Moe Alqasem

Overview

Moe Alqasem [Mohamed Alqasem] has led a campus protest that turned violent, called for the dissolution of Israel, glorified terrorists and promoted “intifada” violence. 

Alqasem has also spread incitement, demonized Israel and opposed the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism.

Alqasem has engaged in anti-Israel activism and is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

In 2019, Alqasem was an activist with Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) at York University (York) in Toronto, Canada. SAIA is an alternate name for Students for Justice In Palestine (SJP).  

Also, in 2019, Alqasem was reportedly a “member” of YU Divest, a coalition of York groups, including SAIA York, demanding that York divest from companies doing business with Israel. 

As of February 2022, Alqasem was reportedly an “organizer” with the Toronto chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) and “a graduate” of York. 

As of the same date, Alqasem was affiliated with Toronto-based anti-Israel group Independent Jewish Voices Canada (IJV Canada) and reportedly “a Palestinian community organizer, trade unionist, and writer based in Toronto.” 

As of January 2023, Alqasem wrote on his Clubhouse bio that he was a “Biomedical Science graduate.” In June 2021, Alqasem was reportedly a “Biomedical science student” at York. In 2019, Alqasem was an “Honours Thesis student” at the Clocklab in York’s Department of Biology.

As of the same date, Alqasem was listed as a “Field Worker” for the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), “a bilingual national union…for more than 60 university and college students’ unions across Canada.”

Also as of January 2023, Alqasem was listed as president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1281 (CUPE 1281). As of the same date, he was listed as the young workers representative on the executive board of CUPE Ontario.

In May 2021, Alqasem was affiliated with Labour 4 Palestine (L4P), “a pan-Canadian network of labour activists who work to deepen solidarity with Palestinian workers and their struggle for liberation.” In May 2021, L4P called on the Canadian government to enforce an arms embargo against Israel.

In July 2018, Alqasem was reportedly “unable to return to Palestine in nearly a decade,” and consequently, Israel was “threatening to revoke his residency documents, which he needs in order to keep his Jordanian passport.” A petition was circulated online at the time calling to “stop the deportation.” 

As of January 2023, Alqasem indicated on Facebook that he was located in Toronto, Ontario.

As of January 2023, Alqasem used the handles “@M_AbuAlqasem” on Twitter, “@m_abualqasem” on Instagram and “@abualqasem” on Clubhouse. In December 2019, Alqasem used the handle “@CrimsonNablus” on Twitter and on Instagram.

Leading a Campus Protest that Turned Violent

On November 2019, Alqasemled [00:01:27] a violent protest against former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers from Reservists on Duty, who were speaking at an event at York organized by Herut Canada. 

A week before the protest, Alqasem reportedly wrote: “You would have to actually put a bullet right through my Palestinian skull before you even TRY to bring an Israeli soldier to my campus.”

On November 21, 2019, Alqasem wrote on Facebook: “From yesterday's protest against the IDF event! You got the message YorkU. The Israeli Army is NOT WELCOME on our campus and we don't back down.#IdfOffCampus #NoPlatformIDF.”

The post included a video of Alqasem leading [00:00:04] anti-Israel protesters in chanting: “Free, Free Palestine! Occupation is a crime!”

Alqasem’s post also included another video where protesters chanted [00:00:05]: “IDF you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide!” 

On November 20, 2019, footage from the protest posted on YouTube featured an activist leading [00:00:10] chants of “Viva viva intifada!”

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

On the same day, the Algemeiner reported that since-removed footage from the protest was posted on Youtube that“showed a violent scuffle breaking out next to the event hall shortly before the presentation began.”

On November 20, 2019, one event attendee streamed a video on Facebook from inside the event lecture hall that showed how protesters could be heard banging on the door and yelling [00:00:45]: “Five, six, seven, eight! Israel is an apartheid state!” 

On November 21, 2019, York President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton wrote in a statement: “Shouting, threats of violence and attempts to intimidate community members are not consistent with the responsibilities we all share.”

The same day, several Canadian politicians took to Twitter to condemn the protest.

On November 22, 2019, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the protest and tweeted: “On Wednesday night, violence & racist chants broke out against an event organized by the Jewish community at York University. What happened that night was shocking and absolutely unacceptable. Anti-Semitism has no place in Canada. We will always denounce it & all forms of hatred.”

