Elia Ghorbiah

Overview

Eliah Ghorbiah has compared Israel to Nazi Germany, expressed support for terrorists, promoted terrorists and spread incitement.

Ghorbiah has also demonized Israel, defended violent protesters, promoted anti-Israel agitators and is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

In 2018, Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) reported that Ghorbiah spoke about“creating high-impact virtual reality experiences” at NU-Q as part of their Media Innovation Lab (MIL) workshop session.

In 2013, NU-Q signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MoU) with Al Jazeera Media Network (Al Jazeera) “which deepens ties between the two organizations.” The MoU launched an Al Jazeera speakers series at NU-Q, along with joint research and studies projects, internships, training workshops and scholarships.

As of November 2021, Ghorbiah’s LinkedIn page said she was a “Producer for AJ+” in Doha, Qatar, since August 2019. Her LinkedIn page said her location was the Palestinian Authority. Her LinkedIn page also listed her as a Producer for Al Jazeera since June 2018 and a producer for Contrast VR, Al Jazeera’s “immersive media arm” that specializes in the production of 360° video, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality content.

In 2018 and 2017, Ghorbiah produced short films and videos that were published on Al Jazeera English (AJE).

Also as of November 2021, Ghorbiah’s LinkedIn page said she was a Freelance Video Journalist for ZoomIn.TV, from February 2016 - June 2018 and a Freelance Reporter at Al-Akhbar Newspaper, from December 2014 - December 2016. She was also a Freelance Producer and Filmmaker for 4D Media Production in Ramallah, from October 2014 - July 2017.

Also as of November 2021, Ghorbiah’s LinkedIn page said she was a Radio and TV Producer at Birzeit University (Birzeit) in Ramallah, from March 2015 to March 2016. Ghorbiah’s LinkedIn page also said she received a bachelor’s degree, with a major in Journalism and minor in Political Science from Birzeit in 2014.

Comparing Israel to Nazi Germany

On July 20, 2014, during Israel’s Operation Protective Edge (OPE) against Hamas, Ghorbiah tweeted: “now, no need to take your children to camp in Auschwitz Poland to explain about Holocaust; one visit to #Shijaia Camp is a living simulation”

Israel commenced OPE in July 2014 to stop rocket fire targeting Israeli civilians and to destroy Hamas attack tunnels.

Shijaiai (also spelled “Shajaya”) was a Hamas training camp in Gaza that was targeted in Israeli airstrikes during OPE.

Also on July 20, 2014, Ghorbiah tweeted: “Expose the Israeli crimes against our brothers in Shajaya #Gaza its a holocaust !! #GenocideinGaza #GazaUnderAttack”

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.

On July 8, 2014, Ghorbieh tweeted: “Saying that #Israel is a victim, is like saying that Hitler acted in self-defense!#IsraelUnderFire #GazaUnderAttack.”

Ghorbieh’s tweet included a meme of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with text that read: “WE TAKE YOUR LAND, BOMB YOUR FAMILIES, STOP ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES, DETAIN YOU WITHOUT A TRIAL...HOW DARE YOU RETALIATE WITH 1 ROCKET.”

Support for Terrorists

On September 6, 2021, Ghorbiah shared a post on Facebook about the escape of several prisoners from the Gilboa prison. Ghorbiah wrote, “هذا صباح الخير [This is a good morning.]”

On September 6, 2021, six Palestinian prisoners escaped from the maximum-security Gilboa Prison in northern Israel. Following a 10-day manhunt, all the escaped prisoners were recaptured and imprisoned by Israeli authorities.

The escaped prisoners were convicted members of the terror organizations Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, the armed wing of Fatah, the main group in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

They were convicted and sentenced for their involvement in terror attacks carried out during the second intifada, which was characterized by more than 120 suicide bombings targeting Israeli civilians on buses and in cafes.

On May 19, 2021, Ghorbiah tweeted three photos and wrote: “شهود عيان: مستوطن إسرائيلي متطرف أعدم سيدة فلسطينية قرب #الخليل وألقى سلاحاً بجانبها.. نفس السلاح الذي قتلها به.
[An extremist Israeli settler just killed a woman in #Hebron, then threw a rifle next to her body.. the same weapon he used to kill her! click on the photo.]”

On May 19, 2021, surveillance footage reportedly showed a woman approaching Israeli soldiers and residents near Hebron with an M-16 rifle and attempting to shoot them. The terrorist was neutralized at the scene.

On May 8, 2017, Ghorbiah tweeted: “Gandhi's longest hunger strike lasted 21 days. Palestinians are on their 22nd day without food.1600 Palestinian Gandhis. #dignitystrike”

Terrorist Marwan Barghouti was sentenced to five consecutive life terms for some of his crimes, including his role in the Sbarro Cafe bombing. In 2017, he initiated the hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners known as the “Dignity Strike.” He headed the Palestinian Authority (PA) terrorist Tanzim force and founded the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which carried out many terror attacks against Israeli civilians.

On March 12, 2017, Ghorbiah posted on Instagram: “From today's protest against the trial of the martyr Basil Al-Araj and his friends who still in the Israeli prisons. باسل_الأعرج# [Basel Al-Araj] #mypalestine #palestine [sic]”

Basel Al Araj was killed in a shoot-out with Israeli troops during an arrest raid. He had been suspected of belonging to a terror cell planning to carry out attacks on Israeli targets. Two M-16 assault rifles and an improvised Carlo-style submachine gun were found inside his home.

