Saadah Masoud
Who is Saadah Masoud? Overview
Saadah Masoud received an 18-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to participating in a conspiracy to commit violent hate crimes against Jews in April 2022, June 2021 and May 2021.
At anti-Israel rallies in New York City, Masoud has repeatedly assaulted Israel supporters, had multiple violent altercations with police and been arrested for assault and robbery.
On social media, Masoud has incited violence against supporters of Israel, promoted Holocaust revisionism and spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
Masoud is a leading activist with Within Our Lifetime (WOL), an anti-Israel activist group in New York City founded by Nerdeen Kiswani. WOL and Kiswani have provided support for Masoud and his fellow activists following their arrests on multiple occasions.
For more information, see the Canary Mission page Within Our Lifetime: The NYC Org Inciting Its Activists To Violence.
Hate Crimes
On March 3, 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York released a statement that said: “SAADAH MASOUD was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to commit hate crimes in connection with MASOUD’s repeated physical attacks of Jewish victims in New York City between 2021 and 2022.”
The statement continued: “From at least in or about May 2021 through at least in or about April 2022, MASOUD and others conspired to commit hate crime acts in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere.”
The statement also said: “Specifically, the defendant admitted to committing…acts of violence that were motivated by the victims’ Jewish or Israeli identity or perceived identity.”
Masoud was also sentenced to “three years of supervised release.”
On February 3, 2023, Masoud was reportedly taken out of a courtroom in handcuffs by U.S. Marshals after having his bail revoked by U.S. District Judge Denise Cote. Judge Cote scheduled Masoud’s bail violation hearing after receiving a report from Pretrial Services regarding his multiple violations of his pretrial conditions of release.
Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Masoud “deliberately targeted three victims because of their religion and nation of origin.”
As part of his guilty plea, Masoud admitted to committing the following acts of violence:
“- On or about April 20, 2022, Masoud assaulted a victim who was wearing an Israeli flag;
- On or about June 2, 2021, in Brooklyn, Masoud and a co-conspirator assaulted a victim who was wearing clothing traditionally associated with the Jewish religion, while the victim was sitting outside the victim’s own home;
- On or about May 20, 2021, in Manhattan, Masoud assaulted a victim who was wearing a Star of David necklace.”
For more information on the April 20, 2022 incident, see the section below titled: “April 20 - 27, 2022 - WOL Rally and Aftermath.” On that day, Masoud followed a man wearing an Israeli flag, threw him to the ground and then punched and kicked him in the face. The man went to the emergency room with a concussion and multiple injuries.
For more information on the May 20, 2021 incident, see the section below titled: “May 20 - 21, 2021 - Violent Protest.” On that day, he stole a rally-goer’s Israeli flag, forcibly pushed police barricades and threw garbage into the street in an attempt to evade arrest.
On September 1, 2022, Masoud posted a video to TikTok where he wore an ankle monitor at home. He wrote that he was under “#housearrest.”
On the same date, Masoud posted a TikTok video of him wearing the ankle monitor in a college library. He wrote: “It’s ok the richest men in America are all Crooks i guess I’ll fit right in
.”
As of August 2, 2022, in a TikTok video posted “2d ago,” Masoud said [00:00:38]: “I spoke to my lawyer now, and to be honest with you, for the case that’s going on, I’m probably looking at 15 months, so almost five years for some bulls**t. And since you know what? And since I’m gonna be probably doing that time, at least I’m gonna tell my truth.”
Also as of August 2, 2022, in another TikTok video posted “2d ago,” Masoud said [00:01:09] that his lawyer was Ron Kuby.
In the same video, Masoud spoke [00:01:24] about “Zionists,” saying at the end of the video [00:02:03]: “They control the media! They control everything!”
As of August 2, 2022, Masoud’s TikTok account featured a video posted “2d ago” where he said [00:00:09] his original court date was set for February 21, 2023.
In late July 2022, Masoud posted an undated TikTok video, which showed him wearing [00:00:01] an ankle monitor while under house arrest.
On July 5, 2022, the U.S. District Judge denied Masoud’s request to travel out of state.
On June 14, 2022, Masoud was arrested for the assault and charged with a hate crime. That same day, he posted a $75,000 bond and was ordered by the court to be on “Home Detention” and to wear “Location Monitoring Technology.”
Masoud’s TikTok video began by West saying [00:00:01]: “It’s Jewish Zionists that’s about that life … The devil is a defeated foe. You can't poison me and by the way y'all done already f**ked with me so much, y'all already black mirrored me. You already made everybody think I'm crazy. You already took my family away. You already separated all my friends…”
Masoud then said [00:00:32]: “You see a lot of people wanna say that yo, Kanye West is crazy, that he’s this and that, he’s anti-Semite, he’s this. But he’s speaking up for people like me who are going up against those powerful elites and don’t have the influence as he has, who can speak up against it…”
Masoud then showed [00:00:49] an internet search of news articles about his April 2022 assault against Matt Greenman.
Masoud continued [00:00:51]: “They can use the media and their outlets to paint whatever picture they like against people. Also, they can use foot soldiers of the marshals and the military and the NYPD to literally take you out your house and put you in jail, execute you, whatever it is. They’re literally using these people to carry out their missions of what they want.”
