Bashar Alhaj
Overview
Bashar Alhaj has spread incitement and hatred of Israel as an activist with the anti-Israel group Within Our Lifetime (WOL) in 2021. WOL’s “Points of Unity” states: “We defend the right of Palestinians as colonized people to resist the zionist occupation by any means necessary.”Also in 2021, Alhaj was affiliated with the City College of New York’s (CCNY) Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter, known as CCNY SJP, and an activist with CUNY’s Muslim Student Organization and Women in Islam (MSOWII).
For more information, see the CCNY SJP Chapter Profile.
As of May 2023, Alhaj wrote on Facebook that he had been studying at CCNY since 2019.
As of the same date, Alhaj’s Facebook said he was located in New York, New York.
May 11, 2021 - Spreading Incitement at a WOL Rally
On May 11, 2021, Alhaj marched [00:00:01] and filmed [00:00:01] at an anti-Israel rally organized by WOL and titled: “EMERGENCY RALLY FOR PALESTINE.”While marching, Alhaj chanted [00:03:13]: “be-ruh be-dam nifdik ya Aqsa [With spirit, with blood, we will redeem you, Aqsa]!”
On May 7-10, 2021, violent clashes broke out between Palestinian worshippers and Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa compound, following claims that Al-Aqsa Mosque was in danger. The allegation that Jews “threaten” to destroy Al-Aqsa has been a traditional pretext for Arab attacks on Jews long before the existence of the modern Jewish state.
The chant: “be-ruh be-dam nifdik ya Aqsaبروح ودم نفديك يااقصى [With spirit, with blood, we will redeem you, Aqsa]” can be heard [00:01:14] at anti-Israel rallies [00:02:19] in America. Yasser Arafat popularized the chant [00:00:23], which is invoked by anti-Israel protesters regarding a variety of causes.
The rally was during Israel’s Operation Guardian of the Walls (OGW) against Hamas.
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.
At the same protest, a group of anti-Israel protestors shouted at a group of pro-Israel counterprotestors. One anti-Israel man wearing a red hoodie forced [00:00:39] his way past the police and punched [00:00:41] a pro-Israel counterprotestor.
May 15, 2021 - Hatred of Israel at a WOL Rally
On May 15, 2021, Alhaj marched [00:00:01] in an anti-Israel WOL protest during OGW that was titled: “NAKBA 73 DEFEND PALESTINE!”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.
While marching, Alhaj chanted [00:03:55]: “Israel is a terrorist state!” Alhaj also chanted [00:01:23] “From the river to the sea! Falasteen [Palestine] you will be free!”
“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.
At the same protest, anti-Israel protesters held signs that said [00:06:40]: “F**k Israel. All my homies hate Israel. #FreePalestine,” and [00:06:21] “Zionists are Nazis.” They also chanted [00:27:34]: “5,6,7,8! Israel is a terrorist state!”
May 18, 2021 - Hatred of Israel at a WOL Rally
On May 18, 2021, Alhaj marched [00:01:20] in an anti-Israel protest organized by WOL.The rally was during OGW titled: “Emergency Rally to Defend Palestine” and began outside the Israeli Consulate in Manhattan.
At the rally, Alhaj and other protestors were pushed back [00:01:22] by police. Alhaj also chanted [00:09:30] with WOL founder Nerdeen Kiswani.
Immediately following the protest, violent anti-Israel activist Saadah Masoud led a mob [00:00:06] of protesters in physically attacking[00:00:08] two men, one of whom held an Israeli flag.
May 22, 2021 - Hatred of Israel at a WOL Rally
On May 22, 2021, Alhaj posted on Facebook a video of himself from a WOL rally titled: “QUEENS RALLY FOR PALESTINE.”Alhaj rode [00:00:03] on the truck that led the protest. Alhaj also drove [00:00:03] the truck and could be seen wearing [00:00:03] a yellow armband.
WOL organizers often wear [00:19:42] armbands to identify themselves to protestors.
