Omar Zahzah
Overview
As of September 2023, Zahzah was listed as “Assistant Professor of Arab, Muslim, Ethnicities and Diaspora Studies (AMED)” in the Department of Race and Resistance Studies (RRS) at San Francisco State University (SFSU). AMED’s founding director and senior scholar is anti-Israel professor Rabab Abdulhadi.
Also as of September 2023, Zahzah was reportedly a member of the US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (USACBI) and the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM). In 2018, he was also reportedly a “national board member” of PYM.
As of the same date, Zahzah’s LinkedIn profile said he was the “Education and Advocacy Coordinator” for the anti-Israel organization Eyewitness Palestine, formerly known as Interfaith Peace Builders (IFPB), from June 2020 until December 2022.
In 2021, Zahzah expressed solidarity with Yasmeen Mashayekh, a graduate student at the University of Southern California (USC) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Senator who tweeted her desire to “kill every motherf**king Zionist.”
The 2018 National SJP conference was held on November 16-18, 2018 at UCLA. The conference was themed “Radical Hope: Resistance in the Face of Adversity.” The conference website stated: “[t]he reason we can have hope is that Zionism...can be destroyed.”
In 2016, Zahzah was reportedly a “statewide executive board member” of the anti-Israel United Auto Workers (UAW) union Local 2865, representing graduate student workers across the University of California (UC) system.
Zahzah received a PhD in comparative literature from UCLA in 2016.
On January 25, 2023, Zahzah announced on Twitter the upcoming release of his new book titled: “Terms of Servitude: Zionism, Silicon Valley and Digital Colonialism in the Palestinian Liberation Struggle,” slated for publication in the fall of 2024.
As of September 2023, Zahzah’s LinkedIn said he was located in Long Beach, California. However, his Facebook said he was located in Goleta, California.
Celebrating Intifada Violence
The term “intifada,” which translates from Arabic as “uprising” or “insurrection,” carries the connotation of violence. Palestinian intifadas waged against Israel have been marked since 1987 by hundreds of hijackings, shootings, stabbings, bombings and suicide missions.
Supporting Terrorists
Ahmed Manasra (sometimes spelled Mansara) and his 15-year-old cousin, Hassan, were engaged in a stabbing spree in Jerusalem on October 12, 2015. The pair critically wounded a 13-year-old Israeli boy and moderately wounded a 25-year-old man. Manasra later admitted to investigators: “I went there to stab Jews,” and was convicted on two counts of attempted murder.
On August 10, 2022, Zahzah tweeted: “Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi, Lion of Nablus. Acrylic.” He included an image of a painting honoring the terrorist leader.
Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi, a “commander” of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, was reportedly known as “the lion of Nablus.” On August 9, 2022, he was killed in a gun battle with Israeli forces. The Brigade is listed as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the U.S. State Department.
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.
Among Palestinians and anti-Israel activists, the term “resistance” can be a euphemism for nationalistic terror. It is often used to excuse or even glorify anti-Israel and anti-Semitic violence.
The Holy Land Five (HL5) were five individuals associated with the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) indicted for funneling funds to Hamas in the guise of humanitarian aid. The men were all convicted and sentenced in 2009 to federal prison terms ranging from 15 to 65 years.
On June 11, 2014, Zahzah posted to Facebook: “Please take a minute out of your day to call and/or sign the petition calling for all charges against Rasmea Odeh, Palestinian-American feminist, activist, educator and community leader, to be dropped” and “Justice for Rasmea!”
Hatred of Zionism
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.
Hatred of Israel
On November 2, 2022, Zahzah authored an article in PiA titled: “‘Sorry For My 3arabi:’ The Politics Of Language And Translation In Palestine Solidarity.” In his article, he accused Israel of “brutal settler-colonial violence.”On December 12, 2021, Zahzah wrote a tweet accusing Israel of “the ongoing, unapologetic and unmitigated genocide against the Palestinian people.”