On April 19, 2016, Ghorbiah described Yassar Arafat as a “martyr” on Instagram.

Yasser Arafat was the former leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and is known by some as the “father of modern terrorism.” Under Arafat, the goal of the PLO was the violent destruction of Israel.

On February 20, 2016, Ghorbiah tweeted: “3 months without eating! 3 months of feeding us dignity! 3 months of preventing injustice to our Palestine through Al Qiq's #hunger_strike.”

Israel detained hunger-striking Muhammad al-Qiq for Hamas terror-related activities.

On February 16, 2016, Ghorbiah tweeted: “#Israel is murdering journalist #Mohammad_Alqiq.”

On November 28, 2015, Ghorbiah posted on Instagram: “#IOF attacking the house of the martyr Fadi Khasib.”

“IOF” stands for Israeli Occupation Forces, a derogatory name used by anti-Israel activists to demonize Israel’s army in place of its official name, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Khasib was killed after he ran over two soldiers at a bus station near the settlement of Kfar Adumim. His death notice was reportedly issued by Hamas, who praised the attack because Israeli soldiers were wounded.

On October 13, 2015,during the “Knife Intifada,” Ghorbieh tweeted: “#Israeli Occupation killed Baha today!He was the most loved amongst his friends. #Israel kills the bests of our youth”

In October 2015, there was an upsurge in violence across Israel incited by Palestinian political and religious leaders. The wave of stabbings, known as the “Knife Intifada,” was characterized by young Palestinians throughout the country stabbing and attempting to stab Israeli civilians.

On October 13, 2015, Baha Alyan was shot and killed by an Israeli security guard after boarding a bus in Jerusalem, alongside Hamas terrorist Bilal Ghanem, and killing three civilians and wounding three others.

Gorbiah’s tweet included a photo of Alyan, with text that read: “Tell the world that he was not a terrorist, he created the World longest readers chain around Jerusalem walls.”

On August 7, 2015, Ghorbieh tweeted in support of Mohamad Allan.

Allan is a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a terror group “whose objective is the destruction of the State of Israel and the establishment of a sovereign, Islamic Palestinian state.” Allan was first jailed by Israel in 2006 for trying to recruit a suicide bomber to carry out an attack in Israel. He was detained in 2014 for similar reasons. PIJ is backed by Iran and has killed dozens of Israelis in suicide bombings and other attacks.

On August 30, 2014, Ghorbiah posted a photo on Instagram of a Palestinian child wearing a Hamas headband and holding a rifle. Text on the photo read: “Photo by Elia Ghorbiah.”

Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., Canada, European Union, Israel and other countries. Founded in 1987, it has killed thousands of Israeli civilians through mass shootings and suicide bombings. Hamas has also kidnapped children, families and the elderly and held them hostage in Gaza. It has desecrated [slide 2] dead bodies and launched numerous rocket attacks against Israeli civilians.

Promoting Terrorists

On June 13, 2017, Ghorbiah posted on Instagram: “#filming with a Palestinian strong woman, Mother of the prisoner Mohammad Abu Sakha who is a Palestinian #circus artist under the Israeli administrative detention since two years! The mother joined her son on his hunger strike for 41 days saying that it's the only way to feel her son and his pain. #occupation #hungerstrike #mypalestine.”

Abu Sakha was arrested in December 2015 for his “renewed activity” and membership in the terrorist organization Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

On May 7, 2017, Ghorbiah tweeted: “Leila Khaled announces open hunger strike for Palestinian prisoners…”

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.

Ghorbiah’s tweet included a link to an article by the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, which quoted Khaled as saying: “We must uphold the right of return, and the liberation of Palestine, and the establishment of a democratic Palestine on the entire land of Palestine.”

The “right of return” is a Palestinian demand discredited as a means to eliminate Israel.

On September 27, 2016, Ghorbiah posted a documentary on her blog which she produced, titled: “The Bitter Ink,” which featured PFLP terrorist Basem Al-Khandaqji.

Bassem Al-Khandaqji is serving 3 life sentences for leading a suicide bomber to the Tel Aviv Carmel Market in November 2004, which killed three Israelis.

Al-Khandaqi gained access to the market by exploiting a press card granted to him as a student journalist, similar to Ahlam Tamimi who exploited her journalist credentials to orchestrate a 2001 suicide bombing at Jerusalem’s Sbarro cafe.

A January 9, 2018 newsletter issued by Birzeit University quoted Ghorbiah as saying: “This film...is a tribute to the valiant prisoners held in the occupation’s prisons; those who are giving years away of their lives to free Palestine and keep the Palestinian dream alive.”

On August 18, 2016, Ghorbiah tweeted in support of Bilal Kayed: “Today marks the 66th day of Hunger strike for #Palestinian political prisoner Bilal Kayed. Bobby sands died on his 66th day. #FreeBilalKayed.”

PFLP terrorist Bilal Kayed was incarcerated for 14 years for terror attacks and attempted terror attacks committed during the second intifada, in 2002.

