Noor Hejja

Overview

Noor Hejja has demonized Israel as an activist with Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at DePaul University (DePaul) in 2020.

Hejja attended the 2019 National SJP Conference.

National SJP held their conference at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities (UMN), from November 1-3, 2019. The conference was themed: “Beyond Struggle: From Roots to Branches Towards Liberation.”

As of July 2020, Hejja indicated on her Instagram that she was a DePaul student, slated to graduate in 2023.

Hejja also spread anti-Israel and anti-Semitic bigotry while in high school, and was affiliated with the Muslim Students Association (MSA) and the Muslim American Society (MAS).

Demonizing Israel

On May 15, 2020, Hejja and other SJP DePaul activists participated [00:00:36] in an SJP DePaul TikTok video marking “72 years since Al Nakba.”

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.

During the video, SJP DePaul activists posed with captions that read [00:00:01]: “On May 15th, 1948, Israel carried out an ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian People known as Al Nakba,” and [00:00:47] “Israel’s ethnic cleansing continues to this day, with ongoing murders…”

On June 30, 2020, Hejja tweeted: “I better see you all there. #NoToAnnexation” and embedded a poster of “Chicago Coalition for Palestine Says NO to Annexation Day of Rage Car Rally and Car Caravan.”

The event was co-hosted by Chicago SJP, as well as the Chicago chapter of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) and the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN).

On that same day, Hejja tweeted: “Tomorrow, July 1st, Israel will begin the annexation of the West Bank, including the Jordan Valley. The Jordan Valley is home to 65,000 Palestinians and provides food security for Palestinians. This will be disastrous for Palestinians. #NoToAnnexation #ResistanceUntilReturn.”

In the spring of 2020, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israeli sovereignty would be applied to certain areas of the West Bank. The annexation plan was canceled a day before the July 1, 2020 deadline.

Hejja added in the same Twitter thread: “We have a moral obligation to help Palestinians in their fight for full liberation of their land, stolen from them in 1947, and to defend their right to self-defense against Israeli apartheid, genocide, and escalated land grabbing and theft. #NoToAnnexation #RightofReturn.”

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

On May 24, 2020, Hejja participated in an SJP DePaul photo campaign on Instagram, calling to free prisoners “From Chicago to Palestine.” Participants in the campaign held signs with the hashtags: “Free Them All” and #Free Our People.”

The campaign aimed to leverage the coronavirus pandemicas a rationale to release all convicts in Cook County, Illinois. The SJP campaign said on Instagram: “Join the movement to #FreeThemAll by calling the Cook County Chief Judge and demanding they decarcerate in the name of public health!”

On March 9, 2020, Hejja appeared in a SJP Chicago “International Women’s Day” photo series on Instagram, tabling with other SJP DePaul activists.

On February 26, 2020, Hejja appeared in a group photo taken during SJP Chicago’s second annual summit.

High School Bigotry

On March 21, 2018 Hejja tweeted: “sakir tmak ya 7aywana [shut up you beast]#PalestineForever” in response to the tweet: “Most beautiful place on earth, glad its in good hands

#israelforever.”

On March 19, 2018, Hejja tweeted: “Zionists deserve to burn in the deepest pit of hell along with them assad supports.”

On January 25, 2018, Hejja tweeted: “F**k a b**ch named Israel.”

On January 4 2018, Hejja tweeted: “How is this not all over the news?? Kus om il yahood [F**k the jews]'' and embedded a post reporting on the death of Musab al-Tamimi. Al Tamimi was shot while he was armed and participating in a violent protest.

On August 3, 2017, Hejja tweeted: “Zionist? More like DIE on this D**K

”

On February 22, 2017, Hejjatweeted: “Israel” in response to the question: “Tell me a joke.”

On March 26, 2017, Hejja tweeted: “I could never stop bullying you Jew boy joel” in response to the tweets: “Fun fact: @nsHejja bullied everyone in elementary school” and “I’m still a victim:(.”

On January 23, 2017, Hejja responded to the Twitter comment “No,” tweeting: “YOUR MAKING ME FEEL NEGLECTED LIKE A JEW.”

On November 4, 2016, Hejja tweeted: “log off jew boy” in response to the tweets “

” and “HAHAHHA.”