On June 16, 2021, Zahzah tweeted, accusing Israel of "ongoing ethnic cleansing and genocide against the Palestinian people."
On February 7, 2017, evoking Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP)’s “Deadly Exchange” campaign, Zahzah wrote in an article published on Al-Talib: “Israel continues to export the military technology it hones in the occupied territories to governments all over the world and to train police forces in surveillance and crowd control tactics.”
Zahzah went on to label Israel a “militarized settler-colonial state.”
In 2017, JVP launched the “Deadly Exchange (DX)” campaign, which accused American Jewish organizations of promoting human rights abuses. JVP also released a video that blamed [00:04:04] U.S.-based Jewish organizations for violence that occurs against Black and Brown communities, immigrants and activists in the U.S.
On July 11, 2016, Zahzah authored an article in PiA, in which he accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing and apartheid.”
On July 23, 2014, during Israel’s “Operation Protective Edge” (OPE)” against Hamas in Gaza, Zahzah posted to Facebook, accusing Israel of a “massacre” and “gross human rights violations” against Palestinians.
Throughout the summer of 2014 — during Operation Protective Edge (OPE) — Hamas's deployment of human shields was extensively documented and publicized. Hamas encouraged Gazans to act as human shields to frustrate Israeli efforts to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza.
Israel commenced OPE in July 2014 to stop rocket fire targeting Israeli civilians and to destroy Hamas attack tunnels.
On May 18, 2014, Zahzah posted to Facebook: “You can't hide Israeli apartheid. #sarinotsorry.”
Endorsing Anti-Israel Agitators
On September 1, 2014, Zahzah wrote a Facebook post in support of anti-Israel professor Steven Salaita, writing: “The main spokesperson for the anti-Salaita side has no coherent case, even by his own standards.”
Solidarity with Yasmeen Mashayekh
In December 2021, Zahzah wrote an article in Electronic Intifada in support of Mashayekh who was [00:11:08] in the middle of a national controversy over anti-Semitism she spread on social media that year.In October 2021, Mashayekh was listed as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Senator for USC’s Viterbi School of Engineering (Viterbi). In May 2021, she tweeted: “I want to f**king kill every motherf**king Zionist.” She also tweeted: “yel3an el yahood [curse the Jews]
.” Mashayekh has also spread violent hatred of Israeli Jews, called for the destruction of Israel and America, expressed support for Hamas and glorified terrorists.
Mashayekh was condemned after Canary Mission exposed her anti-Semitic tweets.
In his article, Zahzah whitewashed Mashayekh, claiming that her anti-Semitic tweets were not direct threats and “emerged from a specific context of her [Mashayekh’s] anger at Israel’s relentless violence and Zionism, Israel’s state ideology.”
Zahzah went on to endorse Mashayekh’s claim that “Palestinians have a right to resist the occupation of their land (violently) under international law.”
SJP at UCLA - BDS Activism
On November 18, 2014, UCLA’s undergraduate student government adopted the divestment resolution with a vote of 8-2-2.
In February 2015, SJP at UCLA pushed BDS beyond the UCLA campus by promoting a divestment resolution to the UC Student Association (UCSA). The resolution also called on the UC Regents to divest from American-based corporations that “violate Palestinian human rights.”.
The UCSA Board of Directors passed the resolution by a 9-1-5 vote.
On February 8, 2015, Zahzah posted to Facebook: “UCSA votes in favor of calling on the Regents to divest. #UCSADivest.”
On July 29, 2016, Zahzah and fellow SJP organizer Rahim Kurwa co-authored an article on the news site Jadaliyya.com, titled “Resolving to Divest: The History of SJP at UCLA's Divestment Campaign.”
The article marginalized pro-Israel students’ expressed fears of Palestinian terrorism as “racist tropes,” and accused “the Israel lobby” of trading benefits with members of the student government “for political favors, primarily votes against divestment resolutions.”