On December 29, 2014, Ghorbiah posted in support of Lina Khattab on Facebook: “محكمة الاحتلال مددت الاعتقال لمدة 10 أيام اضافية للطالبة في دائرة الاعلام_جامعةبيرزيت لينا خطاب ..
لينا معتقلة منذ 25 يوما وهي راقصة ايضاً في فرقة الفنون الشعبية [The occupation tribunal has extended to 10 days the detention[ or arrest] of the student from Birzeit University Leena Khattab. Leena has been detained since 25 days and she is a dancer at the Jerusalem folklore band].”

Khattab was detained on December 13, 2014, and sentenced to six months jail time on February 16, 2015 for throwing rocks, while celebrating the 47th anniversary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)’s founding.

Spreading Incitement

On July 28, 2017, Gharbiah posted on her blog a live report that was broadcast for AJ+, from a July 25, 2018 Palestinian protest outside Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Ghorbiah commented: “Palestinians are angry at Israel’s tough new restrictions at the entrance to Al-Aqsa Mosque.I was on a Facebook live from there for AJ+عربي.”

On July 14, 2017, terrorists murdered two Israeli police officers outside the entrance to the Al-Aqsa compound, reportedly following claims that the Al-Aqsa Mosque was in danger. In response to the terror attack, Israel installed metal detectors and security cameras at the entrance to the holy site, which the authorities later removed, after further rioting and escalation in violence.

The video Ghorbiah posted included showed protesters chanting [00:00:47]:“be-ruh be-dam nifdik ya Aqsaبروح ودم نفديك يااقصى “ [with spirit, with blood wewill redeem you Aqsa]

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.

Demonizing Israel

On June 5, 2021, AJ+ Arabic shared a video featuring Ghorbiah and tweeted, in Arabic: “How did ‘Israel’ seek, and still is seeking, to wipe Palestine out of existence?”

In the video, which was also posted to AJ+’s YouTube page, Ghorbiah accused [00:01:21] Israel of ethnic cleansing and claimed [00:01:48]: "Israel adopted laws to confiscate the property of the Palestinians who had been forced to depart and steal their homes and lands and to award the ownership thereof to the Jews.”

Ghorbiah then accused [00:02:38] Israelis of building “the racist separation barrier that you know.”

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.

Ghorbiah also charged [00:04:42] “They polluted groundwater that the Palestinians get.”

Ghorbiah then complained [00:05:32] that Palestinians don’t have “Right of Return” and compared [00:06:11] the plight of Palestinians to Black South Africans during apartheid.”

On May 16, 2021, Ghorbiah tweeted a video from her personal website titled: “أبجديات فلسطين: لماذا توجد مشكلة بين فلسطين و“إسرائ“؟ [The ABCs of Palestine: Why is there a problem between Palestine and “Israel”?]

The description of the video said, in Arabic: “The Nakba of the Palestinians did not begin in 1948, but much earlier… and it has not ended until today. The Israeli occupation forces continue to expand their settlement colonialism, confiscate Palestinian lands, and escalate the forced displacement operations in full view of the world and with the support of major Western powers. How did the story begin, and why did the Nakba happen?”

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.

In the video, Ghorbiah also included [00:03:53] maps purporting to illustrate Palestine’s shrinking land ownership and the growing Jewish population in the area over time, after which she stated [00:04:04] that “The Jews established armed gangs who perpetrated the worst massacres against the Palestinians. They expropriated the land and carried out terrorist attacks against everyone.”

Ghorbiah’s video showed a photo [00:04:07] purporting to illustrate a massacre of Palestinian Arabs,but which proved to be actually an edited photo of Jewish victims of the Nazi Holocaust, taken after the liberation of Nordhausen..

On May 15, 2021, Ghorbiah tweeted. in Arabic, “The Nakba is a continuous act. We see it every day, in the blue of the stolen sea, on the roads between cities, in our identity and passport, in our names and in books, news reports and comics. In the mirrors, in our stubborn features and in our loud voice… 73 years old. It's time for the Nakba to end.]"

On January 29, 2020, Ghorbiah tweeted: “عصافير القدس لن تغرد بالعبرية يا عزيزي.
للبلاد أهلها، باقون في أرضنا، باقون ما بقي الزعتر والزيتون. [The birds of Jerusalem don't sing in Hebrew, my dear. The land belongs to its residents. We remain on our land as long as za’atar and olive oil remain].”

On November 2, 2015, Ghorbiah tweeted: “#Balfour .. Who dosen't own .. To those who don't deserve .. #FreePalestine.”

Ghorbiah’s tweet included a photo of the 1917 Balfour Declaration, favoring the establishment of a Jewish National home in British Mandate Palestine.

On January 12, 2016, Ghorbiah posted on her blog a November 10, 2015 article she wrote for Al-Akhbar, titled: “In the West Bank, martyrs are killed twice.”

Ghorbiah wrote: “احتجاز جثامين الشهداء وسرقة أعضائهم سياسة قديمة ــ حديثة لدى العدو [The detention iof the martyrs’ bodies and stealing their organs is an old-new policy of the enemy].”

On October 9, 2015, Ghorbiah posted on Instagram: “Israeli occupation forces using chemical wastewater against Palestinian protesters near Beit_eil settlement north of #Albeira”

On December 10, 2014, Ghorbiah tweeted: “on #HumanRightsDay #Israel is killing, arresting and Violating the most basic rights of the Palestinians! #Palestine #ICC4Israel”

On July 2, 2014, Ghorbiah tweeted: “who is the #terrorist ?! Israel is a war criminal #StopKillingOurBoys #lifeunderterror.”

