Rinad Hawit

Overview 

Rinad Hawit has expressed support for a terrorist and violent protesters. Hawit has also engaged in anti-Israel activism and idolized anti-Israel politicians.

In 2019, Hawit was affiliated [slides 15-16, 18] with the General Union of Palestine Students (GUPS) at San Francisco State University (SFSU). GUPS is an affiliate of the national anti-Israel campus group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).

As of November 2022, Hawit’s LinkedIn said she had worked as an Executive Assistant at Altos Ventures (Altos), a venture capital firm and investment advisor, since June 2020. As of September 2022, Bloomberg Europe listed Hawit as an “Investment Professional” at Altos.

In 2019, Hawit founded the “cultural gifts store” Sinsala Designs, which sold “traditional Palestinian dresses crafted into handmade jewelry.” As of September 2022, the business was listed as inactive since December 8, 2020, by the California Secretary of State.

As of November 2022, Hawit’s Linkedin page said she graduated from California State University, East Bay (CSUEB) with a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Economics in 2015. Hawit’s LinkedIn also said she had studied at Birzeit University near Ramallah.
 
In 2017, Hawit was a volunteer for Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF). As of November 2022, she continued to support the group.
 
As of November 2022, Hawit’s LinkedIn said she was located in San Mateo, California. 

Supporting a Terrorist

On May 3, 2017, Hawit posted to Facebook a news article about terrorist leader Khalida Jarrar fighting for Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike. The article said that the prisoners were “sentenced for carrying out or orchestrating violent attacks against Israeli soldiers or civilians.” 

Hawit quoted Jarrar in the post: “The problem is not the actions of the people under occupation, the problem is the occupation itself. The people are just reacting to that.”

Supporting Violent Protesters

On May 16, 2018, Hawit posted to Instagram in support of the “#greatreturnmarch,” which was a series of violent protests in Gaza on the Israeli border. She wrote: “This is a 70 year old struggle! Palestinian protesters are posing NO threat to Israelis…”
 
On May 16, 2018, a Hamas senior official, Salah al-Bardawil, stated that 50 out of 62 protesters killed during the May 14 Gaza border protest were Hamas operatives. Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) also claimed that three of its members were killed at the same protest.



Hawit’s post also promoted a video with anti-Israel activist Noura Erakat's interview with CBS News, where Erekat defended the demonstrators’ violence and claimed they posed no danger to Israeli civilians and military. Erakat also defended the Palestinian “right of return.”

The “right of return” is a Palestinian demand discredited as a means to eliminate Israel. International law mandates no absolute right of return and UN Resolution 194, which defined principles for “refugees wishing to return to their homes,” was unanimously rejected by Arab nations following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Anti-Israel Activism

On May 15, 2021, Hawit participated in an anti-Israel protest organized by the Palestine Action Network (PAN). The protest was during Israel’s Operation Guardian of the Walls (OGW) against Hamas in Gaza and PAN promoted the rally on Facebook: “Save the Date! Join us for a community event 5/15 #Nakba73.”