Ariana Khateeb
Overview
Ariana Khateeb [Ariana S. Khateeb] has promoted a terrorist leader, spread hatred of Israel and was a General Union of Palestine Students (GUPS) board member in September 2020.GUPS is an anti-Israel student group at San Francisco State University (SFSU) and is an affiliate of the national campus group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).
Khateeb is also a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
SFSU’s 2022 commencement roster indicated [p. 27] Khateeb graduated with a bachelor’s degree from SFSU that year.
In April 2022, Khateeb was listed as the “Student Org Rep” for the 2021-2022 SFSU Board of Directors of the Associated Students (AS).
As of July 2023, Khateeb went by the username “ashar fanclub” and used the handle “@ariakhat” on Twitter. As of July 2023, she used the handle “@ariakhat” on Instagram.
Also as of July 2023, Khateeb indicated on Twitter that she was located in San Francisco, California.
Promoting a Terrorist Leader
On September 24, 2020, Khateeb was part of “a team of graduate and undergraduate students” who participated in an online event featuring terrorist Leila Khaled. The full GUPS board and its faculty advisor Rabab Abdulhadi attempted to live stream the event, which Zoom canceled out of concern that hosting a terrorist like Khaled on its platform might have been a felony.Leila Khaled is a leading member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and participated in the hijacking of TWA Flight 840 in 1969 and El Al Flight 219 in 1970. As of 2017, Khaled was a member of PFLP's Political Bureau. Khaled has said that the second intifada failed because it was not violent enough, advocated [00:36:07] for the use of children in terror activities and compared Zionists to Nazis.
The U.S. State Department has listed the PFLP as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) since 1997, given its history of attacks against civilians, airplane hijackings and suicide bombings.
Khateeb retweeted a September 23, 2020 tweet that said: “Leila Khaled appreciation post.” The post contained four images glorifying Khaled, including three showing her with an assault rifle and one that called her a “SYMBOL OF RESISTANCE.”
Khateeb retweeted another September 23, 2020 tweet of a letter from GUPS SFSU that expressed their dissatisfaction over Zoom’s cancelation of the event.
The Khaled event was organized by SFSU’s Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas (AMED) Studies program. Facebook followed Zoom in its decision to cancel the event. YouTube initiated the streaming but shut down its service when Khaled began speaking about the PFLP.
Khateeb retweeted a September 22, 2020 tweet that said: “AMED studies is under attack from zionists for hosting a conversation with Palestinian Liberation freedom fighter, Leila Khaled. SIGN THE PETITION TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC FREEDOM ON PALESTINE AND LEILA KHALED'S ROLE IN MARKING PALESTINIAN HISTORY.”
Khateeb retweeted a September 22, 2020 tweet that said: “what a f**king violent, zionist, neocolonial altering of reality and silencing of revolutionary thought.” The tweet was referring to a newspaper article discussing Zoom’s cancelation of the Khaled event.
Hatred of Israel
Khateeb retweeted a May 13, 2022 tweet that said: “from the river to the sea! f**k israel!!!!”“From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free” is a chant calling to dismantle the State of Israel. It has also been employed by Hamas leader Khaled Mashal to call for the replacement of Israel with an Islamic state.
Khateeb retweeted a June 3, 2021 tweet that said: “Tomorrow at the port of Oakland!!! No to apartheid profiteering ships docking in Oakland whether they were Apartheid South African ships in the 80s or now in 2021 we blocking the boats, all the boats! #ShutdownApartheid #BlocktheBoat.”
Khateeb retweeted a May 24, 2021 tweet that said: “Displacing Palestinian communities is part of Israel’s ongoing settler colonial project. Educate yourself on what Palestinian communities in occupied Jerusalem are currently faced with. #SaveSilwan.”
Jewish ownership claims to lands in Silwan, a Jerusalem neighborhood also known as Shiloach, have been frequently met with Palestinian violence against Israelis who sought to reclaim their property rights.
Khateeb retweeted a May 17, 2021 tweet from the anti-Israel organization Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) that said: “MAY 18TH IS A DAY OF ACTION IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE PALESTINE UPRISING & GENERAL STRIKE: A thread of actions taking place tomorrow across different cities!
.”Khateeb’s retweet was during Israel’s Operation Guardian of the Walls (OGW) in Gaza.
In May 2021, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists fired over 4,300 rockets from Gaza at major population centers in Israel. Israel responded by launching OGW, carrying out targeted military strikes in Gaza.
