Omar Awadh
Overview
In a March 2020 Instagram post, SJP UIC indicated that Awadh was a board member of the group.
Awadh attended the 2019 National SJP Conference at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities (UMN) as an activist with SJP UIC. 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 March 2021, Awadh’s LinkedIn page said he was a Case Manager at Arab American Family Services (AAFS) in Worth, IL, since December 2019, as well as a Community Organizer for Take on Hate since April 2018.
Awadh’s LinkedIn also said that he was the Outreach Coordinator at the Arab American Cultural Center from August 2018 – December 2019.
Awadh’s LinkedIn page also said he was studying for a master's degree in Public Administration at UIC, slated to graduate in 2022, and that he was “aspiring to... get an MPA in international relations and a law degree in international business and trade.”
Awadh received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Studies from UIC in 2019.
As of March 2021, Awadh used the name “Omar Al-Yafai” on Facebook.
Spreading Hatred of Israel
On November 20, 2019, Awadh featured in an SJP UIC Instagram photo participating in an SJP Chicago “die-in” rally held that day at the Federal Plaza in Chicago. The rally was co-hosted by SJP UIC.In November 2019, Israel launched Operation Black Belt to stop rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel. From November 12 to November 14, 2019, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror group sent hundreds rockets all over Israel, targetting its biggest civilian population centers.
At the “die-in” rally, Awadh held an Israeli flag with fellow SJP activist Mona Zubi displaying the word “GENO
CIDE.”The event’s Facebook description read: “This weeks [sic] bombing in Gaza is part of the larger ethnic cleansing of Palestine and a reoccurring attack on Gaza. Join us in a die-in to let the world know Chicago condemns Israel's war crimes!”
On November 22, 2019, following Israel’s Operation Black Belt, Awadh attended SJP UIC’s “Moment of Silence for Gaza” rally and “campus commemoration faced by Palestinians in Gaza.”
During the rally, SJP UIC board member Malak Kanan spoke into a megaphone, stating [slide 11] that “Israel launched dozens of air raids on Gaza… killing innocent civilians and residents.”
In November 2019, Israel launched Operation Black Belt to target terrorist Baha Abu al-Ata [Bahaa Abu Al-Atta], a senior commander of the terror group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Abu Al-Ata was reportedly in the midst of planning additional attacks.
In response to the targeted killing, PIJ launched hundreds of rockets all over Israel including to Israel’s largest civilian population centers.
Dozens of Israelis have been killed by PIJ in suicide bombings, rocket and other attacks.
On November 22, 2019, and November 23, 2019, SJP UIC posted a series of videos of the Moment of Silence Gaza rally to their Instagram story highlights.
During the rally, protestors chanted [slides 3-4] “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free!” One protestor held [slide 5] a sign that said “Zionism is Racism.”
“From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free” is a chant calling to dismantle the State of Israel. It has also been employed by Hamas leader Khaled Mashal to call for the replacement of Israel with an Islamic state.
Kanan also stated [slide 10] that “it is with our tax dollars that Israel is able to commit these crimes against humanity,” and added [slide 14] “we condemn the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.”
On November 26, 2019, Awadh appeared in a group photo posted to Instagram by SJP UIC, posing with fellow student SJP activists. The post was captioned: “From our
moment of silence event on Friday. Thank you everyone who came and supported us! #sjp #freepalestine #palestine #studentsforjusticeinpalestine #palestinianoccupation #chicago #chicagosjp #sjpuic #uic #universityofillinoisatchicago”SJP Activism
On August 28, 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, Awadh appeared in a photo posted to Instagram by SJP UIC, tabling on campus for SJP. The post promoted the upcoming Virtual Involvement Fair 2020 at UIC, held from September 1- 4, 2020.On April 12, 2019, Awadh appeared in a group photo posted to Instagram by SJP UIC, posing with fellow student SJP activists. The Instagram post was captioned: “The Apartheid wall display was an absolute success! So proud of our campus. Thank you to everyone who came out, contributed, and showed solidarity. We stand for justice together as a team and a family
#uicsjpapartheidweek”SJP UIC hosted Israel Apartheid Week on campus from April 8 - 11, 2019.
Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) is presented internationally as a “series of events that seeks to raise awareness of…Israel’s settler-colonial project and apartheid system over the Palestinian people.” One of its goals is to build support for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. IAW has been renamed Palestine Awareness Week.
During IAW 2019, SJP UIC erected a mock apartheid wall on campus meant to represent Israel’s security barrier. The wall stated in large letters at the top, "END ISRAELI APARTHEID."
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.
On November 17, 2019,Awadh posed in a group photo posted to Instagram by SJP UIC with fellow student SJP activists. The post was captioned: “SJP hard at work!!! Remember to check out our window when you’re walking through SCE [Student Centar East] this week!!!”
The Instagram post also featured [second slide] a painted window on campus with text that read: “END ISRAELI APARTHEID,” “RIGHT OF RETURN” and “from the river to the sea.”
The “right of return” is a Palestinian demand discredited as a means to eliminate Israel.
“From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free” is a chant calling to dismantle the State of Israel. It has also been employed by Hamas leader Khaled Mashal to call for the replacement of Israel with an Islamic state.
On September 15, 2019, Awadh appeared in an SJP UIC Instagram photo with fellow student SJP activists participating in an SJP event titled: “Palestine At The Park: SJP Chicago Kickoff.”
The post was captioned: “Thank you everyone who came out to Palestine in the Park!!”
On May 1, 2019, Awadh featured in an SJP UIC Facebook photo with pro-Palestinian Haaretz reporter Amira Hass who featured that day at an SJP UIC event titled: “Dilemmas of an Israeli Journalist covering Palestine.”
In September 2014, pro-Palestinian Haaretz reporter Amira Hass was expelled from Birzeit’s campus because she is Jewish.
SJP UIC’s Facebook post was captioned: “Thank you to Amira Hass forsharing what it is like being an Israeli journalist covering Palestine.Her wisdom and insightful words on the Palestinian crisis were things we should reflect on.
”On November 14, 2018, Awadh appeared in an SJP UIC Instagram photo with fellow SJP activists at an “Emergency Rally for Gaza,” hosted by SJP UIC on campus that day.
Attending the 2019 National SJP Conference
On November 4, 2019, Awadh appeared in an SJP UIC Instagram photo participating in the 2019 NSJP Conference.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 SJPreportedly 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 UIC 2020 - Encouraging “Zionist Shaming”
On December 11, 2020, SJP UIC posted to Instagram a meme with text that said: “START ZIONIST SHAMING.” SJP UIC added: “Here’s some memes to end your finals week :).”The meme posted was a photo of a boy hiding his face as others pointed accusatory fingers at him. Text accompanying the meme read: “START ZIONIST SHAMING” as other text that said: “ZIONISTS HAVE NO CULTURE,” “racist!” “COLONIZER!” “how are you sunburnt if you’re indigenous?,” “chocolate hummus looking a**,” “steal anyone’s land today?” and “GO BACK TO BROOKLYN.”
SJP UIC 2019 - Spreading Incitement
On March 3, 2019, SJP UIC posted a photo of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
SJP UIC added: “
Please take note of this and read the message above. The Dome of the rock and Al-Aqsa mosque are 2 different structures within the Al-Aqsa barriers . It's important to know this because it's a key aspect of Palestine's history.🇵🇸.”The allegation that Jews “threaten” to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque served as the excuse for an upsurge in Palestinian violence that flared in the fall of 2015 and incited Palestinians to attempt mass casualty attacks on Israeli civilians in July 2016.
Such propaganda has been a traditional pretext for Arab attacks on Jews long before the existence of the modern Jewish state.
SJP UIC Promoting Terrorist
On March 7, 2019, SJP UIC posted a photo of Basil Al Araj to their Instagram page, adding: “Basil Al-Araj-the educated martyr (1984-2017).”
On March 22, 2019, SJP UIC promoted [slide 5] its “Apartheid Wall Display” to Instagram. The Instagram post featured murals of Leila Khaled and Yasser Arafat painted onto Israel’s security barrier.
