Leena Almasri

Overview

Leena Almasri has expressed support for terrorists, demonized America and spread hatred of Israel.

As of April 2021, Almasri’s LinkedIn page said she had been a member of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at DePaul University (SJP DePaul), where she studied from 2015 to 2019. Almasri attended the 2017 and 2016 National SJP Conference.

Almasri is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Almasri’s LinkedIn page also said she was a Youth Organizing Program Instructor at the Arab American Action Network (AAAN) in Chicago from September 2017 to February 2019.

Almasri’s LinkedIn page indicated that she was slated to graduate in 2021 with a master’s degree in “Special Education and Teaching” from Relay Graduate School of Education (Relay GSE). She graduated from DePaul in 2019, with a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources and Entrepreneurial Management.

As of April 2021, Almasri’s LinkedIn page said she was a “Diverse Learning Specialist” at Noble Network of Charter Schools in the Greater Chicago Area, since July 2019, where she was “teaching 9th-12th grade students Composition in co-taught and foundational settings in order to improve writing and grammar skills.”

As of April 2021, Almasri’s Facebook page said she was a “Teacher - Activist Trading Crypto/Currency/Commodities.”

Supporting Terrorists

On April 21, 2021, Almasri’s Facebook page featured a background photo honoring terrorist Rasmea Odeh. Almasri posted the photo in 2017.

Odeh was a military operative with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), an internationally designated terrorist organization. In 1969, she masterminded a bombing that killed two university students in a Jerusalem supermarket. Odeh also attempted to bomb the British consulate.

Odeh confessed, in a highly detailed account, the day following her arrest. In a 2004 documentary, one of Odeh’s co-conspirators directly implicated her as the mastermind.

In 1970, an Israeli court tried and convicted Odeh for her involvement in both bombings and sentenced her to life imprisonment. However, Odeh was released 10 years later, in a prisoner swap and emigrated to the United States. In 2017, Odeh was deported to Jordan and stripped of U.S. citizenship, after admitting to immigration fraud.

On January 19, 2021, Almasri tweeted a photo of herself wearing a shirt honoring Odeh.

On April 28, 2018, Almasri tweeted a graphic with a photo of Odeh to promote an event that day at AAAN. Almasri wrote in her tweet: “Doors are open! Join the @aaanmarkaz and our Youth Organizing Team for a night of cultural performances starting at 7pm. #AAANCulturalCafe.”

On April 21, 2018, Almasri tweeted another image of Odeh promoting the AAAN event.

On March 8, 2018, Almasri tweeted a series of photos, including one of herself and others posing with Odeh. Almasriwrote: “Happy women’s day to some of the strongest women I know.”

On September 19, 2017, Almasri appeared in an SJP DePaul Facebook photo posing next to Rasmea Odeh.

On the same day, Almasri tweeted: “It was honestly so painful to watch rasmea be deported.”

On July 28, 2017, Almasri tweeted a photo of herself posing next to Odeh.

On July 22, 2017, Almasri tweeted a video of PFLP terrorist Ghassan Kanafani and paraphrased a quote by Kanafani in her tweet: “Don't tell us to engage in ‘peace talks’ when our people are living under an oppressive apartheid regime.”

Kanafani was a leading member and spokesperson for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) during the terrorist organization’s early years. Kanafani announced the PFLP’s responsibility for the Lod Airport Massacre of May 1972 and was linked to the airport attackers. The attack killed 26 people and wounded 80 others.

On May 22, 2017, Almasri tweeted two images in support of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jail, then on hunger strike. Almasri used the hashtag “#DignityStrike36” in both of her tweets.

“Dignity Strike” refers to a hunger strike initiated by Marwan Barghouti on April 16, 2017. More than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners participated in the strike – most them also convicted for acts of terrorism. Barghouti headed the Palestinian Authority (PA) terrorist Tanzim force and founded the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. He was sentenced to five consecutive life terms by an Israeli civilian court for some of his crimes, including his role in the Sbarro Cafe bombing.

Also on May 22, 2017, Almasri tweeted: “5 things you can do RIGHT NOW to support Palestinian hunger strikers!: http://mailchi.mp/3a38656b4530/5-things-you-can-do-right-now-to-support-palestinian-hunger-strikers…#DignityStrike36.”

On May 19, 2017, Almasri posted to Facebook a photo honoring Rasmea Odeh.

Demonizing America

On January 27, 2020, Almasri tweeted: “lol amerikkka strikes again.”

The term “Amerikkka” uses the initials of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) as a way to demonize America as “fascist or racist.”

On September 25, 2017, Almasri tweeted: “Idk [I don’t know] why people expect Black people to respect a flag that's never respected them…”

On November 10, 2016, Almasri tweeted: “just as much as I have no respect for the flag of Israel I have no respect for the flag of America.”