Khateeb retweeted a May 16, 2021 tweet that said: “seeing isr*eI be dragged thru the dirt on every social media app I open is ughhh chef’s kiss…”
A “chef's kiss” is a gesture associated with perfection.
Khateeb retweeted a May 12, 2021 tweet that said: “BAY AREA ALL OUT FOR PALESTINE THIS SATURDAY! ALL OUT FOR SHEIKH JARRAH! ALL OUT FOR GAZA! ALL OUT FOR JERUSALEM! ALL OUT FOR THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE!…#SaveSheikhJarrah #GazaUnderAttack…#Nakba73.”
In May 2021, calls to “save” Sheikh Jarrah, a Jerusalem neighborhood at the center of a property dispute, led to violence against Israelis and were one of the leading factors in Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists firing over 4,300 rockets from Gaza into Israel that month.
The term “Nakba” is generally translated as “catastrophe” in Arabic, referring to the outcome of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. It is a term often used to delegitimize the creation of the State of Israel by defining it as a catastrophe.
Anti-Israel Activism
In June 2022, Khateeb participated in the 2022 Arab Youth Summer Institute, which was organized by San Francisco’s Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC). Khateeb appeared in an AROC Facebook group photo wearing a white, sleeveless shirt and carrying a green bag.On November 21, 2019, Khateeb appeared in a Facebook group photo at a protest organized by the Palestine Action Network (PAN). The protest was held two days after the end of an Israeli operation in Gaza.
In November 2019, Israel launched Operation Black Belt to stop rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel. From November 12 to November 14, 2019, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror group sent hundreds of rockets into Israel, targeting major civilian population centers.
At the protest, demonstrators chanted [00:01:43]: “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free!” They also held signs that said: “Israel is an Apartheid State! An Apartheid State is a Racist State!” and accused Israel and the US of committing genocide.
GUPS SFSU - Overview
GUPS SFSU has promoted terrorists, participated in anti-Israel rallies, demonized Israel and Zionism, and campaigned for the BDS Movement as part of its anti-Israel activism.GUPS SFSU was founded in 1973. Hatem Bazian was reportedly GUPS SFSU’s most prominent alumnus, as he co-founded the anti-Israel organization Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at UC-Berkeley in 2000. He also founded American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) in 2006. SJP was modeled on GUPS when it was founded.
GUPS SFSU - Glorifying Terrorists 2019-2020
On November 15, 2019, during Israel’s Operation Black Belt against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror group, GUPS SFSU tweeted: “Rest in peace to our martyrs.” The tweet included a November 13, 2019 tweet from the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) mourning the death of “24 Palestinians…killed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza.”Most of the reported dead were identifed as PIJ members killed in an Israeli operation in Gaza.
In November 2019, Israel launched “Operation Black Belt” to stop rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip. The rockets were sent by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror group on November 12-14, 2019, targeting Israel’s biggest civilian population centers.
GUPS SFSU - Anti-Israel Rally 2019-2020
On November 15, 2019, GUPS SFSU promoted on Instagram an “emergency protest” titled “Hands Off Gaza!” organized by the Palestine Action Network (PAN) to take place at the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco the following day.At the protest, demonstrators chanted [00:01:43]: “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free.” They also held signs that said: “Israel is an Apartheid State! An Apartheid State is a Racist State!” and accused Israel and the U.S. of commiting genocide.
GUPS SFSU - Rally in Support of Anti-Israel Violence 2018-2019
On March 27, 2019, GUPS SFSU promoted on Instagram a March 30, 2019 rally, hosted by the Palestine Action Network (PAN), celebrating the first anniversary of Gaza’s “Great March of Return.” The post featured a flier urging people to “defend” the BDS Movement, “support Palestinian self-determination and the right of return” and “stop all U.S. aid to Israel.”At the rally, protestors expressed hatred of Israel, accused Israel of commiting genocide, expressed support for BDS and claimed [00:01:18] that “both the US and Israel were established as settler colonial states.”