Leila Khaled participated in the hijacking of TWA Flight 840 in 1969 and El Al Flight 219 in 1970. She was a leading member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
Yasser Arafat, known as the “father of modern terrorism,” was the former leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). During the second intifada, Arafat encouraged children to carry out “martyrdom” operations against Israel.
Arafat reportedly told Arab diplomats in a secret meeting in 1996: "We will make life unbearable for Jews by psychological warfare and population explosion. Jews will not want to live among Arabs. I have no use for Jews. They are and remain Jews."
On April 11, 2019, SJP UIC posted on its Instagram stories a series of photos and short videos, under the title “Tatreez [Embroidery],” that included [slide 8] a set of stickers for sale, including one of Ghassan Kanafani.
On November 5, 2019,SJP UIC promoted on Instagram an event using photos of Leila Khaled and Yasser Arafat.
SJP UIC also retweeted a March 18, 2020 SJP DePaul tweet that said: “Today’s figure is Leila Khaled, a widely known and controversial figure in the Palestinian cause. Swipe to read about Khaled and visit our instagram for more !”
SJP UIC Calling for Intifada
On November 14, 2018, SJP UIC hosted a “Gaza Rally” on UIC’s campus quad.On that same day, SJP UIC posted [slide 5] a video to their Instagram stories highlights titled “Protests,” where SJP UIC activists chanted “Intifada, Intifada! Long Live the Intifada!” and “Israel is a terrorist state!”
From 2000-2005, the second intifada was marked by more than 120 suicide bombings targeting Israeli civilians in cafes and on buses.
SJP UIC Supporting Violent Protestors
On June 1, 2018, SJP UIC posted a series of videos to their Instagram stories highlights, titled “Protests.” The first slide was of a video titled “THE MARTYRS OF GAZA. SAY THEIR NAMES,” while the second showed SJP UIC activists lying on their backs.On that same day, SJP UIC posted to Facebook: “In the Great March of Return, 112 Palestinians murdered and 13 of which are children! The time to act is now! #freepalestine 🇵🇸” and attached the same video of protestors participating in the rally, captioned “THE MARTYRS OF GAZA. SAY THEIR NAMES.”
On that same day, SJP UIC posted a photo of the protestors lying on the ground and added: “Today many came out to protest the massacre on the Palestinians of Gaza. We have to keep fighting and speak up to let the world know what is happening to Palestinians on a daily basis. #Palestine #Gaza #greatreturnmarch
.”In May 2018, thousands of rioters attempted numerous breaches of Israel’s border fence during violent riots, instigated by Hamas on the Israeli-Gaza border. Participants declared their intention to harm Jews across the border under the pretext of “peaceful resistance.”
SJP UIC 2019 - Promoting Hatred of Israel
On November 19, 2019, SJP UIC promoted an SJP Chicago poster to their Instagram page, titled: “GAZA: The Largest Open Air Prision [sic].”On November 20, 2019, SJP UIC promoted and co-hosted SJP Chicago’s “Die-In Rally for Gaza” and seven other SJP chapters.
The event’s Facebook description read: “This weeks bombing in Gaza is part of the larger ethnic cleansing of Palestine and a reoccurring attack on Gaza. Join us in a die-in to let the world know Chicago condemns Israel's war crimes!” During the event, participants lay [00:05:36] on the floor, next to a sign that read: “Gaza Open Air Prison.”
During the rally, Mahmoud Awadallah, an SJP Chicago activist and student at DePaul University (DePaul), spoke into a bullhorn, declaring [00:03:11]: “We, as students of SJP Chicago, are here today to condemn Israel’s constant assault on the Palestinian people” and added [00:03:26] “...we condemn the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.”
On November 21, 2019, SJP UIC posted an Instagram photo of SJP UIC activists taken at the “die-in” rally, where SJP UIC activists held an Israeli flag, defaced with the word “GENO
CIDE.”On November 23, 2019, SJP UIC posted a series of Instagram photos of SJP UIC activists at the rally, including [slide 2, 7] two photos of SJP activist Mona Zubi, who held a poster that read: “Zionism is Racism.”
