Lena Ghrama

Overview

Lena Ghrama has equated Israel with Nazi Germany and promoted hatred of Israel.

Ghrama served as vice president of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (John Jay), which is part of the City University of New York (CUNY), in January 2020.

Ghrama was an activist with Within Our Lifetime (WOL) in 2022 and 2021.
WOL is an activist group in New York City founded by Nerdeen Kiswani. Until February 2018, WOL was known as a branch of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), going by the name NYC SJP. WOL’s “Points of Unity” states: “We defend the right of Palestinians as colonized people to resist the zionist occupation by any means necessary.”

As of April 2023, Ghrama was listed as a case manager for the Women's Empowerment Coalition of NY (WECNYC).

As of the same date, Ghrama was listed as a fellow for the Sorensen Center for International Peace and Justice at the CUNY School of Law (CUNY Law). The Sorensen Center website also listed Ghrama as affiliated with the New York branch of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR).

Also as of April 2023, Ghrama’s LinkedIn page said she was pursuing a JD at CUNY Law and was slated to graduate in 2025. Ghrama graduated with a bachelor’s degree in law from John Jay in 2021.

As of April 2023, Ghrama’s LinkedIn said she was located in Brooklyn, New York.

As of August 2022, Ghrama went by the username “bunny” and used the handle “@patunier” on Twitter.

August 8, 2022 - NYC Stands with Gaza Anti-Israel Protest - New York City

On August 8, 2022, Ghrama participated [slide 1] in an anti-Israel protest organized by WOL and titled: “NYC STANDS WITH GAZA.”

At the protest, Ghrama chanted [00:03:59]: “It is right to rebel! Israel go to hell!”

Ghrama also chanted [00:04:07]: “Settlers, settlers, go back home! Israel is ours alone!” as well as [00:04:44]: “There is only one solution! Intifada revolution!” Ghrama could be seen wearing a light green hijab, behind the speaker with the microphone, on the right side of the screen.

Since the early 2000s, the term “intifada,” which translates from Arabic as “uprising” or “insurrection,” has carried the connotation of violence.

May 11, 2021 - Emergency Rally for Palestine - New York City

On May 11, 2021, Ghrama marched [00:03:16] in an anti-Israel protest organized by WOL and titled: “EMERGENCY RALLY FOR PALESTINE.” In a video of the protest posted to YouTube on May 12, 2021, Ghrama could be seen wearing a long tan coat and moving from the center of the screen to the right.

At the same protest, a group of anti-Israel protestors shouted at a group of pro-Israel protestors. One anti-Israel man wearing a red hoodie forced [00:00:39] his way past the police and punched [00:00:41] a pro-Israel protestor.

Equating Israel with Nazi Germany

Ghrama retweeted a September 1, 2020, tweet that said: “זה אכזריות יתר. אפילו מדינה כל כך גזענית כמו ארה׳׳ב שנבנתה על ידי עבדים לא הייתה עושה דבר כזה. ומבחינת הפלסטינים מדינת ישראל כולה איננה חוקית. יהודים מכל העולם נהרו לא׳׳י וגירשו את ילידי הארץ הפלסטיניים. צריך להיות נאצי להצדיק את זה. [This is extra cruel. Even such a racist state like the United States, which was built by the hands of slaves, wouldn’t do such a thing. And according to the Palestinians, all of the State of Israel is illegal. Jews from around the world flocked to Israel and forced out the native Palestinians. You must be a Nazi to justify this.]”

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.

Hatred of Israel

On June 8, 2022, Ghrama tweeted: “The failed hearing on antisemitism is a ruse in which @ChancellorRodriguez & @InnaVernikov seek to silence Palestinian students who rightfully criticize Israel for its state-sanctioned genocide. @CUNY When will you stand up for your students? #ZionismOutOfCUNY#WeStandWithNerdeeN.”