Spreading Hatred of Israel

On January 28, 2021, Almasri tweeted: “i can’t believe i wasted so much time listening to a man who thinks we can have peace in Palestine but doesn’t acknowledge that there is apartheid nor did he see the nakba as ethnic cleansing.”

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.

On July 6, 2020, Almasri tweeted: “Zionism is inherently violent because it requires the displacement of the indigenous Palestinians.”

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.

On April 22, 2019, Almasri tweeted that Israel was committing “ethic cleansing of the Palestinian people.”

On February 28, 2019, Almasri tweeted suggesting that that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had committed “genocide.”

On December 23, 2018, Almasri tweeted suggesting that Israel was committing genocide and that comedian Jerry Seinfeld “strongly supports genocide” because “...he brought his family to a little camp in israel where the idf simulates situations where they have to use violence to neutralize situations against ‘terrorists’ aka Palestinians.”

On May 14, 2018, Almasri tweeted: “good morning, while the US opens the new embassy in Jerusalem, the Israeli government is shooting Palestinian protesters in Gaza they’ve killed 40 and injured over 1600.”

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.

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 October 4, 2017, Almasri tweeted: “Israel is a terrorist state.”

On July 22, 2017, Almasri tweeted: “ISRAEL IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.”

On January 8, 2017, the day a Palestinian terrorist rammed a truck into a group of Israeli officer cadets on Jerusalem promenade, kiling four and wounding more than a dozen others. Almasri tweeted: “Some people seem to forget when crying about ‘Palestinian terrorists’ that Israel is a terrorist state.”

On December 24, 2016, Almasri tweeted “Mmmm genocide” alongside a tweet showing a kosher candy store in Brooklyn, NY named “Taste of Israel,” with the comment: “must taste like khara [sh**] lol.”

On November 14, 2016, Almasri tweeted about Sabra hummus, stating: “Don't forget that @Sabra tastes like the blood and tears of Palestinians !!!” Sabra Hummus is partially owned by an Israeli company, the Strauss Group.

On April 6, 2016, Almasri tweeted: “The Israelis were v proud to present about their fashion which they started creating before they were a country. #bloodistheirfavoritecolor.”

On October 31, 2015, Almasri tweeted: “@Israel.” She embedded a tweet that said: “they hurt you & then they act like you hurt them.”

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 June 10, 2015, Almasri tweeted: “People don't seem to realize that if you stand against the Israeli flag you're against the settlements, terrorism and genocide, not Judaism.”

On July 21, 2014, during Israel’s Operation Protective Edge (OPE), Almasri tweeted: “Jason you can support Zionism, but supporting Israel's ‘fight’ at this point in time is the equivalent of supporting genocide.”

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

On July 20, 2014, Almasri tweeted: “Yes Hamas has shot sooo many missiles and they have also attacked Israeli forces on the ground riding their unicorns supplied from Narnia.”

Hamas fired over 4,564 missiles and rockets at Israeli population centers during Operation Protective Edge (OPE) in July 2014.

On July 17, 2014, Almasri tweeted: “there is no war. Israel is already free. It's genocide.”

On July 14, 2014, Almasri tweeted: “What is the most serious problem in the world? — The zionists.”

SJP Activism

On November 1, 2017, Almasri was featured in a Facebook photo from the 2017 National SJP (NSJP) Conference.

NSJP 2017 was held October 27-29, 2017 at the University of Houston (UH). The conference was themed “A Reimagined World: Dismantling Walls from Palestine to the Rio Grande.” Per the 2017 National SJP Conference website, the conference aimed to strengthen “collaborative efforts within all regions to pass BDS” and envision “pathways to achieving sanctions in the future.”

On January 26, 2017, Almasri appeared in a Facebook photo from the 2016 NSJP Conference.

On January 27, 2016, Almasri was featured in an SJP DePaul Facebook photo with other activists holding signs in support of Rasmea Odeh. The photo’s post said: “We demand Justice for Rasmea Odeh #Justice4Rasmea | More information: www.justice4rasmea.com.”

Supporting BDS

Almasri retweeted a June 15, 2020 tweet that said: “anyway here’s the BDS ethical tourism guideline since y’all wanna keep making nonsensical threads.” The tweet included a link to a story from the BDS movement website titled: “Do No Harm! Palestinian Call for Ethical Tourism/Pilgrimage.”

On April 13, 2016, Almasri tweeted: “UMN and UChicago both passed divestment … #Palestine.” Almasri’s tweet included emojis of applauding hands and Palestinian flags.

On July 27, 2014, Almasri tweeted, “#boycottisrael” and suggested via series of pictures, graphics and cartoons that Israel was committing “#genocide” during OPE. Almasri’s tweet featured a vine with a cartoon portraying Israeli soldiers as butchers about to chop off Gazans’ heads.

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.