At the same protest, violent anti-Israel activist Saadah Masoud could be seen burning an Israeli flag. Other activists at the protest chanted [slide 2]: “Intifada! Intifada! Long Live the Intifada!” and [slide 3] “United Nations at what cost?! Will you stop this Holocaust?!”
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) highlights as one possible contemporary example of anti-Semitism: “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.” The U.S. State Department adopted the IHRA’s working definition of anti-Semitism in 2016. Over 40 countries have adopted the definition as well.
May 29, 2021 - Hatred of Israel at an AMP Protest
On May 31, 2021, Alhaj posted on Instagram photos of himself at a rally from a May 29, 2021 protest organized by American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) and promoted by WOL.At the protest, organizers led [00:03:55] the crowd in the chants: “Israel is a racist state! Israel is an apartheid state!”
June 1, 2021 - Promoting BDS at a CCNY SJP Protest
On June 1, 2021, Alhaj spoke [00:45:23] on behalf of MSOWIIat a CCNY SJP protest. The protest was part of the CUNY Divest campaign.During his speech, Alhaj said [00:47:11]: “I want to urge everyone here to stand up … with the BDS, the BDS movement to further show our support that we are not supporting companies or administrations that defend and support genocide.”
Also at the rally, protestors chanted [00:01:17]: “Zionism out of CUNY now,” and [00:04:07] “Brick by brick, wall by wall, Israeli apartheid has to fall!”
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.
June 15, 2021 - Spreading Incitement at a WOL Rally
On June 15, 2021, Alhaj attended an anti-Israel WOL protest titled: “Emergency Rally to Defend Palestine.” Alhaj marched [slide 5] with Kiswani. WOL’s flyer for the event stated: “Stand with the call from Palestine against the zionist invasion on Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem.”During the event, Kiswani led [00:20:01] protestors in the chant: “There is only one solution! Intifada revolution!” while standing [00:16:24] outside of the Israeli consulate in Manhattan. Protestors also chanted [00:13:54]: “From New York to Gaza, globalize the intifada!”
The term “intifada,” which translates from Arabic as “uprising” or “insurrection,” carries the connotation of violence. Palestinian intifadas waged against Israel have been marked since 1987 by hundreds of hijackings, shootings, stabbings, bombings and suicide missions.
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.
WOL
Within Our Lifetime (WOL) is a pro-terror activist group in New York City dedicated to Israel’s destruction within the lifetime of its members.Acts of violence and physical confrontations with police have frequently occurred at WOL protests and marches. WOL uses harassment campaigns to target pro-Israel organizations or companies that do business with Israel, making it a part of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Multiple activists who have either burned Israeli flags or led chants at WOL rallies were later jailed for violent anti-Semitic hate crimes, including Saadah Masoud and Waseem Awawdeh. In Masoud’s case, he received 18 months in jail for an anti-Semitic assault at an April 2022 WOL rally and two other anti-Semitic assaults in 2021.
WOL promotes “resistance” against Israel “by any means necessary,” calls to “Globalize the Intifada,” spreads incitement and idolizes [00:34:06] Palestinian terrorists like Leila Khaled and others at rallies and online events.
WOL was founded by Nerdeen Kiswani and Dan Cione in 2015. Kiswani is a frequent speaker at WOL rallies where she has promoted terrorism against Israelis and called for the death of Zionists. She has also provided support for Masoud and other activists following their arrests.
WOL began as the New York City chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), going by NYC SJP, but changed its name in 2018. The group is not found to be registered in any U.S. state as a nonprofit organization under its official name. Nor is there any listing for WOL under its name on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website for tax-exempt organizations.
Social Media and Web Links
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/bashar.alyemeniInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/its_basharr [Private]
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT9xz_pPVmF3K6WIAoSiMNQ/featured
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@basharalhaj1
Videos
9 videos
Photos & Screenshots
38 images
Infamous Quotes
“I want to urge everyone here to stand up … with the BDS, the BDS movement to further show our support that we are not supporting companies or administrations that defend and support genocide.”