In a Twitter thread dated June 14, 2014, Ghorbieh tweeted: “Bring back our 10 million refugees
Bring back our 5000 prisoners
Bring back our 78% of the land
Bring back our FREEDOM
#BringBackOurBoys.”

The “#BringBackOurBoys” hashtag was misappropriated from an Israeli social media campaign originally launched to raise awareness and support following the kidnapping of the three Israeli teenagers.

Hamas was responsible for the kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers from a bus stop on June 12, 2014. The abducted boys were murdered by their captors, and their bodies were found buried in Palestinian-controlled territory on June 30, 2014.

In the same thread, Ghoribah tweeted: “@iPostFeedyes we will fight, we will write the history of PALESTINE, and Israel won't be controlled; Israel will disappear inchALLAH ;).”

Ghorbiah concluded with: “@sabuhamdieh @iPostFeed It seems like someone should start the hashtag (Bring Back Our Dignity) ,zionist are bad to the whole world ‘fact’."

Promoting Anti-Israel Agitators

On March 27, 2018, Ghorbiah posted an AJ+ video on her blog titled: “Tamimi Family vs. Israeli Army.” Ghorbiah commented: “My latest with AJ+. Israeli [sic] jailed Ahed Tamimi for 8 months because of a slap.”

Ahed Tamimi has a long history of physically attacking Israeli soldiers. Tamimi is the daughter of Bassem Tamimi, who is known for exploiting young children as political props in staged confrontations with Israeli soldiers.

Video footage, supplied [00:00:23] by Palestinian photographer Bilal Tamimi, claimed [00:00:42] to represent the life of the Tamimi family in Nabi Saleh, “The Resistance Village.”

The village of Nabi Saleh is a Tamimi family stronghold. It is notorious as a place where photographers gather nearly every Friday to document scenes of Palestinian residents and international activists clashing with Israeli soldiers. Much of this is instigated by the Nabi Saleh Tamimi clan.

On February 17, 2018, Ghorbiah posted a video series on her blog that she produced for Zoomin.Tv, featuring Palestinian teenage “journalist” Janna Jihad Ayyad. The series filmed five episodes of Jihad’s “life diary.”

Janna Jihad Ayyad Al-Tamimi, also known as Janna Jihad, is an anti-Israel youth activist. She is a relative of Palestinian propagandist Bassem Tamimi, who is notorious for exploiting young children as political props by manufacturing confrontations with Israeli soldiers who respond to the riots that Tamimi organizes.

In the second video, titled: “Diary of a Palestinian girl: The raids,” Jihad claimed [00:01:48] that “The Israel Strategic Minister said that I am the new danger to Israel. When I heard this I said to myself ‘They cannot stop me doing my work.’”

On August 18, 2017, Ghorbiah posted a video on her blog that she co-produced for Al Jazeera English (AJ English) titled: “How to be a Palestinian Supermom.”

The video featured [00:00:01] Manal Tamimi, the aunt of Ahed Tamimi, in skirmishes with the IDF.

Manal Tamimi has tweeted anti-Semitic memes, including Nazi-era imagery. She has also tweeted in support of Palestinian terrorists, commenting on the murder of Jews living in Judea: “#time_to_pay_the_price.”

In the video, Manal Tamimi said [00:03:34] “It’s just jail so you don’t have to be scared.” Manal also asked [00:04:21] a young child “You h

ave a slingshot?...Did you throw stones? Yeah. Did you hit the military jeep?”

Defending Violent Protesters

On May 14, 2018, Ghorbiah tweeted: “37 martyrs so far in #Gaza as Israeli Occupation Forces uses excessive force against civilian protesters. More than 1700 injuries today!! THIRTY SEVEN Human beings with stories, family, and lost hope. ...”

In May 2018, terror group Hamas instigated violent riots on the Israeli-Gaza border. Thousands of rioters attempted to breach Israel’s border fence, declaring their intention to harm Jews across the border under the pretext of “peaceful resistance.”

On May 16, 2018, a Hamas senior official, Salah al-Bardawil, stated that 50 out of 62 protesters killed during the May 14 Gaza border protest were Hamas operatives. Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) also claimed that three of its members were killed at the same protest.

Media reports confirmed [00:00:20] the March of Return protesters’ breaches and attempted breaches of Israel’s border fence, some by armed Palestinians. One Hamas leader declared [00:00:30]: “We will take down the border [with Israel] and we will tear out their hearts from their bodies.”

On April 7, 2018, Ghorbiah tweeted: “Yasser was a father, friend, talented journalist and a dreamer…” The tweet included a photo of Yasser Murtaja.

Yasser Murtaja, a photojournalist, was reportedly a Hamas spy who used drones to film Israeli military positions. Murtaja was shot and killed on April 6, 2018, as he filmed the 2018 Hamas-led “March of Return” protest in Gaza.

On November 2, 2015, Ghorbiah posted a video on her blog that she produced for AJ+ titled: “The Palestinian Woman Fighting Israel.” In the video, women are shown [00:00:44] throwing stones and using [00:00:46] slingshots atIsraeli security forces.

