Kerry Sonia

Overview

Kerry Sonia [Kerry Marie Sonia] expressed support for terrorists as a 2017 member of Students for Peace and Justice in Palestine (SPJP) at Swarthmore College (Swarthmore). As of 2018, Swarthmore SPJP changed their name to Swarthmore Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).

According to the Swarthmore 2019-2020 College Bulletin, Sonia graduated from Swarthmore in 2019 with a degree in Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies.

In February 2017, Sonia indicated on Facebook that she traveled to Israel as part of an Israeli-Palestinian Conflict course taught by anti-Israel professor Sa’ed Atshan. In May 2017, Sonia co-hosted an event for Swarthmore students to talk about their experiences on the trip.

Supporting Terrorists

On May 6, 2017, Sonia was tagged in a Swarthmore SPJP Facebook video, participating in a “Saltwater Challenge.”

The “Saltwater Challenge” was held in solidarity with Palestinian inmates hunger-striking in Israeli prisons.

The strike was initiated by Marwan Barghouti, who was serving five consecutive life sentences for his role in suicide bombings and shooting attacks that killed five Israelis during the second intifada. Barghouti led the Palestinian Authority (PA) terrorist Tanzim force and founded the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.

Barghouti also financed the guitar-case bomb used in the Sbarro Cafe massacre, where 15 civilians were killed and 130 injured. More than 1,000 other Palestinian prisoners participated in the hunger strike — most of whom were also convicted for acts of terrorism.

Aarab Barghouti, the son of Marwan Barghouti was credited with starting the “Saltwater Challenge.”

Swarthmore SJP Activism

Sonia indicated on Facebook that she “went” to Swarthmore SJP’s March 30, 2019 “Vigil for Gaza's Great March of Return.”

The event’s Facebook description invited students to “Commemorate the 1-year anniversary of the ongoing Great March of Return, a series of massive nonviolent demonstrations in which Palestinians in occupied Gaza assert their right as refugees to return to their homeland.”

On March 30, 2018, some 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza approached Israel’s border to take part in “Land Day Protests” or the “March of Return.” The March of Return
was organized and funded by Hamas as a campaign of violent protests along Israel’s border to spotlight the demand of Palestinians to “return” to Israel.

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

Sonia indicated on Facebook that she “went” to Swarthmore SJP’s November 13, 2018 “Palestine is Here” event.

The event description claimed that: “thousands of U.S. law enforcement officials have trained with Israeli military forces” learning “methods and technologies of surveillance, racial profiling” causing a “militarization of police and the criminalization of citizens.”

Sonia indicated on Facebook that she “went” to a “Movie Night with SJP” event on November 9, 2018.

The event invited students to “watch Occupied Palestine (1981), a documentary film that follows Palestinian life before the First Intifada.”

On May 10, 2018, Sonia indicated on Facebook that she “went” to Swarthmore SJP’s “Vigil to Tear Down the Wall” event.

The event’s Facebook description invited attendees to dismantle a “mock Apartheid Wall” that Swarthmore SJP had constructed as a “symbolic act of resistance” that highlights “the atrocities of the Occupation and our institution's complicity in it.”

The event’s Facebook description also declared: “In the light of the ongoing massacre by the IDF in Gaza, and just days before the anniversary of the Nakba, we will honor the lives of those fallen in the struggle for Palestinian liberation.”

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.

Swarthmore SJP

Swarthmore SJP was formerly known as Swarthmore Students for Peace and Justice in Palestine (Swarthmore SPJP) from 2010-2017.

Swarthmore SJP - Expressing Support for Terrorists

On March 26, 2019, Swarthmore SJP posted on Facebook in honor of Women’s History Month, celebrating “the resistance and resilience” of Khalida Jarrar as “a Palestinian feminist.”

Khalida Jarrar is a senior member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terror organization. In 2017, Israel arrested Jarrar “on suspicion of involvement with terrorist activities.” In 2015, an Israeli military court sentenced Jarrar to 15 months in prison for calling to kidnap Israeli soldiers.

On March 24, 2019, Swarthmore SJP posted to Facebook celebrating Leila Khaled in honor of Women’s History Month.

Khaled, a leading member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist organization, participated in the hijacking of TWA Flight 840 in 1969 and El Al Flight 219 in 1970.

On May 6, 2017, Swarthmore SPJP posted a video to Facebook of SPJP members taking part in the “Saltwater Challenge.”

The “Saltwater Challenge” was held in solidarity with over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners hunger-striking in Israeli prisons — most of whom were convicted for acts of terrorism.

The strike was initiated by Marwan Barghouti, who was serving five consecutive life sentences for his role in suicide bombings and shooting attacks during the second intifada. Barghouti led the Palestinian Authority (PA) terrorist Tanzim force and founded the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.

Barghouti also financed the guitar-case bomb used in the Sbarro Cafe massacre, where 15 civilians were killed and 130 injured.