SJP UIC 2020 - Promoting Hatred of Israel
On March 13, 2020, SJP UIC posted [slide 7] an Instagram photo of SJP UIC Board Member Laila Zayed holding a garbage bag captioned “Israel.”On May 26, 2020, SJP UIC posted [slide 2] an Instagram photo of the SpongeBob cartoon character spraying cleaning fluid on an overflowing garbage can, superimposed with the Israeli flag, and the caption: “Can’t have dirty garbage.”
SJP UIC 2019 - Demonizing Israel
On November 22, 2019, SJP UIC held a “Moment of Silence for Gaza” rally.In November 2019, Israel launched “Operation Black Belt” to stop rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip. The rockets were sent by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror group on November 12-14, 2019, targeting Israel’s biggest civilian population centers.
On November 22, 2019, and November 23, 2019, SJP UIC posted a series of videos of the Moment of Silence Gaza rally to their Instagram story highlights.
During the rally, protestors chanted [slides 3-4] “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free!” One protestor held [slide 5] a sign that said “Zionism is Racism.”
The chant “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free” has also been employed by Hamas leader Khaled Mashal to call for the replacement of Israel with an Islamic state. It is a chant calling to dismantle the State of Israel.
SJP UIC featured [slide 11] a video of SJP UIC board member Malak Kanan speaking into a megaphone during the rally, stating that “Israel launched dozens of air raids on Gaza… killing innocent civilians and residents.”
Kanan also said [slide 10] that “it is with our tax dollars that Israel is able to commit these crimes against humanity,” and added [slide 14] “we condemn the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.”
SJP UIC 2021 - Boycotting Jewish and Israeli Institutions
On February 2, 2021, SJP UIC condemned on Instagram UIC’s School of Public Health (SPH) for hosting a talk by Professor Gabi Bin Nun of Israel’s Ben Gurion University, titled “A Description of the Health Care System in Israel.”SJP UIC wrote: “This isn’t the first time we’ve protested UIC School of Public Health’s strong relations with colonial institutions,” adding: “Is social justice working with ethnic cleansers?”
SJP UIC then invited students to copy their email template protesting [slide 3] Professor Bin Nun’s talk and send it to UIC’s SPH.
On February 10, 2021, SJP UIC condemned UIC’s SPH for inviting Israeli speakers to campus, adding: “These speakers perpetuate the colonial ideology that Israel was founded on.”
On February 19, 2021, SJP UIC encouraged students on Instagram to sign an “Open Letter” condemning UIC’s SPH event featuring Professor Bin Nun.
The letter suggested the Jewish Metropolitan Fund of Chicago (JUF) was “racist, Islamophobic, and anti-Arab, and anti-Palestinian” and condemned SPH for allowing the JUF to fund the SPH Israeli Visiting Scholars program. The letter went on to suggest Israel blocked Palestinian access to COVID-19 prevention and treatment.
The SJP UIC letter also made a series of demands of UIC, including “the termination of ties between SPH and Israeli academic institutions” and the “termination of speakers that are visiting UIC as representatives of Israeli Institutions.”
On March 3, 2021, SJP UIC posted to Instagram that its representatives attended Professor Bin Nun’s talk and “persistently asked questions regarding Palestine.”
On March 11, 2021, SJP UIC posted to Instagram: “SJP is calling all organizers and activists to join us starting 12 pm on March 16th in our social media storm demanding the UIC School of Public Health answer for why they work with Islamophobic, anti-Arab, transphobic and homophobic organizations.”
On March 16, 2021, SJP UIC launched their #CutTheTiesUICSPH social media campaign on Instagram and Twitter. SJP UIC’s “Twitter storm for SPH campaign” contained over 60 tweets to copy and tweet out, as well as downloadable graphics and testimonies of anti-Israel student activists who had attended Bin-Nun’s lecture.