Although romanticized as a form of “popular resistance,” rock throwing remains a deadly form of violence.

Supporting BDS

On February 4, 2019, Ghorbiah tweeted: “Destination: #occupation” and included a video produced by Amnesty International (AI) as part of its BDS “Destination: Occupation” campaign targeting global on-line travel company, TripAdvisor.

As part of its campaign, AI alleged: “By listing properties and attractions in Israeli settlements, digital tourism companies are profiting from war crimes” and promoted the video as “a more *suitable* promo video to advertise your properties, activities & attractions in illegal Israeli settlements.”

The video concluded [00:01:18]: “Settlements are on stolen Palestinian land. They should not be tourist destinations. Tell Trip Advisor to pull out of illegal Israeli settlements.”

On November 20, 2018, Ghorbiah tweeted: “Yesterday, Airbnb said it will remove property listings located in Israeli settlements in the #WestBank.”

In November 2018, Airbnb announced it would remove 200 listings in Israel’s West Bank from the Airbnb platform, due to pressure from BDS activists. In April 2019, Airbnb reversed its decision and allocated profits from the region to non-profit organizations dedicated to humanitarian aid.

Ghorbiah’s tweet included a graphic with text that read: “By doing business in settlements on land unlawfully seized and under conditions of entrenched discrimination, Airbnb contributes to and benefits from serious violations of international law.”

On July 11, 2018, Ghorbiah tweeted: “#IRELAND passed the law to ban Israeli settlement goods!!!”

That same day, Ghorbiah promoted the Irish BDS legislation on Facebook and posted a video of Palestinian farmers who claimed [00:00:54] that “the Israeli occupation built their Apartheid wall and stole most of our land” and alleged [00:01:21] that nearby Israeli factories “pollute our land, our crops and the entire area with toxic chemicals.”

On May 4, 2016, Ghorbiah posted a photo on Instagram of Shuhada Street in Hebron, that showed traffic barriers with text that read: “Open Shuhada St” and “Boycott Israel.”

Shuhada Street is the main road leading to the Tomb of the Patriarchs. Parts of the street were closed due to Palestinian violence during the second intifada.

On March 23, 2016, Ghorbiah posted a video on Instagram of Israel’s security wall. Text on the wall read: “Veolia & Alstom your light rail leads to nothing or worse” and “Stop the east Jerusalem light rail, boycott Veolia.”

The Jerusalem Light Rail was the target of an international BDS campaign, which included a call to boycott Veolia and Alstom, the two French multinational companies involved in its construction and operation.

On June 30, 2015, Ghorbiah tweeted: “Another victory! United Church of Christ has just voted in #Cleveland to join #BDS against "Israel!" #ICC4Israel #FreePalestine.”

On December 23, 2014, Ghorbiah tweeted: “Stop Israel's ethnic cleansing of Palestinians,including Christians!#BDS Now! #MerryChristmas #Palestine #ICC4Israel.”

On November 10, 2014, Ghorbiah promoted BDS on Twitter: “follow @BDS_Arabic to know all the news and updates about the campaign of boycotts, divestment and sanctions (#BDS) against Israel in Arabic.”

On August 23, 2014, Ghorbiah posted a photo of food products on Instagram covered with a placard that read: “When you buy Israeli goods, you donate to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces].”

Al Jazeera Media Network

Al Jazeera Media Network (Al Jazeera) is a Qatari-owned multimedia conglomerate broadcasting to 310 million households in more than 100 countries.

The network has been accused of slanting news reports to promote the agenda of the Muslim Brotherhood. A weekly show hosted by Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi, the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, aired from 1996-2013, where Qaradawi expressed [00:00:47] a personal dream of traveling to Israel to carry out Jihad and glorified suicide bombings by children.

The network has also been accused of affiliating with the terror group Hamas, criticized for providing a platform for the Al-Qaeda terror organization and implicated in the promotion of a wide variety of terrorist propaganda.

Invited guests and speakers have labeled Jews “devils” and “grave-dwellers who...suck the blood of others.” One Al Jazeera children’s program featured a Saudi cleric who labeled Jews “treacherous, disloyal, deceitful” and congratulated a child for hating and cursing Jews.

In September 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reportedly ordered AJ+, Al Jazeera’s online news platform based in the U.S., to register as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA).

Al Jazeera English

Al Jazeera English (AJ English) is a Qatari-owned news channel, part of the Al Jazeera Media Network (Al Jazeera), headquartered in Doha, Qatar. Al Jazeera and AJ English are owned by the Qatari government and are financed by Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar.

AJ English has come under scrutiny by the U.S. State Department for Qatari “editorial and programmatic control” of AJ English, as Qatar is also the principal financial backer of the terror groups Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.

AJ English has a significant social media following and has used its platforms to spread anti-Semitism, whitewash terrorists and promote anti-Israel propaganda.

AJ English is geared to a Western audience and has been careful to distance itself from controversy involving AJ’s Arabic news channels. When caught minimizing the murder of Jewish Israelis or publishing falsehoods that demonize Israel, AJ English has usually been quick to retract its statements.

Qatar - Terrorism

Qatar is one of the primary state backers of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and has provided funding for Hamas in the past. Qatar facilitates funding to advance extremism around the world, including the West.