Attending the National SJP 2019 Conference

On November 3, 2019, Hejja appeared in an SJP Chicago Instagram group photo, with the caption “Some of our beautiful SJP Chicago members repping their universities at the National Students for Justice in Palestine Conference!”

On November 1, 2019, Hejja appeared in a group photo posted in an SJP DePaul Instagram story, with the caption: “NSJP GANG.”

The 2019 National SJP Conference was held at the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities (UMN), from November 1-3. The Conference themes centered on support for BDS as well as the rejection of Israel and Zionism.

The Conference partnered with numerous anti-Israel organizations and conducted their event in a clandestine manner.

2019 National SJP - Supporting BDS

The Conference website called to capitalize on shifts in the political climate, represented by the elections to the U.S. Congress of Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, who both support BDS. National SJP speakers also reportedly drew attention to Rep. Omar’s support for the BDS movement as the Representative for UMN’s Congressional district.

During the Conference, National SJP speakers reportedly “noted the success of past divestment campaigns at the University [UMN], which ultimately resulted in the passing of a campus-wide [BDS] referendum in 2018.”

The UMN resolution passed in 2018 by a margin of 3.4 percent of those students who voted, translating to approval by 6.18% of all eligible voters. Less than 13% of the eligible voters actually voted on UMN’s BDS referendum.

2019 National SJP - Rejecting Israel and Zionism

The 2019 National SJP Conference website indicated that the goal of their “solidarity movement” was to push for policies that “demanded the end of” the state of Israel, referred to as “the Israeli occupation.”

The website clarified that “the Palestinian struggle against Zionism, extends beyond the confines of 1967, and well before the Nakba,” and was based on the rejection of Jewish national self-determination in Israel.

Nakba is an Arabic term for “catastrophe” and refers to the outcome of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. It is a term often used to delegitimize the creation of the State of Israel.

2019 National SJP - Heightened Secrecy

The 2019 National SJP Conference required attendees to be “verified and vouched for” by an SJP chapter to which they belonged and required each chapter to register as a group. The conference also required each group to be verified by a “reference––someone who is NOT going to this conference but who is or has recently been a part of your SJP.”

Members of allied student groups could register only as part of an SJP chapter delegation which, in turn, needed to be “vouched for by their campus’s SJP” for “security culture and accountability reasons.”

The Conference also restricted media access to journalists “registered and confirmed by our Media Committee in advance to attend the conference. Absolutely no exceptions will be made.”

During the Conference, National SJP reportedly covered the windows of the conference hall.

2019 National SJP - Partnering Organizations

National SJP partnered with other anti-Israel organizations to table, sell merchandise and lead workshops, including CODEPINK, Palestine Youth Movement (PYM), Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), Palestine Legal, Watan Palestine and the Adalah Justice Project.

Keynote speakers included Loubna Qutami, Chair of PYM, as well as Taher Herzallah of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP). Other speakers included Miko Peled, Sandra Tamari, Suhad Katib, Chris Gazaleh, Clarissa Bitar, Tariq Luthun, Maytha Alhassen and Sima Shakhsari.

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.

AMP

American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) was founded by UC Berkeley Professor Hatem Bazian as a vehicle to generate mainstream support in the United States for the Palestinian national cause.

On its website, the organization lists Bazian as the chairman of its national board and describes itself as “a national education and grassroots-based organization, dedicated to educating the American public about Palestine and its rich cultural, historical and religious heritage.”

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has accused AMP of promoting “extreme anti-Israel views and has at times provided a platform for anti-Semitism under the guise of educating Americans” about Palestinians. The ADL further stated that AMP is directly involved in campus-based anti-Israel activity through Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).

Prior to founding the AMP in 2006, Dr. Bazian created SJP together with fellow UC Berkeley Professor Snehal Shingavi in 2001. The close working relationship between AMP and SJP has been documented several times over the years by several organizations, including NGO Monitor and StandWithUs.

In addition to providing financial, public relations and legal assistance to SJP, AMP has also been accused of having connections to Hamas. The AMP national board includes former members of both the Islamic Association of Palestine (IAP) and Holy Land Foundation (HLF), both of which were found liable for aiding and abetting Hamas. The IAP was founded by Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzook, a senior member of Hamas.