The campaign called to cut ties with the Jewish United Fund of Chicago (JUF) and to object to future JUF-sponsored meetings “like any other anti-religious group,” and suggested such meetings were affront to all of UIC’s Muslim students.
The JUF, also known as the Jewish Metropolitan Fund of Chicago and the Jewish Federation of Chicago, serves as the central philanthropic address of Chicago's Jewish community.
In one Instagram post, SJP UIC stated: “Our Demand is that the UIC School of Public Health stop working with Islamophobic organizations.”
That same day, another one of SJP UIC’s Instagram posts said: “Islamophobia is a product of Zionism, and UIC’s School of Public Health is complicit.”
One of SJP UIC’s suggested tweets stated: “Palestinians were called 'illegal aliens' and pushed the responsibility towards the Arab world as if Israel isn’t mandated under Geneva convention to vaccinate the occupied people of Palestine." #CutTheTiesUICSPH @uicpublichealth.”
The Palestinian Authority (PA) is responsible for providing health services - and specifically, vaccinations - to Palestinians under its jurisdiction, as per Annex III, Article 17 the 1995 Oslo Accords signed by Israel and the PA.
In December 2020, PA officials reportedly insisted that they were going to procure the vaccines without Israel’s assistance. Israel had already provided vaccines to non-Israeli Arab residents of East Jerusalem.
Palestinian liaison officials later reportedly contacted Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) department to request the vaccine, which Israel agreed to provide.
Another suggested tweet stated: “‘It was so clear that SPH only cares to promote a very specific narrative about Israel, one that washes over the colonization, ethnic cleansing, and occupation of the Palestinian people.’ #CutTheTiesUICSPH @uicpublichealth.”
Also on March 16, 2021 , SJP UIC tweeted: “Instead of bringing Israelis to talk about how great their apartheid system is, why not bring Palestinians to talk about the injustices they face in health access and health equity? #CutTheTiesUICSPH @uicpublichealth.”
SJP UIC also tweeted: “There are over 5000 Muslim students on the UIC campus making up 15% of the student body populationHowever, UIC school of Public health still found it appropriate to allow an Islamophobic group such as JUF host an event here. #CutTheTiesUICSPH @uicpublichealth.”
Another SJP UIC tweet stated: “Despite 200+ signatures requesting the cancellation of this event, SPH administrators refused to cancel this event. WHY? Does SPH not care about their Muslim and Arab/MENA students? It’s evident they do not.
#CutTheTiesUICSPH @uicpublichealth”
Another tweet read: “UIC doesn’t allow any hate groups or anti-religious groups to speak at their campus so, why is it different now when it comes to an Israeli speaker?
#CutTheTiesUICSPH @uicpublichealth.”
Another tweet read: “Calling out apartheid and racism is not antisemitism. #CutTheTiesUICSPH @uicpublichealth.”
On April 7, 2021, SJP UIC posted to their Facebook page: “We have great news! This past Monday at the USG meeting a resolution was passed declaring USG stands in solidarity with SJP and their allies in our campaign demanding SPH cut ties with the Islamophobic and racist JUF and other Zionist entities! Solidarity
!” SJP UIC 2021 - Boycotting Jewish and Israeli Institutions
On February 2, 2021, SJP UIC condemned on Instagram UIC’s School of Public Health (SPH) for hosting a talk by Professor Gabi Bin Nun of Israel’s Ben Gurion University, titled “A Description of the Health Care System in Israel.”SJP UIC wrote: “This isn’t the first time we’ve protested UIC School of Public Health’s strong relations with colonial institutions,” adding: “Is social justice working with ethnic cleansers?”
SJP UIC then invited students to copy their email template protesting [slide 3] Professor Bin Nun’s talk and send it to UIC’s SPH.
On February 10, 2021, SJP UIC condemned UIC’s SPH for inviting Israeli speakers to campus, adding: “These speakers perpetuate the colonial ideology that Israel was founded on.”
On February 19, 2021, SJP UIC encouraged students on Instagram to sign an “Open Letter” condemning UIC’s SPH event featuring Professor Bin Nun.