Swarthmore SJP - Promoting Anti-Israel Agitators

On March 28, 2019, Swarthmore SJP posted to Facebook celebrating Manal Tamimi in honor of Women’s History Month.

Manal Tamimi has promoted anti-Semitic blood libels as well as terror support.

On September 21, 2018, Swarthmore SJP posted to Facebook promoting Dareen Tatour. In October 2015, Tatour was placed under house arrest for incitement to violence and for support of a terrorist organization on social media.

On March 19, 2018, Swarthmore SJP hosted anti-Israel activist David Sheen.

David Sheen, a Canadian-Israeli anti-Israel activist and filmmaker, works to portray Israel as an extremist racist state. To this end, Sheen has been accused of purposefully mistranslating Hebrew articles and advertisements to make Israelis appear racist.

Swarthmore SJP - Supporting Violent Protesters

On March 30, 2019, Swarthmore SJP held a “Vigil for Gaza's Great March of Return.” The event’s Facebook description called to “Honor the lives of those murdered by Israeli military forces” on the “1-year anniversary of the ongoing Great March of Return, a series of massive nonviolent demonstrations.”

On March 30, 2018, some 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza approached Israel’s border to take part in “Land Day Protests” or the “March of Return.” The March of Return was organized and funded by Hamas as a campaign of violent protests along Israel’s border to spotlight the demand of Palestinians to “return” to Israel.

On May 17, 2018, Swarthmore SJP posted to Facebook: “for the past month and a half - and increasingly in the past couple of days - the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been massacring Palestinians in Gaza who are nonviolently protesting for their rights. Over 100 demonstrators have been killed and thousands injured, among them a number of children, most by trained snipers with explicit orders to kill.”

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

Swarthmore SJP -Boycotting Sabra Hummus

In March 2018, Swarthmore SJP published a petition calling for an end to the sale of Sabra products on campus. Sabra Hummus is partially owned by an Israeli company, the Strauss Group.

The petition accused Sabra of supporting Israeli forces who allegedly commit “countless human rights violations,” including “arbitrary murders, assaults, incarcerations, evictions, and arrests of children.”

On April 4, 2018, Swarthmore SJP held a rally to support SJP members slated to meet with Swarthmore President Valerie Smith to push the Sabra boycott.

On April 11, 2018, Swarthmore SJP reportedly held another rally at Swarthmore to promote the boycott, during which they held a moment of silence for protesters who died in the Great March of Return.

Approximately 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza approached Israel’s border on March 30, 2018 as part of the “March of Return,” which was organized and funded by Hamas as a campaign of violent protests to spotlight the demand of Palestinians to “return” to Israel.

On April 30, 2018, President Smith announced that Swarthmore would continue to sell Sabra products on campus and begin selling an alternative brand of hummus. In response, on May 2, 2018, Swarthmore SJP held a rally to protest Smith’s announcement.

Swarthmore SJP Divestment Campaign

Sonia indicated on Facebook that she supported Swarthmore SJP’s 2018-2019 divestment resolution. On October 9, 2018, Swarthmore SJP held a rally to launch a BDS resolution that called on Swarthmore to divest from a number of companies doing business with Israel.

On October 24, 2018, Swarthmore student newspaper “Voices” published a statement by Swarthmore SJP. The statement accused seven companies of being engaged in the “murder” of Palestinian civilians” and “the indiscriminate targeting of civilians.”

On December 3, 2018, Swarthmore SJP released its BDS campaign video, titled: “Why Divest from Apartheid?”

On December 12, 2018, Swarthmore SJP videotaped a rally where activists reportedly delivered a petition to President Smith, urging Swarthmore to “divest from Israeli apartheid.”

At the rally, Swarthmore SJP activist William Marchese also suggested [00:12:07] that Swarthmore was under “intense pressure from right-wing alumni who want to stand with apartheid.”

In February 2019, Swarthmore SJP proposed their BDS resolution to Swarthmore’s Student Government Organization (SGO). On February 10, 2019, the BDS resolution failed to pass.

On February 11, 2019, Swarthmore SJP activist Sidney Covitz co-launched a chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) at Swarthmore with the reported intention of supporting “SJP’s BDS campaign in any way.”

On February 24, 2019, the SGO Executive Board and Senate reportedly hosted an open meeting on the failed BDS resolution. At the open meeting, 40 SJP members and the newly-formed JVP chapter advocated for BDS.

On March 3, 2019, the SGO held another meeting inviting student groups to again discuss the BDS resolution. SGO’s President Gilbert Orbea motioned to hold a vote among members on whether to make the meeting closed, that succeeded, after which SGO held a secret vote. At the secret vote, the SGO voted in support of the divestment resolution.

On March 12, 2019, President Smith released a statement to Swarthmore’s website in which she declined to change Swarthmore’s investment policies in accordance with the BDS resolution.

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.

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.