On August 27, 2016, Zahzah and Kurwa gave an interview on an EI podcast about SJP at UCLA BDS initiatives on campus and the tactics that led to their eventual success.
Zahzah claimed [00:32:17] that the second divestment resolution was successful because SJP at UCLA framed the resolution as a human rights issue that was “basically impossible to argue against.”
Attending the 2018 National SJP Conference
SJP at UCLA - Support for Terrorists
On October 14, 2015, during the “Knife Intifada,” SJP at UCLA held a demonstration and “die-in,” in solidarity with Palestinians one day after Palestinian terrorists killed three Israelis and wounded more than 20.In October 2015, there was an upsurge in violence across Israel incited by Palestinian political and religious leaders. The wave of stabbings, known as the “Knife Intifada,” was characterized by young Palestinians throughout the country stabbing and attempting to stab Israeli civilians.
The submission, written by Shawndeez Davari Jadalizadeh, accused another article in the Daily Bruin of taking part in an attempt “to erase Palestinian life” by failing to mention the names of Palestinians killed during the Knife Intifada.
The submission then listed a number of “Palestinians killed by Israelis... since Oct. 1, the beginning of the third intifada,” such as: Mohannad Halabi, Fadi Alloon, Amjad Hatem al-Jundi, Bassem Bassam Sidr, Hassan Khalid Manasra, Fadel al-Qawasmi and Mohamed Nathmie Shamassnah.
On October 3, 2015, during Israel’s “Knife Intifada,” 19-year-old Mohanad Halabi murdered two Israeli rabbis in a stabbing attack in Jerusalem’s Old City. The wife and child of one of the victims were also injured. The day before the murder, Halabi, a member of the terror group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), had reportedly posted to his Facebook page: “The third Intifada is here"and "Wake up from your slumber and save al-Aqsa. Let the revolution erupt.”
Fadi Aloon was shot by Israeli security forces after he stabbed a 15-year-old Israeli boy. Several hours before the attack, Aloon posted “Either martyrdom or victory” on his Facebook page.
Basel Bessam Sidr was shot while attempting to stab Israeli police officers in Jerusalem. Fadil Qawasmi was shot after attempting to staban Israeli policeman and a civilian in Hebron.
Mohammad Nathmie Shamasna was shot after he stabbed a 19-year-old Israeli soldier and unsuccessfully tried to grab his gun.
During an interview with the Lebanese Al-Quds TV channel following the attack, Shamasna’s mother said the family was proud of her son, who was “martyred for the sake of Al-Aqsa,” and then pulled out a knife concealed beneath her clothes and said, while making stabbing motions: “Watch out, Israel! Watch out!”
SJP at UCLA - Anti-Semitism
In February 2015, four SJP at UCLA activists and council senators with the Undergraduate Students Association (USA) were involved in a widely publicized anti-Semitic incident.Sofia Moreno Haq, Negeen Sadeghi-Movahed, Manjot Singh and Fabienne Roth were responsible for preventing Rachel Beyda from joining the Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC) judicial board, because she belonged to Jewish organizations.
Beyda’s position on the Judicial Board was later confirmed at a re-vote and the four objecting counselors submitted a formal apology to Beyda and the Jewish community.
SJP at UCLA - Intimidation
n 2016, SJP at UCLA reportedly harassed and intimidated Milan Chaterjee, the former president of UCLA’s Graduate Student Association (GSA), to such an extent that he stepped down from his student government position and left UCLA.In November 2015, Chaterjee attempted to block an effort by SJP at UCLA to use school funds to promote the BDS movement during a diversity caucus Town hall event, in accordance with a policy requiring viewpoint neutrality.
Chaterjee said that, as a result, he was "relentlessly attacked, bullied, and harassed by BDS-affiliated organizations and students" for months.