The letter suggested the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago (JUF) was “racist, Islamophobic, and anti-Arab, and anti-Palestinian” and condemned SPH for allowing the JUF to fund the SPH Israeli Visiting Scholars program. The letter went on to suggest Israel blocked Palestinian access to COVID-19 prevention and treatment.
The SJP UIC letter also made a series of demands of UIC, including “the termination of ties between SPH and Israeli academic institutions” and the “termination of speakers that are visiting UIC as representatives of Israeli Institutions.”
On March 3, 2021, SJP UIC posted to Instagram that its representatives attended Professor Bin Nun’s talk and “persistently asked questions regarding Palestine.”
On March 11, 2021, SJP UIC posted to Instagram: “SJP is calling all organizers and activists to join us starting 12 pm on March 16th in our social media storm demanding the UIC School of Public Health answer for why they work with Islamophobic, anti-Arab, transphobic and homophobic organizations.”
On March 16, 2021, SJP UIC launched their #CutTheTiesUICSPH social media campaign on Instagram and Twitter. SJP UIC’s “Twitter storm for SPH campaign” contained over 60 tweets to copy and tweet out, as well as downloadable graphics and testimonies of anti-Israel student activists who had attended Bin-Nun’s lecture.
The campaign called to cut ties with the JUF and to object to future JUF-sponsored meetings “like any other anti-religious group,” and suggested such meetings were affront to all of UIC’s Muslim students.
The JUF, also known as the Jewish Metropolitan Fund of Chicago and the Jewish Federation of Chicago, serves as the central philanthropic address of Chicago's Jewish community.
In one Instagram post, SJP UIC stated: “Our Demand is that the UIC School of Public Health stop working with Islamophobic organizations.”
That same day, another one of SJP UIC’s Instagram posts said: “Islamophobia is a product of Zionism, and UIC’s School of Public Health is complicit.”
One of SJP UIC’s suggested tweets stated: “Palestinians were called 'illegal aliens' and pushed the responsibility towards the Arab world as if Israel isn’t mandated under Geneva convention to vaccinate the occupied people of Palestine." #CutTheTiesUICSPH @uicpublichealth.”
The Palestinian Authority (PA) is responsible for providing health services to Palestinians under its jurisdiction, as per the Oslo Accords.
In December 2020, PA officials reportedly insisted that they were going to procure the vaccines without Israel’s assistance. Israel had already provided vaccines to non-Israeli Arab residents of East Jerusalem.
Another suggested tweet stated: “‘It was so clear that SPH only cares to promote a very specific narrative about Israel, one that washes over the colonization, ethnic cleansing, and occupation of the Palestinian people.’ #CutTheTiesUICSPH @uicpublichealth.”
Also on March 16, 2021 , SJP UIC tweeted: “Instead of bringing Israelis to talk about how great their apartheid system is, why not bring Palestinians to talk about the injustices they face in health access and health equity? #CutTheTiesUICSPH @uicpublichealth.”
SJP UIC also tweeted: “There are over 5000 Muslim students on the UIC campus making up 15% of the student body populationHowever, UIC school of Public health still found it appropriate to allow an Islamophobic group such as JUF host an event here. #CutTheTiesUICSPH @uicpublichealth.”
Another SJP UIC tweet stated: “Despite 200+ signatures requesting the cancellation of this event, SPH administrators refused to cancel this event. WHY? Does SPH not care about their Muslim and Arab/MENA students? It’s evident they do not.
#CutTheTiesUICSPH @uicpublichealth”
Another tweet read: “UIC doesn’t allow any hate groups or anti-religious groups to speak at their campus so, why is it different now when it comes to an Israeli speaker?
#CutTheTiesUICSPH @uicpublichealth.”
Another tweet read: “Calling out apartheid and racism is not antisemitism. #CutTheTiesUICSPH @uicpublichealth.”
