP is a student organization engaged in anti-Israel activity on North American college and university campuses.

The first chapter of SJP was founded in 2001 at the University of California at Berkeley by Professor Hatem Bazian. Bazian has spread classic anti-Semitism, reportedly promoted religious anti-Semitism and defended the Hamas terror group. In 2004, Bazian called for “intifada” in America.

SJP organizes anti-Israel campaigns, including running annual Israel Apartheid Weeks, often in collaboration with Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and Muslim Students Association (MSA) campus chapters.

SJP has been a major force in pushing the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement on campuses. Chapters have initiated dozens of BDS resolutions in student governments, which have been proposed on or around Jewish holidays, a time when many Jewish students are off-campus.

SJP activists have reportedly physically assaulted, intimidated and harassed Jewish students, disrupted pro-Israel campus events and demonized pro-Israel campus organizations.

Chapters have often endorsed and campaigned for numerous terrorists and whitewashed terrorism.

BDS

The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement was founded by Omar Barghouti in 2005 to challenge “international support for Israeli apartheid and settler-colonialism.” BDS is an allegedly “Palestinian-led movement,” although leading BDS activists have admitted [00:01:01] this is not true. 

One of the demands of BDS includes [point 3] what is generally known as the “right of return,” a demand discredited as a way to eliminate Israel. Barghouti said the “right of return” is a means to “end Israel’s existence as a Jewish state.”  

Barghouti has said that BDS “aims to turn Israel into a pariah state, as South Africa once was.”

In his activism, Barghouti has also said [00:05:55] regarding Israel: “Definitely, most definitely, we oppose a Jewish state in any part of Palestine. No…rational Palestinian, not a sellout Palestinian, will ever accept a Jewish state in Palestine.”

The movement has been linked to numerous terrorist organizations and received a public endorsement from Hamas in 2017.

BDS initiatives include calling on institutions and individuals to divest from Israeli-affiliated companies, promoting academic and cultural boycotts of Israel, and organizing anti-Israel rallies, protests and campaigns.

The movement’s most notable achievement has been the infiltration of university campuses through lobbying for “BDS resolutions.” In these cases, student governments and student groups, backed by their own anti-Israel members and affiliates, have proposed resolutions on some form of boycott of, or divestment from, Israel and Israeli-affiliated entities.

Boycott resolutions, although non-binding, have been passed by student governments on numerous North American campuses.

BDS activity is often aggressive and disruptive. It has been noted that universities that pass BDS resolutions see a marked increase in anti-Semitic incidents on campus. On one campus, when the student government debated a BDS resolution, reports emerged of violent threats against those opposing it.

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.

 

CAIR

CAIR describes itself as a “grassroots civil rights and advocacy group” and “America's largest Muslim civil liberties organization, with regional offices nationwide.” Its official mission is “enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.”

CAIR reportedly has “significant ties” to the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as Hamas. A number of former CAIR employees have been convicted on fraud and terrorism-related charges that resulted monetary fines, jail terms and, sometimes, deportation.

CAIR was founded in 1994 and opened its first office in Washington, DC, with the help of a $5,000 donation from the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF), a charity founded by Mousa Abu Marzook.

Marzook, who was listed as a "Specially Designated Terrorist" by the U.S. Treasury Department in 1995, is reportedly a senior member of Hamas.

In May 2007, CAIR was listed as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in a U.S.-filed action against the HLF for providing funds to Hamas.

CAIR was also listed  as a terrorist entity by the United Arab Emirates, in 2014.  

MSA

The MSA was  established by members of the Muslim Brotherhood in January 1963 at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, with the goal of "spreading Islam as students in North America." A 2004 FBI investigation uncovered an internal Muslim Brotherhood document in which a brotherhood leader identified the MSA as "one of our organizations." 

The MSA reportedly has “nearly 600 chapters” located in the United States and Canada, and is “the most visible and influential Islamic student organization in North America,” boasting conferences, special events, publications, websites and other activities.

The organization includes a number of previous chapter presidents with explicit links to terrorist groups. Included are al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki (Colorado State University), Somali al-Shabaab militant leader Omar Shafik Hammami (University of South Alabama) and Pakistani Taliban recruiter Ramy Zamzam of the MSA's Washington, D.C. council.  

JVP

JVP was founded in Berkeley, California in 1996, as an activist group with an emphasis on the “Jewish tradition” of peace, social justice and human rights. The organization is currently led by Rebecca Vilkomerson and its board members include Israel critics Naomi Klein, Judith Butler, Noam Chomsky and Tony Kushner.

JVP, which generally employs civil disobedience tactics to disrupt pro-Israel speakers and events, consists of American Jews and non-Jewish “allies” highly critical of Israeli policies. A staunch supporter of the BDS movement, JVP claims to aim its campaigns at companies that either support the Israeli military (Hewlett-Packard) or are active in the West Bank (SodaStream).

Although several Jewish groups critical of Israeli policies, like J Street and Partners for a Progressive Israel, make efforts to operate within the mainstream American Jewish community, JVP functions outside. The group is often criticized for serving as a tokenized Jewish voice for the pro-Palestinian camp and is widely regarded as the BDS movement’s “Jewish wing.” 

JVP denies the notion of “Jewish peoplehood” and has even gone so far as to refer to its own Ashkenazi (Jews who spent the Diaspora in European countries) leadership as “white supremacy inside of JVP.”

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has accused JVP of being “the largest and most influential Jewish anti-Zionist group in the United States,” and said the group “exploits Jewish culture and rituals to reassure its own supporters that opposition to Israel not only does not contradict, but is actually consistent with, Jewish value.”

The ADL also claimed that “JVP consistently co-sponsors rallies to oppose Israeli military policy that are marked by signs and slogans  comparing Israel to Nazi Germany, demonizing Jews and voicing support for groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.”

According to the ADL website, JVP “uses its Jewish identity to shield the anti-Israel movement from allegations of anti-Semitism and provide it with a greater degree of legitimacy and credibility.”

Social Media and Weblinks

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/1211951116/  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmiMeri/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amimeri/ [Private]

Pinterest:https://www.pinterest.com/amimeri/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amina-maameri-97993a5b