Jessica Plank

Overview

Jessica Plank was an organizer with Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at Florida State University (FSU) in 2016-2017. Plank is also a member of the closed Facebook group “SJP South” since April 27, 2016.

In March 2017, Plank was part of FSU SJP’s delegation protesting the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in Washington, DC.

As of February 8, 2018, Plank’s LinkedIn listed her as Dietetic Intern at FSU since October 2014.

Plank’s LinkedIn said she received a master’s degree in Nutrition Science in 2015 and a bachelor’s degree in Dietetics in 2011, both from FSU.

FSU SJP Anti-AIPAC Delegation

In March 2017, Plank was part of FSU SJP’s delegation to the anti-AIPAC rally in Washington, DC.

The rally was co-organized by Al-Awda and the ANSWER coalition.

Al-Awda founder Abbas Hamideh launched the protest, declaring “we are telling you, we are here for Palestine, in case you didn’t hear it, from the river to the sea” — a slogan calling to eliminate the current State of Israel.

Weir is the founder and executive director of the anti-Semitic organization If Americans Knew (IAK). She has reportedly been “a repeat guest of white supremacist Clay Douglas on his hate radio show.” The Anti Defamation League (ADL) has exposed Weir’s propagation of numerous anti-Semitic and anti-Israel conspiracy theories.

Another speaker at the Al-Awda rally was Greta Berlin, a leader of the Free Gaza Movement.

In 2012, Berlin posted on Facebook: “Finally people coming to confront what many of us have known for many years. Not Just that the H[olocaust] was exploited by the Zionists to create Israel, but that - in large measure-- it was aided, abetted and to a large degree- created by them to create an eluctable tide of world opinion for the establishment of a Jewish ‘safe haven.’”

Another speaker was Iyad Burnat, the coordinator of the Bil’in popular resistance committee. Burnat has repeatedly equated Israel with Hitler and ISIS, claimed Zionism is a “racist ideology” and accused “Zionists” of controlling American politics.

One protester with a megaphone spread various conspiracy theories — including that Israel was behind the September 11, 2001 terror attacks — and accused all Jews of spying on America.

SJP Activism

Plank has indicated on Facebook that she “went” to 13 FSU SJP events from 2016-2017.

On September 23, 2016, Plank indicated on Facebook that she “went,” as well as appeared in a Facebook photo of attendees, at FSU SJP’s “Media Literacy Workshop.” The workshop cover photo depicted a massive hand controlling many newspapers like marionettes, and the description claimed to give a “brief history of FSU SJP messaging.”

On September 16, 2016, Plank indicated on Facebook that she “went” to FSU SJP’s first meeting of the Fall Semester. The event description invited students to learn about the United States’ funding of “Israel’s settler colonial project.”

On August 31, 2016, Plank tabled for SJP in front of a sign calling to free Marwan Barghouti — a terrorist serving five consecutive life sentences for his role in suicide bombings and shooting attacks that killed five Israelis during the second intifada.

The sign also featured a series of misleading maps coined the “Map that Lies”.

The maps claim that lands once controlled by Britain, Egypt and Jordan as autonomous “Palestinian land” were purportedly stolen by Israel. In February 2016, publisher McGraw-Hill Education recalled copies of a college textbook containing the fraudulent maps. In October 2015, American cable news network MSNBC apologized for airing a similar series of maps and retracted them.

On February 8, 2016, Plank indicated on Facebook that she “went” to FSU SJP’s Third General Body meeting.

FSU SJP Incitement to Terror

On October 27, 2015, FSU SJP shared to Facebook a “PALESTINIAN YOUTH INTERNATIONAL CALL TO SUPPORT THE INTIFADA.”

The declaration called for an “international mobilization” of Palestinian youth in exile and their allies to “support the resistance,” and glorified the Knife Intifada terrorists as “heroic.”

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

The attacks were sparked and fueled by Palestinian leaders propagating the libel that Israel intended to desecrate the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

FSU SJP Defending the Knife Intifada

On October 5, 2015 — at the beginning of the Knife Intifada — FSU SJP shared an article to Facebook claiming a “Palestinian teen” was “executed” as a “death-chanting” mob rejoiced. The teen was Fadi Aloon.