On April 7, 2021, SJP UIC posted to their Facebook page: “We have great news! This past Monday at the USG meeting a resolution was passed declaring USG stands in solidarity with SJP and their allies in our campaign demanding SPH cut ties with the Islamophobic and racist JUF and other Zionist entities! Solidarity
!” SJP UIC Israel Apartheid Week 2019
On March 23, 2019, SJP UIC posted to Facebook: ”SJP is so excited to announce our Apartheid week! It will be April 8th-11th! Be ready to learn about Palestine's enriching history while also celebrating its beautiful culture and resistance against Israeli apartheid.”SJP UIC’s Israel Apartheid Week (IAW) Facebook event page described IAW as a “weeklong series of events held on campuses nation-wide to expose Israel as an apartheid endeavor. We also aim to celebrate Palestinian resistance against colonization and oppression together.”
The event page also said: “Join us for as we display a mock apartheid wall! This separation barrier represents apartheid and exclusion.”
SJP groups on campuses have constructed mock “apartheid” walls to draw attention to alleged Israeli human rights violations against Palestinians.
On April 11, 2019, SJP UIC posted a series of photos and short videos to their Instagram stories highlights, documenting the building of their “Mock Apartheid Wall.”
Slide 8 of the April 11th Instagram SJP UIC post showed a video that documented SJP UIC unfurling a large Palestinian flag from a second-story balcony and chanting [slide 9] "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free!"
On April 12, 2019, SJP UIC posted a group photo to Instagram of SJP UIC activists standing in front of a “mock apartheid wall” that had written on it “End Israeli Apartheid.”
SJP UIC added: “The Apartheid wall display was an absolute success! So proud of our campus. Thank you to everyone who came out, contributed, and showed solidarity. We stand for justice together as a team and a family
#uicsjpapartheidweek.”SJP UIC Digital Apartheid Week 2020
From May 11-15 2020, SJP UIC promoted and participated in SJP Chicago’s “Digital Apartheid Week” designed to replace SJP’s “Israel Apartheid Week” across Chicago due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.On May 16, 2020, SJP DePaul activist Mahmoud Awadallahhosted two videos live-streamed on SJP Chicago’s Instagram page, titled: “Quarantine with Falasteen,” as part [00:30:24] of SJP Chicago’s “Digital Apartheid Week.”
Awadallah started the event by stating [00:02:26] that, in honor of Nakba day, “We are celebrating the Palestinian resistance that has been going on for 72 years.”
During the event, Awadallah hosted singer Mary Hazboun, who sang [00:23:07] a song “very dear” to her heart, from when she was in Bethlehem during the violent second intifada. The violent second intifada targeted Israeli civilians and caused more than 9,000 Israeli casualties.
Hazboun added [00:23:28]: her son was “dedicated to the martyrs’ Shahada.” The Shahada is the Muslim confession of faith.
SJP UIC Pushing BDS
In January 2016, SJP UIC launched UIC Divest, a campaign calling for UIC “to divest from companies that support the illegal occupation of Palestine such as G4S, Caterpillar, Hewlett Packard and Boeing.In February 2016, SJP UIC united with 23 other student groups to co-sponsor a BDS resolution that proposed “divestment from companies profiting from human rights abuses and violations of international law in Palestine.”
The resolution’s wording was later modified due to efforts to blunt its original anti-Israel focus and called on UIC to divest from “companies actively engaged in human rights violations in Palestine, Syria, China, United States, US-Mexican border, and Chicago.”
On February 15, 2016, the modified resolution passed unanimously.
Later that day, SJP UIC’s press release stated: “While tonight’s divestment vote is an important step in the divestment movement, we recognize that this is just the beginning. We are committed to working towards urging the university to divest wholly from the Israeli occupation....”
In April 2016, SJP UIC celebrated on Facebook the resolution’s passing and suggested it called on “the university to remove all their investments in companies complicit in human rights violations of the Palestinian people and the occupation and colonization of Palestine!”
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.
Social Media and Weblinks
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/1286656899
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wondering_omer/ [Deleted]
https://www.instagram.com/prince__ohmar/ [Deleted]
- Status:
- Professional
- University:
- Illinois-Chicago
- Organizations:
- SJP
- Related Profiles:
- Last Modified:
- 03/26/2026
Photos & Screenshots
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