Founded in Egypt 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood is a transnational Islamist organization, listed as a terrorist organization in at least six countries, including Egypt, Russia and Saudi Arabia. Hamas, a terrorist group dedicated to Israel’s destruction, is listed as one of the Brotherhood’s offshoots.

Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by the European Union, Canada, Australia, the United States and Israel.

The Hamas founding charter has called for the murder of Jews, and Hamas has hosted “summer camps,” that taught children how to wage war.

Qatar Foundation

In 1995, the then-Emir of Qatar and his wife, Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, created the Qatar Foundation (QF) to “advance education, science, and cultural development.”

In 1995, QF was given two billion dollars in resources by the Qatari Government “to address knowledge and capacity deficits” and transform into a “knowledge-based economy.”

QF launched Education City (EC) in 1997, with the stated goal of providing “world-class education to the people of Qatar.”

In 2003, the campus was officially inaugurated.

Qatar Foundation - Yusuf al-Qaradawi and the Muslim Brotherhood

In 2007, Yusuf al-Qaradawi announced QF’s establishment of the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies (QFIS) in EC. The QFIS structure was to be created by an advisory committee, chaired by al-Qaradawi.

Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi [Yousef Al-Qaradhawi] was the founder and, as of April 2020, remained head of the European Council for Fatwa and Research. In 2005, The Wall Street Journal reported the council used the anti-Semitic fabricated text, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, as a basis for some of its deliberations.

al-Qaradawi said in a statement that aired on Al-Jazeera TV on January 30, 2009: "Throughout history, Allah has imposed upon the Jews...The last punishment was carried out by Hitler...Allah Willing, the next time will be at the hand of the Believers."

al-Qaradawi has also called for the murder of American civilians, as well as American troops in Iraq, homosexuals and Jews and expressed support for domestic violence against women.

In 2008, Moza bint Nasser and QF established within QFIS, the al-Qaradawi Centre for Research in Moderate Thought, also known as the “Al-Qaradawi Center for Islamic Moderation and Renewal,” in honor of “His Eminence” Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi.

QFIS described al-Qaradawi as “a pioneer of Islamic moderate thought” and the research center’s “main theorist.”

In January 2012, QF opened the Research Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics (CILE), “under the guidance of Director Dr. Tariq Ramadan.” In October 2015, Ramadan was listed as the CILE Director.

Tariq Ramadan is the grandson of Muslim Brotherhood (MB) founder Hassan al-Banna and son of senior Brotherhood operative Said Ramadan. Tariq Ramadanis also alleged to be a serial-rapist, as well as a terrorist supporter.

In 2015, Ramadan gave a “Principles of Leadership in Islam” seminar series, open to all EC students.As of May 2020, CILE listed Ramadan as part of “Our Team” on their website.

NU-Q - Qatar Foundation

In 2008, QF invited Northwestern University (NU) in Evanston, Illinois to set up a Qatari satellite campus in EC, Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q), focusing on journalism and communications.

The degree that NU-Q awards students upon graduation would be identical to that earned at NU’s Evanston, IL campus.

On July 10, 2009, the Chronicle of Higher Education released an article critical of the academic standards of EC, noting that: "Administrators at several branch campuses of American universities in Qatar acknowledge that they accept students with admissions standards that fall below those expected on their home campuses…"

On April 5, 2014, Everett Dennis, NU-Q’s then-Dean and CEO said [00:12:25] in an interview with Richard Heffner, a former professor of Communications and Public policy at Rutgers University (Rutgers), that QF was “paying the bill” for NU-Q’s building, faculty, research and housing.

In March 2015, Stephen F. Eisenman, President of the Northwestern Faculty Senate, reported to the NU Faculty Senate that Qatari students receive full scholarships from the QF, while non-Qatari students, with some exceptions, must pay full costs. Eisenman also reported that “that five new endowed professorships at NU were recently funded out of QF money.”

In 2016, NU signed a 10-year extension to its agreement with QF, enabling NU-Q to operate through the 2027-2028 school year.

As of November 2019, the United States Department of Education (DoE) reported that Qatar gave NU $323.4 million in contract revenue since January 2013, averaging $49.6 million per year.

As of April 2020, Qatar Foundation’s contract with NU-Q was not available to the public.

As of May 2020, EC hosted six American university satellite campuses, in addition to NU-Q, including Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), the Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University and Texas A&M University.

QF lawyers, according to a January 2016 Washington Post article, petitioned the Texas attorney general in an attempt to keep the operational and financial details confidential.

However, the Washington Post was able to publish the 2012 10-year contract between VCU and QF because it was “disclosed as a matter of public record.” The projected budget included a VCU management fee of $3.6 million dollars for 2013, to rise to $4.1 in 2015.

The Washington Post article added: “The other four U.S. schools involved are private: Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, Northwestern and Georgetown universities. They all declined Post requests for their Qatar contracts.”

The Washington Post later published the 2014 contract between Texas A&M and QF in a March 2016 article. The contract stated: “Texas A&M is eligible for a management fee for running the branch — an amount set at $8.2 million in fiscal 2014.”

In 2019, the U.S. DoE was reportedly “quietly investigating Georgetown and three other universities — Texas A&M, Cornell and Rutgers — over their funding from Qatar.”

Qatar Foundation - Anti-Israel Campaign

In 2009, the Qatar Foundation hired the U.S. public relations firm, Fenton Communications, to develop “a communications action plan for an 18-month campaign,” using Al Fakhoora, a Qatari-based pro-Palestine initiative.