On December 13, 2019, Alqasem co-wrote an article published in Palestine in America (PiA) with Elias Ayoub, in which the authors defended the protest.

Calling for the Dissolution of Israel

On August 3, 2021, Alqasem was featured in a webinar posted to YouTube, in which he said [01:51:35]: “We’re looking for full-blown national liberation, every inch of Palestinian land…I want every bit of sand in Palestine back, all of it, point blank.”

On July 4, 2020, Alqasem co-wrote an anti-Israel article in Spring, titled: “Unity in rage: a call to solidarity for Palestine and beyond.” 

In the article, Alqasem wrote: “So, to all our fellow Palestinians: it is time. It is our time to unite, it is our time to be enraged, and it is our time to vocalize our rejection of the Zionist project of ‘Israel.’”

Glorifying Terrorists

Alqasem retweeted a February 7, 2022 tweet in support of Palestinian prisoner, Hisham Abu Hawash, for “his courageous 141 day hunger strike.” Alqasem also retweeted a January 1, 2022 tweet that called for Canada “to call on Israel” to release Hawash from Israeli prison.

In October 2021, six prisoners affiliated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)'s armed wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, chose to prolong their hunger strike in protest of their administrative detention by Israel. The six men were Kayed al-Fasfus, Miqdad al-Qawasmeh, Alaa Aaraj, Hisham Abu Hawwash, Shadi Abu-Akr and Ayyad Hureimi.  

On September 6, 2021, Alqasem shared on Facebook text from a PYM post celebrating the escape of six terrorists from an Israeli jail, including Zakaria Zubeidi [bottom left], a terrorist leader during the second intifada. 

Zakaria Zubeidi was the former Jenin commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, which is listed as a foreign terror organization (FTO) by the U.S. government. Zubeidi was involved in several terror attacks on Israeli civilians. On September 6, 2021, Zubeidi was one of six prisoners who escaped from Israel’s Gilboa prison. They were all recaptured by September 19, 2021.

Alqasem retweeted a March 6, 2022 tweet from PYM that read: “We remember Basel [Al Araj] as a beacon of resistance and honor his unwavering commitment to the Palestinian struggle. May Basel's revolutionary spirit live on through our popular resistance, and may his vision of full Palestinian liberation be realized within our lifetimes!”

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 September 25, 2021, Alqasem shared to Facebook a PYM webinar, which featured former Palestinian hunger striker, Maher al-Akhras. Al-Akhras gave the interview in Arabic, while seated behind a photo of Iranian Quds Force Commander, Qaseem Soleimani and co-founder and Secretary General of PIJ, Fathi Shaqaqi.



During the webinar, al-Akhras said [00:06:24] in Arabic: لا يوجد حربفي العالم تقوم او مشكلةمالية او”اقتصادية او حربية او مجازر الا يكون وراءها اهذا الاحتلالالصهيوني الذي يحت فلسطين [There is no war in the world or a financial or economic problem or a war or massacres that this Zionist occupation that occupies Palestine is not behind.]”

 Al-Akhras also said [00:00:15]:يقولونعنهيتلر ونقول ليس هيتلر يتعلم من السرائيليينكان.يتعلم من” حقدهم [And we say that Hitler could have learned from the Israelis. From their hatred.]”

Alqasem retweeted a September 10, 2021 tweet that promoted an interview with Ghassan Kanafani in which he said [p. 54]: “The Popular Front has always insisted that we have four equal enemies: Israel, world Zionism, world imperialism led by the USA, and Arab reaction.” Kanafani also said [p. 56] that Israel was a “colonialist situation.”

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.  

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.

Alqasem retweeted an August 22, 2021 tweet that promoted a documentary film titled: Tell Your Tale Little Bird” about “7 revolutionary Palestinian women,” including Leila Khaled and Rasmea Odeh.

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.  

Odeh was a key military operative 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.

Alqasem retweeted a July 12, 2021 tweet that read: “#freeKhalidaJarrar.”

Khalida Jarrar is a senior member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terror organization. She has reportedly been the head of the PFLP in the West Bank since 2016. In 2015, an Israeli military court sentenced Jarrar to 15 months in prison for calling to kidnap Israeli soldiers. Israel arrested Jarrar again in 2017 “on suspicion of involvement with terrorist activities and violent public disturbances.” In 2019, she was arrested by Israel with 50 other PFLP operatives following a deadly 2018 bombing attack.