On June 30, 2022, The New York City Council’s Committee on Higher Education conducted a hearing, originally scheduled for June 8, 2022, on “examining anti-Semtism on college campuses.” Chancellor of CUNY Félix V. Matos Rodríguez was supposed to speak but reportedly decided not to attend.

Also on June 8, 2022, Ghrama tweeted: “@ChancellorCUNY refuses to listen to Palestinian voices yet takes trips to israel and entertains the zionist lobby seeking to threaten and silence his own students. @CUNY voices are proudly pro-Palestine. You do not represent us! #ZionismOutOfCUNY#WestandwithNerdeen.”

The “Israel Lobby” is a conspiracy theory alleging Israeli and Jewish control over the U.S. government. Proponents of the theory decry the negative effects on American interests, particularly in foreign policy.

On June 10, 2021, Ghrama tweeted: “Israeli politics just get more and more incoherent, they’re in no place to advocate against the killing of animals with so much human blood on their hands.”

Ghrama retweeted a May 17, 2021 tweet from anti-Israel activist Dunia Ghanimah that said: “IM NOT TRYNA COEXIST ON PALESTINIAN LAND WITH A MF [mother f**ker] FROM BROOKLYN SORRY

.”

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

Ghrama retweeted a December 1, 2020, tweet from anti-Israel activist Rami Kablawi that said: “israel: a european colony or an indigenous nation, depending on whichever one is most convenient under the circumstances.”

On June 6, 2020, Ghrama tweeted: “Fighting for justice and being Israeli? Like oil and water, they don’t mix sweaty [sic]

.”

Ghrama retweeted a February 28, 2020, tweet from anti-Israel activist Ryan Wentz that said: “My most attractive quality is how much I hate Israel.”

WOL

Within Our Lifetime (WOL) is a pro-terror activist group in New York City dedicated to Israel’s destruction within the lifetime of its members.

Acts of violence and physical confrontations with police have frequently occurred at WOL protests and marches. WOL uses harassment campaigns to target pro-Israel organizations or companies that do business with Israel, making it a part of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Multiple activists who have either burned Israeli flags or led chants at WOL rallies were later jailed for violent anti-Semitic hate crimes, including Saadah Masoud and Waseem Awawdeh. In Masoud’s case, he received 18 months in jail for an anti-Semitic assault at an April 2022 WOL rally and two other anti-Semitic assaults in 2021.

WOL promotes “resistance” against Israel “by any means necessary,” calls to “Globalize the Intifada,” spreads incitement and idolizes [00:34:06] Palestinian terrorists like Leila Khaled and others at rallies and online events.

WOL was founded by Nerdeen Kiswani and Dan Cione in 2015. Kiswani is a frequent speaker at WOL rallies where she has promoted terrorism against Israelis and called for the death of Zionists. She has also provided support for Masoud and other activists following their arrests.

WOL began as the New York City chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), going by NYC SJP, but changed its name in 2018. The group is not found to be registered in any U.S. state as a nonprofit organization under its official name. Nor is there any listing for WOL under its name on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website for tax-exempt organizations.

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.

CAIR

CAIR describes itself as a “grassroots civil rights and advocacy group” and “America's largest Muslim civil liberties organization, with regional offices nationwide.” Its official mission is “enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.”

CAIR reportedly has “significant ties” to the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as Hamas. A number of former CAIR employees have been convicted on fraud and terrorism-related charges that resulted monetary fines, jail terms and, sometimes, deportation.

CAIR was founded in 1994 and opened its first office in Washington, DC, with the help of a $5,000 donation from the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF), a charity founded by Mousa Abu Marzook.

Marzook, who was listed as a "Specially Designated Terrorist" by the U.S. Treasury Department in 1995, is reportedly a senior member of Hamas.

In May 2007, CAIR was listed as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in a U.S.-filed action against the HLF for providing funds to Hamas.

CAIR was also listed as a terrorist entity by the United Arab Emirates, in 2014.