The Fenton plan aimed to delegitimize Israel and generate international support for the Hamas-run Gaza strip, with a reported budget of $120,000.

Al Fakhoora was reportedly launched in 2009, following “the Israeli aggression on Gaza,” in support of promoting and facilitating access to higher education.

Israel commenced Operation Cast Lead (OCL)in 2008-09 in order to stop Hamas rocket fire from Gaza targeting Israeli civilians. In 2010, Hamas admitted that nearly 700 of the Palestinian casualties in OCL were combatants.

In May 2010, Farook Burney, director of Al Fakhoora, reportedly participated in the Mavi Marmara attempt to “break the siege in Gaza.”

The Mavi Marmara was the lead ship in a “Freedom Flotilla” of six ships that attempted to sail to Gaza in May 2010 to “break the siege.” A 2011 United Nations’ report found that the flotilla activists initiated a violent confrontation with Israeli forces. Following the incident there was no humanitarian aid found onboard the ship, only crude weaponry.

In June 2010, Burney reportedly told students at QFIS that "Al Fakhoora has launched an advocacy campaign to file legal charges against Israel and change the public perception in the West about its actions."

As of 2020, Fakhoora was located in Education City (EC), Qatar.

Qatar Foundation -EC Mosque Hosting Anti-Semitic Preachers

In April 2015, QF opened the Education City (EC) Mosque, located in Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies (QFIS) campus, adjacent to NU-Q.

Since the opening of the mosque, QF’s newspaper has encouraged readers to “join the QF community for prayer” at the EC Mosque, which has hosted 18 preachers and clerics who have variously spread anti-Semitism, expressed support for terror, spread [00:00:20] a conspiracy theory that radicalized Muslims played no part in 9/11 or the Charlie Hebdo attacks and declared that the Jews use pornographic movies to “destroy the world and control it.”

One preacher, Salman al-Audah, claimed [00:02:48] in a sermon broadcast on a major Gulf media channel in August 2012, that Jews use “human blood” for Passover matzah.

A cleric, Tareq al-Hawas, stated [00:04:11] about Jews "If only Hitler had finished them off, thus relieving humanity of them." Hawas was reportedly a member of Yusuf al-Qaradawi's International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) in 2013.

Another cleric, Mohammed al-Arifi, proclaimed in 2012, that “one’s devotion to jihad for the sake of Allah and one’s will to shed blood, smash skulls, and chop off body parts...constitute an honor.”

On March 18, 2016, preacher Mudassir Ahmed spoke at the EC mosque, urging attendees to [00:37:47]: “Kill the infidels... Count them in number and do not spare one.”

On April 1, 2016, preacher Khalid Al-Bakr, who has expressed support for Hamas, spoke at EC’s Mosque, calling [00:36:47] for Allah to “render victorious our brothers the mujahideen...in every place” and to “guide their shooting.”

On October 30, 2015, during the “Knife Intifada,” al-Hawas used his pulpit at the EC mosque to condemn [00:30:18] “the aggressor Zionists,” adding: “Allah, Help out Islam and Muslims, humiliate the heathens; destroy the foes of the religion.” al Hawas also said: "Protect your house, Al-Aqsa mosque from the hands of the Zionist aggressors."

October 2015 saw a wave of stabbings, known as the “Knife Intifada,” where young Palestinians throughout Israel were stabbing and attempting to stab Israeli civilians. The upsurge in violence across Israel was incited by Palestinian political and religious leaders. The attacks were sparked and fueled by Palestinian leaders propagating the libel that Israel intended to desecrate the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

NU-Q - Al Jazeera

Since 2008, NU-Q has worked closely with the Al Jazeera Media Network (Al Jazeera). In 2013, NU-Q signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MoU) with Al Jazeera “which deepens ties between the two organizations.”

Al Jazeera is a multinational multimedia conglomerate and parent company of the Qatari state-funded Al Jazeera. AJMN comprises an entirely state-owned network, chaired by Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar.

AJMN has been repeatedly accused of slanting news reports to promote and advance the agenda of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), as well as MB’s offshoot, the Hamas terrorist organization.

On March 13, 2013, Qatari-based news site Marhaba reported that NU-Q’s MoU with Al Jazeera aimed to “further facilitate collaboration and knowledge transfer between the two media organisations.” NU-Q’s announcement of the MoU referred to itself and Al Jazeera as “two of Qatar’s foremost media organisations.”

The MoU was created, in part, so NU faculty would provide consultations to launch Al Jazeera America (AJAM), based on NU’s “expertise in the American Media Industry.”Al Jazeera, for its part, expressed “willingness to support NU-Q students with scholarships as well as training opportunities.”

Al Jazeera launched AJAM, an American news channel, 2013. However, the channel closed in April 2016 due to low viewership and following a crisis in 2015 when CEO Ehab Al Shihabi reportedly stepped down after accusations of sexism and anti-Semitism.

NU-Q’s MoU with Al Jazeera was signed by Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed Al-Thani, Qatari Minister of Economy and Commerce and Director General of Al Jazeera, as well as Everette Dennis, the Dean and CEO of NU-Q.

Since the MoU, Al Jazeera has maintained a close partnership with NU-Q, including funding NU-Q’s professorial research.