Alqasem retweeted a July 12, 2021 that read: “...Freedom for Khalida Jarrar NOW! Freedom for all Palestinian prisoners! #FreeKhalidaJarrar #FreePalestinianPrisoners #الحرية_لخالدة_جرار[ #freedomforKhalidaJarrar]”

Promoting Intifada Violence

On May 22, 2021, Alqasem co-led an anti-Israel rally organized by PYM titled: “Ongoing Nakba, Ongoing Resistance - Toronto March!”, at which he led the crowd in chanting [00:00:42]: “Viva, Viva Intifada!” and [00:01:06]:  “ بالروح والدم نفديك يا فلسطين [With soul and blood we’ll redeem you, Palestine].”
 

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.

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 September 28, 2021, Alqasem shared on Facebook a PYM post to mark “the 21st anniversary of the start of the Second Intifada, or Al-Aqsa Uprising.” The post said: “The Second Intifada serves as a reminder of the power of collective resistance and the strength of the will of our people. Long Live the Resistance! Long Live the Intifada! ."

The second intifada took place from 2000 to 2005 where Palestinian terrorists carried out over 130 suicide bombings, murdering over 1,000 Israeli civilians and soldiers. Terrorists targeted city buses, shopping centers, dance clubs and cafes. Palestinian leadership encouraged children to carry out “martyrdom” operations against Israel.  

On May 18, 2019, Alqasem co-led [00:00:01] an anti-Israel rally titled: “End Israeli Apartheid - A Cross-Canada Day of Action.” He and co-leader Lina Assi chanted [00:00:01] with protesters: “Viva, Viva Intifada!” At the protest, Assi also said [00:00:11]: “Palestinians have a right to resist by any means necessary.” 

The organizers reportedly handed out a flyer titled: “Chants/slogans for May 18 Demo,” which also included the following chants: “Resistance is justified when people are occupied!, Long live the Intifada (x2) Intifada, intifada! (x2), From Toronto to Gaza, Globalise the Intifada!”

Spreading Incitement

On April 15, 2022, during a wave of Palestinian terror attacks against Israelis during Ramadan, Alqasem shared on Facebook a PYM post that claimed: “Zionist Occupation Forces stormed Al-Aqsa…”


On May 18, 2021, during Israel’s Operation Guardian of the Walls (OGW) in Gaza, Alqasem shared on Twitter an L4P Canada statement titled: “Call for Labour Action Against Israeli Ethnic Cleansing of Palestinians.” The statement accused Israel of “violent storming of the Al-Aqsa mosque.” 

Incitement surrounding Al-Aqsa and Sheikh Jarrah were leading factors in Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists firing over 4,300 rockets from Gaza at Israeli population centers from May 10 to 21, 2021. In response to rocket attacks from Gaza, Israel launched “Operation Guardian of the Walls (OGW),” striking military targets in the terrorist-controlled enclave.

On May 11, 2021, Alqasem wrote an article in Spring Magazine titled: “The battle of Sheikh Jarrah,” in which he claimed that Israel “plans to ethnically cleanse the Palestinian residents of Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan.” Alqasem also wrote: “The continuous encroachment of the Zionist agenda on Palestine…will drive the Palestinian population to a moment of full-blown uprisings.”



Jewish ownership claims to lands in Silwan, a Jerusalem neighborhood also known as Shiloach, have been frequently met with Palestinian violence against Israelis who sought to reclaim their property rights.

Demonizing Israel

On March 27, 2022,Alqasem tweeted: “‘...Let’s try this: ‘The zionist colonial project is dispossessing and murdering Palestinians’ Much better, right?!”

Alqasem retweeted a January 14, 2022 tweet that read: “Good Friday evening to all…except Zionists & those who whitewash the crimes of #ApartheidIsrael #FreePalestine.”

On December 13, 2019, Alqasem co-wrote an article published in Palestine in America (PiA) , in which he wrote: “the Zionist movement which created the state of Israel was and continues to be the driving force behind the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians...”

On August 25, 2019, Alqasem reportedly tweeted: “F**k Israel and every single supporter of Zionism. يا كلاب [O dogs] يا زبالة [O garbage].”

