Mukund Rathi

Overview

Mukund Rathi expressed support for terrorists and co-authored a Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement resolution at the University of Texas Austin (UT Austin) in 2015.

Rathi also participated in an anti-Israel activist trip, spread hatred of Israel and endorsed an anti-Israel agitator.

Rathi was an activist with the Students Justice for Palestine (SJP) chapter at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law (UC Berkeley Law) (Berkeley LSJP), from 2016 to 2019.

He was also an activist with the Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC) chapter at UT Austin (pscatx) in 2015. PSC is an alternative name for SJP.

In 2015, Rathi was a member of the International Socialist Organization (ISO) and unsuccessfully ran for the position of Natural Sciences representative in the UT Austin’s Student Government.

Rathi contributed articles to the SocialistWorker website from 2016 to 2019. He also wrote for UT Austin’s student newspaper, The Daily Texan, from 2013 to 2015.

As of May 2021, Rathi was listed as a “Legal Resource Fellow” at the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), in Washington, D.C.

Also as of May 2021, Rathi’s LinkedIn page said he graduated as a “Doctor of Law - JD, Law” from UC Berkeley Law in 2019, and received a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from UT Austin in 2016.

Support for Terrorists

On February 3, 2018, Rathi featured in a Berkeley LSJP photo on Facebook with other activists, posing in front of a mural depicting Rasmea Odeh.

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.

On August 26, 2017, Rathi featured in Berkeley LSJP’s Facebook group profile photo, standing in front of a mural of Odeh. The Facebook post read: “LSJP supports Reem's and Rasmea Odeh!”

The mural of Odeh was displayed in Reem Assil’s bakery in Fruitvale, California. Assil reportedly said in a May 17, 2017, Berkleyside interview: “[Odeh] embodies the resilience of Arab women fighting for justice in this country. She is an elder to a lot of us younger women...”

On May 10, 2017, Berkeley LSJP posted to Facebook a video that featured Rathi and other activists participating in the “Saltwater Challenge.” In the video, Rathi also called [00:00:41] on pscatx to partake in the “Saltwater Challenge.”

The “Saltwater Challenge” was held in solidarity with hunger-striking Palestinian prison inmates convicted of terrorism. The strike was initiated by Marwan Barghouti, who was serving five consecutive life sentences for his role in suicide bombings that killed five Israelis during the second intifada. Aarab Barghouti, the son of Marwan Barghouti, launched the "Saltwater Challenge."

BDS Activism

Rathi co-authored a 2015 BDS resolution that was introduced to the Student Government Assembly (SGA) as part of the #UTDivest campaign, spearheaded by PSC Austin.

The resolution Rathi co-authored called on the University of Texas Investment Management Company (UTIMCO) to divest itself of holdings in companies that “facilitate in the oppression of the Palestinian people by the State of Israel.”

On February 20, 2015, Rathi promoted BDS on Facebook, writing: “I am running for Student Government, and unapologetically stand with the people of Palestine… UT Austin must follow the lead of other universities… to end Its complicity in this occupation by divesting its investments from Israel…”

On March 2, 2015, Rathi posted to Facebook, urging: “to boycott any engagement with (and thus tacit acceptance of) representatives of the Israeli occupation” and said that he was “openly running on BDS.”

On March 25, 2015, Rathi featured in a Daily Texan video posted to YouTube titled: “Israel Block Party.”

In the video, Rathi said [00:01:45] that pscatx’s current goal was “to have UT join the wider Boycott Divestment and Sanctions Movement [sic]... and introduce a resolution to student government for divestment...the resolution is basically to call on UT to divest from these companies… to end its complicity in the occupation of Palestine.”

On April 21, 2015, the SGA voted against the resolution by a vote of 11–23–1.

Anti-Israel Activist Trip

On December 28, 2018, Rathi created a “personal fundraising page” for a “once-in-a lifetime opportunity” to be a participant on a March 2019 trip called: “Paltrek,” as part of the Berkeley LSJP student delegation. Rath described the trip as a “semi-elite trip (law, business, and policy students from top schools).”

Rathi stated on his fundraising page that he would keep a “daily journal” of his travels and that he would be “publishing online, along with pictures and videos.” Rathi raised a total of $2,185 for his trip.

Rathi kept an online blog documenting his trip on the online publishing platform medium.com.