NU-Q Joint Advisory Board

Since NU-Q and Al Jazeera signed their initial MoU in 2013, NU-Q has a Joint Advisory Board (JAB), which consists of ten to eleven people; five or six positions filled by Qatari-connected members and five positions filled by Western members.

All eleven of the current or previous Qatari-connected JAB members were directly affiliated with QF, Al Jazeera or the Qatari government.

There is little information available about the role of NU-Q’s JAB. The role of the Texas A&M University, Qatar (TAMUQ) JAB was exposed by the Washington Post in a 2016 article, to include general oversight and close monitoring and review of every aspect of TAMUQ, with QF paying the JAB TAMUQ expenses.

Multiple people associated with the NU-Q’s JAB have whitewashed al-Qaradawi, including the QF CEO and JAB Co-Chair from 2008-2019, Hind bint Hamad Al-Thani, JAB 2019-2020 member and president of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) Ahmad Hasnah, as well as JAB 2012 - 2014 member and QF Vice President of education Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani.

Qatari State Minister, NU-Q JAB 2019-2020 member and AJ Vice Chairman Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari, reportedly recommended a book that spread anti-semitism and authored an introduction praising the book. Yaser Bishr, 2017-2020 JAB member and Executive Director of digital media at Al Jazeera has demonized Israel.

Professor Rami Khouri was a Western NU-Q JAB member from 2012-2020 and a senior fellow at American University of Beirut (AUB). As of January 2020, Khouri was also an Al Jazeera contributor.

Khouri has legitimized terrorism, defended the “Knife Intifada,” has glorified violent protesters and spread anti-Israel conspiracy theories.

NU-Q - Hosting Annual Al Jazeera Speaker Series

Since the signing of the MoU in 2013, NU-Q has hosted an annual Al Jazeera Speakers Series. Thirteen of the 17 speakers who participated in the series at NU-Q from 2013-2019 have whitewashed terrorism, demonized Israel or expressed supportfor the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Dima Khatib, managing director of AJ+, spoke at NU-Q as part of the series on November 8, 2016. Khatib has spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, defended Hamas terror and whitewashed Hezbollah. She has also glorified a terrorist, demonized Israel and is a supporter of the BDS movement.

Elia Ghorbiah, a journalist at AJ’s immersive storytelling studio Contrast VR [Virtual Reality], spoke at NU-Q on November 8, 2018, as part of the series, helping to launch the NU-Q’s new Media Innovations Lab (MIL).

Ghorbiah has compared Israel to Nazi Germany, exressed support for terrorists, as well as the terrorist organization Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and urged the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers. She is also a supporter of the BDS movement.

NU-Q - Anti-Israel Middle East Studies Minor

In 2017, NU-Q launched a Middle East Studies minor in their Liberal Arts program. From 2017-2019, four of the seven members of the NU-Q’s Middle East Studies committee included anti-Israel NU-Q professors Justin Martin, Ibraham Abusharif, Khaled Hroub and Sami Hermez.

Khaled Hroub, a Professor at NU-Q who taught the 2018 and 2019 course “Islamism & Politics in the Middle East,” has reportedly whitewashed the terror group Hamas.

Sami Hermez, an NU-Q Professor who taught the 2018-2019 NU-Q courses “Anthropology of Palestine” and “Advanced Topics: Violence/Power/Resistance,” has promoted a terrorist and demonized Israel.

All of the required reading for Hermez’s “Anthropology of Palestine” course was authored by anti-Israel professors, eight of whom were activists in or supporters of the BDS movement. One of the authors, Edward Said, has advocated for the “right of return,” a Palestinian demand discredited as a means to eliminate Israel.

Justin Martin, an Associate Professor at NU-Q, has mocked America’s suffering following the 9-11 terror bombings and demonized Israel. Martin has also broadcast his desire for Qatari funding to boost the BDS movement on U.S college campuses.

Ibrahim Abusharif was an editor and Treasurer of the Quranic Literacy Institute (QLI) from 1990 to 1998. The QLI “was allegedly part of a large web of organizations and individuals that were funding terrorist groups.”

QLI, along with the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF), and the Islamic Association of Palestine, was found to have funded Hamas militant activities and therefore liable for the death of David Boim, an American citizen killed by Hamas in the West Bank. This was later reversed as it could not be proven the funds were intended to be used to kill Boim.

The minor also required students to attend two guest lectures a year, chosen by the Middle East Studies Committee.

NU-Q - Student Internships in International Media

As of January 2020, third-year NU-Q Journalism and Strategic Communication students were required to intern for ten weeks at media or public relations firms, off-campus.

In 2019, students reportedly interned at international communication firms and news outlets in Washington D.C., New York City, London, Berlin, Stockholm and Doha.

As of February 2020, news outlets where NU-Q students have interned included: BBC News, TIME Magazine, Forbes, the Washington Post, National Geographic, the Guardian, National Public Radio (NPR), the Boston Globe, USA Today, Vox, the Financial Times, the Huffington Post and VICE

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Students also interned at sports outlets, including: Sports Illustrated and ESPN, as well as fashion outlets Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire.

NU-Q reported in 2012 that they were able to offer students residencies at prestigious media organizations “because of the high-level contacts that NU-Q faculty and staff have in the international media.”

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.