Fadi Aloon was shot by Israeli security forces after he stabbed a 15-year-old Israeli boy. Several hours before the attack, Aloon posted “Either martyrdom or victory” on his Facebook page.

On November 5, 2015 — following the first month of the Knife Intifada — FSU SJP posted to Facebook: “October. Was. Scary. For. Palestinians. How are things looking for November? How about 2016? ... Something's gotta give!! #BDS.”

On November 7, 2015, FSU SJP shared a photo to Facebook of Dania Irsheid after she was shot, commenting: “Lost for words…”

Dania Irsheid was shot by an Israeli police officer after she attempted to stab him.

On November 24, 2015, FSU SJP shared a video misrepresenting terrorists Hadeel and Nurhan Awad, as having been “executed” by Israel. The video was titled “execution of civilians - what Israeli settlers do best.”|

Hadeel Awad and her cousin Nurhan Awad were shot after they stabbed two people — including a 70-year-old Palestinian resident of Bethlehem — near Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda market. Hadeel was shot by police as she was slashing at other Israeli civilians with scissors.

On November 22, 2015, during Israel’s “Knife Intifada,” Ashraqat Taha Qatanani was run over and shot during her attempt to stab ‎an Israeli woman. According to the Donia Al-Watan Palestinian newspaper, Qatanani died as “a Martyr as ‎she wished.”

On November 26, 2015, FSU SJP posted to Facebook: “Brutal military occupation uses violence to quell peaceful resistance. And we wonder why resitance [sic] turns to armed struggle? To knives?"

On April 25, 2016, FSU SJP shared to Facebook a post defending Dima Al-Wawi, adding “Her face says it all.”

On April 24, 2016, FSU SJP shared to Facebook a post in defence of Al-Wawi, presenting her arrest as “discrimination against Palestinians.”

On April 13, 2016, FSU SJP defended Al-Wawi on Facebook, claiming: “This is how the Israeli government and illegal settler forces demonize Palestinians and their children.”

12-year-old Al-Wawi was imprisoned for attempting to stab a security guard at the Israeli community Karmei Tzur. Al-Wawi later claimed she intended to kill the guard and hoped she would be killed in the process. “I was dreaming that I was going to be martyred,” she said.

On February 15, 2016, FSU SJP posted to Facebook a video of Yasmeen Rashad al Zaro after she was shot, adding: “Who's the terrorist now?”

Jasmine Rashad al-Zaru [Yasmeen Rashad al Zaro] attempted to stab an Israeli Border Policeman before she was shot.

FSU SJP Honoring Terrorist Rasmea Odeh

On April 13, 2017, FSU SJP posted to Facebook several photos of convicted terrorist Rasmea Odeh after a court ordered her deportation from the United States. FSU SJP referred to Odeh as a “Palestinian freedom fighter” and added the hashtag #HonorRasmea.

On February 13, 2015, FSU SJP hosted an event honoring Odeh. In the event description, FSU SJP called Odeh “the Rosa Parks of the liberation of Palestine.”

Odeh was a key military operative [00:02:08]with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist organization. In 1969, she masterminded a PFLP supermarket bombing that killed two college students. She also attempted to bomb the British consulate in Jerusalem. Odeh later moved to the United States but was deported to Jordan in 2017 for immigration fraud.

FSU SJP Defending Terrorists

On December 12, 2015, FSU SJP commemorated the founding of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist organization, tweeting: “PFLP marks 48th establishment anniversary in Gaza.”

On December 13, 2015, FSU SJP shared to Facebook an article reporting the PFLP’s celebration in Gaza. the article added that during the festivities, the PFLP “re-asserted its commitment to the new Palestinian Intifada.”

On March 9, 2017, FSU SJP posted a photo of Leila Khaled to Facebook in honor of International Women’s Day.

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.

On March 14, 2017, FSU SJP posted an illustration of Basel Al Araj to Facebook with the caption “Long Live Basil Al-Araj! Long Live the Resistance! Until Victory.”

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 29, 2017, FSU SJP promoted on Facebook a hunger strike by Palestinian convicts. FSU SJP posted a photo of Marwan Barghouti with the comment: “Every prisoner is political” and referred to another “1500 fellow imprisoned freedom fighters.”

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 May 27, 2017, FSU SJP celebrated the end of the hunger strike on Facebook, commenting: “Victory to the #DignityStrike!”