In a March 24, 2019 entry titled: “Pal Trek Day Two,” Rathi referred to a presentation on an “overview of the conflict, the Nakba etc” that included a series of misleading maps labeled “Disappearing Palestine” and, which he described as: “The timeline of four maps showing Israeli encroachment in Palestine.”

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.

Rathi also wrote that the misleading maps are “forever burned” into his mind and that he has heard and given the presentation a “million times.”

In a March 28, 2019 entry titled: “Pal Trek Day 5,” Rathi wrote that the group attended a talk given by BDS co-founder Omar Barghouti. Rathi also stated that he had been a “Palestine solidarity activist for 7 years (and BDS for slightly less)” and hearing Barghouti was “pretty cool.”

Barghouti, co-founder of the BDS movement, rejects the existence of Israel.

Barghouti falsely claimed that the demand that all Palestinian refugees be allowed to settle in Israel is a "right" under international law, and further asserted that the demands of BDS are “inflexible” and “non-negotiable” — and if people object then “tough.”

Barghouti also accused Israel of "colonizing the minds of Palestinians" by (temporarily) shutting down Palestinian educational institutions — particularly Birzeit University — whose militant student body was involved in riots and terror activity during the first Intifada and later remained ridden with terrorists. Barghouti omitted that under Israeli occupation five Arab universities and 70 teaching colleges were created on the West Bank, between 1967 and 1987 alone; none were permitted when the area was under Jordanian rule before 1967.

In January of 2016, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) swept Birzeit, seizing weapons stockpiles and Hamas propaganda. The university administration echoed Barghouti’s claims, characterizing the sweep as a "belligerent ... attack on the university and our right to education and all the principles involved in the freedom of education."

Barghouti also condemned Israel for shutting down other educational institutions, like kindergartens and high schools, which were also used to educate children to hate Israeli Jews — and become suicide bombers.

Barghouti also falsely claimed that Israel is guilty of Apartheid towards its Arab citizens.

Rathi added: “I really want to get to the future where Tlaib/Omar introduce sanctions.”

Rashida Tlaib was elected to the U.S. Congress in November 2018. She has advocated for a one-state solution, endorsed the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement and called for reduced foreign aid to Israel.

Ilhan Omar was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2018. In February 2019, top Congressional leaders denounced Omar for tweeting anti-Semitic remarks. She has also demonized Israel and endorsed BDS, including introducing a pro-BDS resolution in the U.S. Congress.

In July 2019, Tlaib was an original co-sponsor of H.Res. 496. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who was the primary sponsor of H.Res.496, described the bill as “an opportunity for us to explain why it is we support...the BDS movement.”

In a March 30, 2019 entry titled: “Pal Trek Day Seven,” Rathi claimed that: “The establishment of a Jewish state necessitates a [sic] ethnic cleansing.” Rathi added that the group listened to a presentation delivered by anti-Israel agitator, Haneen Zoabi, with whom he was “very impressed.”

Haneen Zoabi, a former member of the Israeli Knesset, has a long history of inciting violence. In 2014, she was suspended from the legislature after defending the kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers by the terror group Hamas, and who were later found executed in a field. In 2015, a criminal investigation was opened against Zoabi after she reportedly condoned anti-Israel violence and called for a new intifada.

In October 2015, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initiated a criminal investigation against Zoabi after she was reportedly quoted in a Hamas-affiliated newspaper imploring Muslims to give a wave of terror attacks “popular support,” and calling for the “outpouring of thousands” to create a “real intifada.”

In the same blog post, Rathi referred to BDS as: “One very important part of the nonviolence resistance” and expressed that “We should be messengers back in the US...”

In a March 31, 2019 entry titled: “Pal Trek Day Eight,” Rathi wrote: “Birzeit students are talking to us about the right to education campaign, which is to stop Israeli interference with the campus and other educational opportunities for Palestinians.”

The Right to Education Tour brings Palestinian students to U.S. campuses to promote a claim that Israel arbitrarily obstructs the rights of Palestinians to higher education. The organization has demonized Israel for its security sweeps made to shut down terror cells operating from Palestinian campuses.