Opposing the IHRA’s Definition of Anti-Semitism

On June 5, 2021, Alqasem tweeted: “I’m grateful and proud to be a member and an executive of @CUPE1281 . Our union has played a leading role in passing the resolution against the IHRA-WDA [IHRA-Working Definition of Antisemitism] at the @CUPEOntario convention. We did it together!! ”



On May 28, 2021, the Resolutions Committee for the 2021 CUPE Ontario Convention passed “Resolution #24,” which affirmed [p.31] the union’s opposition to the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism. 

The resolution also called on CUPE Ontario to “widely publicize its firm opposition to the IHRA definition” and “Educate its constituent locals, and associated labour unions and confederations (including CUPE National), encouraging them to oppose the IHRA definition as well.”

Anti-Israel Activism

On January 29, 2022, Alqasem co-led [00:02:09] PYM’s “Hands Off Palestine Rally” from Toronto’s Yonge & Dundas Square to the Israeli Consulate.

Yara Shoufani, PYM rally leader, accused [00:02:09] Israel of “greenwashing” and called [00:04:12] on the Canadian government to revoke the tax-exempt charitable status held by the Jewish National Fund (JNF).

"Greenwashing" is a claim by anti-Israel activists that Israel manipulates the environmentalist agenda to deflect international attention from Israel's alleged "persecution of the Palestinians."

Protesters at the rally chanted [00:02:21]: “JNF stop pretending. What you do is ethnic cleansing.” 

On October 21, 2021, Alqasem was listed on Instagram and on Facebook as a panelist of a Spring webinar titled: “Viva Palestina! A Roundtable Discussion on Palestinian National Liberation.” 

On October 18, 2021, Spring Magazine posted on Twitter that Alqasem was “a Palestinian organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement and a trade union leader based in Toronto.”

On July 4, 2020, Alqasem reportedly spoke at PYM’s “DAY of RAGE – No to Annexation Rally” that was held in front of the Israeli Consulate in Toronto. At the rally, Alqasem reportedly said: “as Israel entrenches its apartheid over Palestine, all Palestinians and their allies must be united in the call for boycotts, divestments and sanctions.”

Supporting BDS

On March 23, 2022, Alqasem was a featured speaker at an IJV Canada event titled: “BDS: A Toolkit for Community Organizing.” 

On February 19, 2022, Alqasem wrote a Spring article titled: “Students win historic BDS victory at U of T [University of Toronto],” celebrating the passage of a BDS resolution by members of the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) days earlier.

The resolution reportedly called on UTSU to “wholly divest funds & further on forbid investment to firms complicit in the occupation of Palestinian Territory.” 

On February 4, 2022, Alqasem co-authored an article published in Midnight Sun Magazinetitled: “Labour Solidarity with Palestine is Non-Negotiable,” in which he called on Canadian labor unions to “directly engage with Palestinian workers and their unions” to “identify Israeli companies, or companies benefitting from the Israeli occupation, as targets for boycott, divestment, and sanctions”. 

Alqasem also wrote that Canadian unions should “pressure the Canadian government to halt the bilateral arms trade with Israel and Israeli companies; and declare any weapons technology imported from or destined for Israel to be hot cargo, and refuse to handle it.”

The following day, Alqasem posted the article to Facebook and commented: “Palestine is a Labour issue, and we’re not negotiating it in any bargaining rounds. ”

On November 22, 2021, Alqasem tweeted in support of “Resolution 70,” urging CUPE delegates to support a resolution officially endorsing BDS at the CUPE National Convention, held on November 22- 26, 2021. 

The resolution also demanded “the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and their demands to end Israel’s military occupation and colonization.” The resolution failed to pass.

On June 18, 2021, Alqasem tweeted: “WE DID IT!! Victory for Palestine!at the CLC (Canadian Labour Congress), a resolution on Palestine has been adopted by the Canadian Council of the CLC. Through the directive and hard work of Labour organizers and activists who put forth an emergency resolution to the CLC.”

On the same day, the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) passed a resolution calling on Canadian labor unions to support a ban on goods manufactured in Israeli settlements, promoting divestment from Israeli military and security companies, and calling on Canada to halt arms sales to Israel. 

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.

Social Media and Weblinks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alqasem09

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrimsonNablus [Deleted] 

Twitter 2: https://twitter.com/m_abualqasem [Private]

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/m_abualqasem
                    
https://www.instagram.com/CrimsonNablus/ [Deleted] 
                  
Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/AbuAlqasem

Clubhouse: https://clubhousedb.com/user/abualqasem

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