In April 2014, SJP at UCLA members submitted a petition to USAC’s judicial board against two former undergraduate student government council members who participated in trips to Israel that were sponsored by pro-Israel Jewish organizations.
SJP at UCLA alleged that the council members committed “conflict of interest violations” by participating in the sponsored trips and should have abstained from voting on a February 2014 BDS resolution. SJP at UCLA also argued the council members’ votes on the divestment resolution should have been disqualified.
Although the ballot on the divestment resolution was secret, it was assumed that the two council members voted against the resolution because they both spoke against the resolution during discussions prior to the vote.
The student judicial board later ruled that the trips taken by the council members did not constitute a conflict of interest.
SJP at UCLA - Hosting Israel Haters
On January 28, 2016, SJP at UCLA hosted anti-Israel Professors Ahlam Muthaseb and Sa'ed Atshan.Muhtaseb regularly uses her Facebook and Twitter to demonize Israel, whitewash Palestinian terrorism and collaborate with fellow anti-Israel activists. Atshan has praised inciters of violence as well as Sheikh Omar Suleiman who, in 2014, called on Twitter for a “Third Intifada” to destroy Israel.
Supporting BDS
On December 8, 2021, Zahzah tweeted against U.S. Congressional Representative Jamaal Anthony Bowman, saying: “'BDS is a picket line and Bowman has broken it by scabbing for Israel.'”Congressman Bowman, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, raised controversy within the group by traveling to Israel.
Zahzah promoted a 2014 BDS initiative within UAW union Local 2865, representing the UC graduate students. The initiative provided [00:00:07] a forum for anti-Semitism [00:00:27] and demonization [00:00:18] of Israel and Zionists.
On December 4, 2014, Zahzah posted to Facebook: “Make sure to go vote YES on BDS today through the grad student union, and tell all your grad friends! This is SUPER important, and anti-BDS folks are coming out strong! Polls are open till 6 in front of YRL and court of sciences!”
The bill was adopted by UAW in December 2014, but nullified in December 2015, by United Auto Workers International, with which the graduate student union is affiliated, because the bill would implicate the international union, hurt union members and violate elements of the UAW constitution.
On September 8, 2013, Zahzah promoted a BDS campaign to Facebook under the title: “Campaign to Boycott the Oral History Conference at Hebrew University of Jerusalem.”
The petition encouraged historians and academics to boycott an upcoming conference at Hebrew University (HUJI), claiming that “while all Israeli universities are deeply complicit in the occupation, settler-colonialism, and apartheid, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem is particularly noteworthy.”
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.
PYM
In 2012, the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM USA) released a statement saying: “Our liberation...will be gained with the path that was written with the blood of our martyrs. We reaffirm that the only path that we are concerned with is the path that explicitly heads towards the liberation of our land and the return of our people to Palestine.”
PYM organized rallies demonizing Israel where it displays propaganda posters supporting the terrorist organization Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and compared Israel to Nazi Germany.
On October 25, 2015, PYM called to support “intifada” during a period when Palestinian radicals across Israel stabbed and hacked to death scores of Israeli civilians. PYM alleged that “Al-Aqsa Mosque has been the target of particularly brutal assaults” and that “... arbitrary killings are committed daily by the Zionist military and settlers.”
On November 10, 2015, the PYM Facebook page displayed a photo of masked Palestinian radicals throwing rocks and firing rocks from slingshots. That photo was used to promote at least 25 anti-Israel rallies across the globe on or around November 29, 2015 under the banner of “Transnational mobilization for Palestinian resistance.”
On November 30, 2015, PYM displayed a photo on Facebook from one of the rallies showing a sign in support of PFLP member Khalida Jarrar, who confessed to inciting violence and calling for terrorists to abduct Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers.
Another sign showed support for PFLP Secretary-General Ahmad Sadat, who was convicted for the 2001 assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi.
Social Media and Weblinks
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100052139963497
Videos
Photos & Screenshots
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