GUPS SFSU - Demonizing Israel 2021-2022
On March 23, 2022, as part of Palestine Awareness Week (PAW), GUPS SFSU promoted on Instagram a March 29, 2022 virtual conversation with anti-Israel agitator Mohammed El-Kurd. Palestine Awareness Week (PAW) is a re-branding of Israel Apartheid Week (IAW), which called itself “an international series of events that seek to raise awareness of Israel’s settler-colonial project and apartheid system over the Palestinian people” and to build support for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
On March 25, 2022, as part of PAW, GUPS SFSU promoted on Instagram a virtual conversation titled: “Palestine: ‘It’s Worse than Apartheid,’” with Ahmed Abu Artema, one of the organizers of the 2018 “Great March of Return” violent demonstrations.Artema reportedly envisoned 200,000 "peaceful protestors" breaching the Gaza border fence and invited Hamas to assist, "hoping for logistics, some media coverage and moral support."
The “March of Return” began on March 30, 2018 and was organized and funded by Hamas. Approximately 30,000 Palestinians approached Israel’s Gaza border, sending kites bearing explosive devices into Israel, shooting firearms and throwing rocks. Rioters also attempted to breach Israel’s border fence. The march was planned as a campaign of violent protests to spotlight the Palestinian demand to “return” to Israel. The “right of return” has since been discredited as a means to eliminate Israel.
GUPS SFSU - Demonizing Israel 2020-2021
On March 31, 2021, GUPS SFSU promoted on Instagram “Israel Apartheid Week,” which it co-sponsored with the University of California, Berkeley anti-Israel student organization Bears for Palestine. Among the activities advertised was a lecture [slide 3] on the Palestinian “right of return” and a lecture [slide 4] with the participation of anti-Israel organization Addameer titled: “Palestinian Political Prisoners and the Case against Military Courts.”Israel Apartheid Week (IAW), which has been re-named Palestine Awareness Week, is an annual event to build support for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement and “to raise awareness of Israel’s settler-colonial project and apartheid system over the Palestinian people.”
Addameer advocates on behalf of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons and has promoted the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. The organization is reportedly an “affiliate” of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terror organization.
On May 14, 2021, GUPS SFSU promoted on Instagram a May 15, 2021 anti-Israel protest to take place on Israel Independence Day. The post mentioned the “ongoing Nakba,” and emphasized the need to “prioritize BDS” as well as “educate the public about israeli settler colonialism and terrorism.” Promotional material in the post accused [slide 4] Israel of apartheid.
The term “Nakba” is generally translated as “catastrophe” in Arabic, referring to the outcome of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. It is a term often used to delegitimize the creation of the State of Israel by defining it as a catastrophe.
GUPS SFSU - Demonizing Israel 2018-2019
On February 12, 2019, GUPS SFSU promoted on Instagram an “emergency rally” in response to SFSU’s recognizing Israel Independence Day on its list of “Religious Observances.” The post said: “Zionism is NOT allowed on our campus!”Zionism is the belief that Jews have the right to self-determination in their own national home, and the right to develop their national culture.
The post was accompanied by a statement signed by the “General Union of Palestine Students” labeling Israel a “settler colonial state” and accusing Israel of “the ongoing murder and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.”
GUPS SFSU - Demonizing Zionism 2018-2019
On April 16, 2019, GUPS SFSU posted to Instagram accusing Zionism of being “a white supremacist settler colonial ideology.” The post also claimed: “Zionism is not separate from massacre, from ethnic cleansing but that these are inherently Zionist.” The post ended by urging: “Don’t Normalize Zionism!”GUPS SFSU - Anti-Israel Activism 2020-2021
On April 20, 2021, during a property dispute in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, GUPS SFSU posted to Instagram a call to sign a petition and pressure government representatives “to support the campaign against the illegal expulsion of Palestinians in Jerusalem.” The post also promoted the idea of Nakba, accusing Israel of ethnic cleasing in Jerusalem and the West Bank.The petition claimed the pending evictions were “part of Israel's larger plan of racist colonial expansion,” and was co-sponsored by anti-Israel organizations Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), among others.
GUPS SFSU -Supporting BDS 2020-2021
On October 26, 2020, GUPS SFSU promoted the BDS Movement on Instagram and called on people to support the divestment resolution they drafted and were advocating to be approved by the university.On November 18, 2020, SFSU Associated Students approved the resolution.
On November 19, 2020, GUPS SFSU posted to Instagram that they were “happy and proud” that through their “passion for social justice and organizing” they succeeded in campaigning for the BDS resolution. They also emphasized that this was a step toward a world “free from the evils of colonialism and white supremacy.”
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.
Social Media and Weblinks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ariakhat [Private]Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ariakhat/[Private]
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@butterybutt [Private]
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/arianakhateeb/