FSU SJP Defending the 2017 Shooting Attack at al-Aqsa Mosque

On July 21 2017, FSU SJP claimed on Facebook that the al-Aqsa Mosque was “taken hostage by Israel” and that Israel was “murdering innocent devotees who dared question the seizure.”

FSU SJP also wrote “Palestinians and their supporters everywhere are expressing justified rage” and added “Muslims worldwide are being asked to stand together in a day of anger for al-Aqsa.”

On July 14, 2017, Arab terrorists murdered two Israeli police officers outside the entrance to the Al Aqsa mosque on Temple mount in Jerusalem. The perpetrators were Israeli Arab citizens from Umm el-Fahm, who reportedly feared that “Al Aqsa in danger” — the slogan of the banned northern branch of the Islamic Movement that ran the UMM el-Fahm municipality.

The allegation that Jews “threaten” to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque has been a traditional pretext for Arab attacks on Jews long before the existence of the modern Jewish state.

Israel responded by placing metal detectors and security checks before allowing worshippers to the holy site, similar to other holy sites in Jerusalem.

Palestinian factions reacted by spreading incitement that resulted in further violence. Fatah threatened “Rage for the Al-Aqsa Mosque!” On July 21, 2017, Omar al-Abed, 19, broke into a Jewish family's home in Halamish and stabbed three family members to death while they were having a Sabbath meal. Before embarking, al-Abed wrote on Facebook: “Take up your weapon and resist, declare war for Allah...I have only a knife, and it will respond to Al-Aqsa's cry...The sons of monkeys and pigs do not open the gates of Al-Aqsa. I hope that men will come after me to strike me with an iron hand...We are all one, we have one blood, one enemy and one Al-Aqsa.”

The Israeli government removed the detectors on July 25, 2017.

Terrorists murdered two Israeli police officers on July 14, 2017, outside the entrance to the Al Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Israel responded by installing metal detectors and security checks at the entrance to the holy site.

The terrorists reportedly feared that “Al Aqsa is in danger,” which has long been a pretext for Arab attacks on Jews long before the State of Israel’s existence. Following rioting and further violence, the Israeli government removed the metal detectors on July 25, 2017.

FSU SJP Hosting Hate Speech

In November 2017, FSU’s Student General Assembly (SGA) considered suspending funding for an FSU SJP panel event featuring Nerdeen Kiswani, Noura Farouq and Dan Cione of New York City (NYC) SJP.

On November 9, 2017, FSU SJP members sat in at an FSU SGA meeting to protest the proposed defunding.

During the hearing, which FSU SJP posted on its Facebook page, the group’s secretary and treasurer Albert Kishek acknowledged FSU SJP was accused [00:42:45] of hate speech and anti-Semitism.

But Kishek claimed [00:46:00] that Kiswani and Farouk were “feminist organizers” of Palestinian background “who are playing a useful part to the building of the anti-war movement.”

FSU SJP’s post stated the group would “not tolerate infringement upon rights to school funding for our events and ended with the hashtags #RightToResist and #AIPACOutOfFSU.”

SGA voted 24-10 with 4 abstentions to provide funding to FSU SJP for the panel.

On November 16, 2017, during the panel, Kiswani accused Israel of committing [00:08:29] “mass rapes” and claimed that [00:9:08] “to this day there is daily assault and sexual harassment of Palestinian women by Zionists.”

Kiswani’s also stated that [01:45:52] “...we see in Israel, when Ethiopian Jews are trying to integrate themselves into the white settler colonial project of Israel, they put on the uniform and kill Palestinians and then their babies still get stabbed by Israelis and they still don’t see a day of justice in the court.”

Cione noted [00:26:14] that, after the Oslo accords, the U.S. gave the Palestinian Authority “over 32 billion dollars… for state building institutions.” Cione then condemned [00:25:36] the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for not funding radicals.

Cione said that [00:24:42] “when they were dumping all this money into Palestine” USAID included a “terror clause, which said that none of this money can go to “anyone that… is a terrorist organization as defined by Israel or who does not recognize the right of Israel to exist.”

At the end of the panel, the attendees and panelists chanted [01:48:48] “There is only one solution, Intifada revolution!”

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.