Spreading Hatred of Israel

On August 22, 2014, the day after Hamas publicly claimed credit for the kidnap and murder of three Israeli teenagers, an article written by Rathi was published by The Daily Texan and titled: “From Palestine to Ferguson: resistance leads to state violence.”

In the article, Rathi claimed Israel: “cynically used the murder of three teenage Israeli settlers in the West Bank to unleash a new siege on Palestine.”

Hamas was responsible for the kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers from a bus stop on June 12, 2014. The abducted boys were murdered by their captors, and their bodies were found buried in Palestinian-controlled territory on June 30, 2014.

Rathi also stated that: “the Israeli state depends on the subjugation and removal of Palestinians in order to continue economic expansion — this means the rejection of peace is built into its current existence.”

Endorsing an Anti-Israel Agitator

On October 3, 2014, an article written by Rathi in defense of anti-Israel former-professor Steven Salaita was published in The Daily Texan and titled: “Action against pro-Palestinian professor limits faculty freedom.”

In 2014, The University of Illinois withdrew an offer of employment to Steven Salaita after becoming aware of his anti-Semitic tweets. One tweet, posted shortly after Hamas kidnapped three teenage Israeli high school students, read: “You may be too refined to say it, but I’m not: I wish all the f**king West Bank settlers would go missing.”

In his article, Rathi stated: “The rejection of Salaita is part of a wider campaign in academia against Palestinian solidarity.”

SJP Activism

On November 16, 2016, Rathi featured in a Facebook photo campaign posted by Berkeley LSJP, holding up a sign referring to Israel’s security barrier that read: “I pledge not to go on the Israel trip because: ALL the walls must FALL.”

Israel’s security barrier, 97 percent of which is a low chain-link barrier, was built as a deterrent to Palestinian terror attacks. The concrete portions of the fence were built in response to Palestinian sniper attacks.

Berkeley LSJP campaigned against a trip to Israel, scheduled to take place in Spring 2017, that sought to bring 30 Berkeley law students to Israel for free.

On May 4, 2017, Rathi appeared in a Berkeley LSJP Facebook group photo with other activists. The photo was captioned: “It's been a great year of growth, education, solidarity, and community for all of us at Berkeley Law Students for Justice in Palestine. See you next year!

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On September 6, 2018, Rathi featured in a Berkeley LSJP Facebook group photo along with other activists. The photo wascaptioned: “Many thanks to everyone who joined us for this week's event on Pinkwashing & Mainstreaming.” The post included links to slides and audio of the event, which featured anti-Israel activist Dean Spade.

“Pinkwashing” is a claim that Israel advocates manipulate the LGBTQ community in order to garner support for Israel.

Spade campaigned against two Seattle LGBTQ+ pro-Israel events and has accused Israel of ethnic cleansing, apartheid, and genocide and advocated for the “Deadly Exchange” campaign launched by the anti-Israel organization Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP).

PSC Austin - Disrupting A Campus Event 2014

On October 14, 2014, members of several student organizations, including PSC, disrupted [00:00:18] a talk about ISIS given by Israeli Major General Meir Dagan, former head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence service.

The Daily Texan, a UT Austin student newspaper, reported that students protested outside the event and “At one point during Dagan’s talk, some protesters inside the auditorium interrupted the event by yelling pro-Palestinian phrases.”

PSC Austin - Glorifying Intifada 2015

In November 2015, PSC Austin, together with Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at Houston, scheduled an event titled: “Solidarity with the Palestinian Uprising: Call to Action!”

The event’s Facebook description claimed: “The Zionist state occupation forces” were “killing dozens of unarmed Palestinians…with the participation of racist Zionist settlers.”

The event took place during a wave of stabbing attacks carried out by Palestinians against Israeli civilians, termed the “Knife Intifada.” Palestinians shared graphics and video tutorials across social media explaining how to most effectively stab Jews. One widely shared video showed a young girl from Gaza brandishing a knife while calling on West Bank Palestinians to stab Israelis.

The event’s Facebook description also said: “Palestinians across historic Palestine—including 1948 Palestine—have taken it upon themselves to launch a popular resistance…to fight the genocidal Zionist project. The Palestinian youth…have in particular taken the lead in this uprising. They are sacrificing themselves so that Palestine may have a future. The least we can do is show our support for them.”

The event’s Facebook description concluded: “Long Live the Resistance! Long Live the Intifada!”

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

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.