Jamal Awad

Overview

Jamal Awad has spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, demonized Israelis and Israel, endorsed anti-Israel agitators and is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

In 2021, Awad showed solidarity with Yasmeen Mashayekh, a graduate student at the University of Southern California (USC) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Senator who tweeted her desire to “kill every motherf**king Zionist.”

In November 2017, Awad indicated on Instagram that he was in the United States Air Force since November 2016. In December 2019, Awad indicated on Instagram that he was still serving in the Air Force.

As of December 2021, Awad’s Facebook page said he lived in South Chicago, Illinois.

As of February 2022, Awad’s Instagram bio indicated that he was located in South Korea. Awad also indicated that he was located in Korea on Twitter in August, November and December 2021.

In May 2021 and September 2020, Awad indicated on Twitter that he was going to South Korea with the army.

As of December 2021, Awad used the handle “Jaygotti063” and the screen name “Justin Fields SZN

” on Twitter.

As of the same date, Awad used the alias “jayfromthetrey” on Instagram.

Anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theories

On November 16, 2018, Awad tweeted: “...Al Jazeera is not a propaganda mill like Fox News which is ran by who? You guessed ZIONISTS foh [f**k outta here] b**ch.”

The assertion that Jews control the media has been traced to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, an anti-Semitic fabricated text that depicts wealthy Jews conspiring to take over the world.

On June 1, 2021, Awad tweeted: “Their not native you f**kin clown the Israelis there came on boats from Germany and Poland they are the white people.”

One way that anti-Israel activists spread anti-Semitism is by claiming that Israeli Jews have no connection to the Land of Israel.

Demonizing Israelis and Israel

Awad retweeted a December 26, 2021 tweet referring to the death of South African archbishop Desmond Tutu that read: “Desmond Tutu was a great defender of the Palestinian cause and considered Israel an apartheid state comparable to apartheid South Africa…”

On June 4, 2021, Awad tweeted referring to Israelis as “Colonizers.”

On November 16, 2018, Awad tweeted, alleging that Israel was committing the “theft of land and the racist genocide on the Palestinian people.”

Solidarity with Yasmeen Mashayekh

In November 2021, Awad tweeted on multiple occasions in support of Yasmeen Mashayekh, who was [00:11:08] in the middle of a national controversy over anti-Semitism she spread on social media that year.

In October 2021, Mashayekh was listed as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Senator for USC’s Viterbi School of Engineering (Viterbi). In May 2021, she tweeted: “I want to f**king kill every motherf**king Zionist.” She also tweeted: “yel3an el yahood [curse the Jews]

.”

Mashayekh has also spread violent hatred of Israeli Jews, called for the destruction of Israel and America, expressed support for Hamas and glorified terrorists.

Mashayekh was condemned after Canary Mission exposed her anti-Semitic tweets.

Awad retweeted a November 25, 2021 tweet that read: “@USCViterbi chose to stand with the abusers of a Palestinian student rather than offend their Zionist donors with the truth. Choices, everyone makes them.”

The tweet was responding to a thread of tweets by USC Viterbi that referred to “statements” made by Mashayekh as “disturbing” and said “USC rejects and condemns hatred in all its forms.”

Endorsing Anti-Israel Agitators

On May 18, 2021, Awad tweeted: “@marclamonthill Is a OG [Original Gangster] when it comes to the Palestinian cause inshallah [Please God] one day he’ll be an honored guest to a free Palestine.”

In November 2018, Hill was fired from his contributor position at CNN (Cable News Network) after he gave an anti-Israel speech at the United Nations. He called [00:20:47] for a “free Palestine from the river to the sea,” a phrase associated with demands to dismantle the State of Israel. Hill also accused [00:16:19] Israel of “ethnic cleansing,” as well as [00:17:49] “white supremacy” and [00:17:56] “settler colonialism.”
On February 11, 2019, Awad tweeted: “Calling out AIPAC [American Israel Public Affairs Committee] is not anti semetic foh [f**k outta here].”

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.”

Awad was responding to remarks aimed at AIPAC by U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar that contained anti-Semitic overtones.

Ilhan Omar was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2018. In February 2019, top Congressional leaders denounced Omar for tweeting anti-Semitic remarks.

Supporting BDS

On March 11, 2020, Awad tweeted that BDS is “virtually our only way of protesting.”

On December 27, 2018, Awad tweeted: “...Tweeting can raise awareness…and we can tweet to push the BDS movement which proved to be effective.”

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.