Masoud also stole the man’s Israeli flag and it ended up in the hands of Suleiman Othman, who tied it around his shoe to trample on it. Othman later held the flag after it was lit on fire. Masoud called the flag “our trophy for the day.”
The day after the WOL march, Masoud reportedly sent threatening messages to the Jewish Lives Matter Instagram page that concluded: “I feel bad for you zionist people when judgement day comes and we slaughter all of them like sheep.”
WOL’s April 20, 2022 rally was titled: “NYC EMERGENCY RALLY TO SUPPORT PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE & LIBERATION BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.” WOL chairperson Nerdeen Kiswani frequently uses the phrase “By Any Means Necessary” at her group’s rallies throughout New York City to support Palestinian terrorists and promote incitement and martyrdom. It is also a phrase Masoud echoed in a July 2021 interview where he talked about his desire to punch people who support Israel.
WOL’s promotional poster for the march said it would begin at the Israeli consulate, which WOL called the “ZIONIST MISSION.” The consulate is located at 800 Second Avenue, which is between 42nd and 43rd Street.
During the rally, Masoud and Othman led [00:44:21] the march while waving Palestinian flags. Othman spotted a man wearing an Israeli flag on his back, who started walking in front of them, alone. The man walked with a crutch and he came into view of Masoud on 42nd Street, between Second and Third Avenue.
Masoud and Othman both began shouting at the man while following him. Othman shouted “Yahouda,” an Arabic anti-Semitic slur that translates to “Judas,” referring to the disciple who betrayed Jesus. Othman then called the man a “p**sy” and then said: “that dirty f**king flag, yeah p**sy,” as he followed him down the street. Othman held up his middle finger as he approached the man.
Samuel Bravo, a local journalist, reported that a man who wore an Israeli flag on his back and walked with a crutch had been “chased down and beaten” at the march. Bravo posted a video that showed Masoud punching Matt Greenman, a Jewish man, in the face. Masoud also stole Greenman’s Israeli flag. Greenman later said that he had been thrown to the ground and kicked in the face during the assault.
Bravo also reported that an elderly woman was injured while trying to stop the attack.
The watchdog group Stop Antisemitism tweeted that the attack occured at 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Manhattan.
Later on, at the corner of 43rd Street and Third Avenue, two blocks from the attack, Masoud ran [00:47:27] back to the head of the march and pulled out an Israeli flag from under his sweatshirt.
The flag was next seen in the video less than 10 feet away from Masoud when Othman, who had been with Masoud earlier, could then be seen tying the flag to his foot and stomping on it. Protesters then said: “Yo, burn that s**t,” and: “Yo, who stole that s**t?” Othman then tied the flag to his foot again and dragged it along the pavement.
Othman later held the Israeli flag while it was on fire as he walked alongside Masoud, at the front of the march. He later repeatedly kicked the flag.
A tweet posted the next day showed a video originally from Masoud’s Instagram page with Othman holding the burning Israeli flag after Masoud asked: “Y’all wanna see our trophy for the day? That’s our trophy for the day.”
On April 21, 2022, Masoud reportedly [slide 3] sent threatening Instagram direct messages to Jewish Lives Matter through his account @red_lion_kingg.
Masoud’s direct messages, which Jewish Lives Matter later posted, said:
“I wish I can show you the things I do to Zionist
But I can’t post them
Come to the next protest we would love to have you there
Just come and find out
I would love to make you an example
Just keep watching my stories I’m going to keep violating you dirty zionist.”
The direct messages concluded: “I feel bad for you zionist people when judgement day comes and we slaughter all of them like sheep.”
On April 27, 2022, Greenman recounted the assault on him in an interview with the Jerusalem Post. Greenman said that he went to the emergency room where he was diagnosed with a mild concussion and a possible fracture above the eye, in addition to other injuries. Greenman said he filed a police report and that the attack was being investigated as a hate crime.
Greenman said that the man who pursued him said: “when we’re somewhere more private I’ve got something for you.” The Jerusalem Post article reported: “A short time later, the man allegedly attacked Greenman. He threw him to the ground and proceeded to punch and kick him in the face while he lay there. ‘That’s what you get for being a terrorist,’ he said he was told as the man left.”
On July 31, 2021, WOL held a rally in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn. Masoud burned [slide 10] an Israeli flag at the event.
At the rally, after fireworks were lit, Kiswani told [01:02:43] the crowd: “I hope that a pop-pop is the last noise that some Zionists hear in their lifetime!”
The WOL activists responded with loud cheers and applause.
At the same rally, Kiswani led [00:00:26] Arabic chants translated to: “The Gate of Al-Aqsa is made of iron, it can be opened only by martyrs” and [00:00:54] “Either we liberate [the Al-Aqsa Mosque] or we die!”
The allegation that Jews “threaten” to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque has been a pretext for Arab attacks on Jews long before the existence of the modern Jewish state. Such propaganda has led to multiple periods of violence against Israeli civilians.
Later at the rally, Kiswani translated [00:55:55] the chants into English, saying that “the Palestinian community and the people who stand with and support Palestine are 100% behind our martyrs. We are 100% behind our resistance. … We know that our liberation will only come through resistance by any means necessary.”
Masoud’s post featured a video of him holding an Israeli flag and a stick while being approached by police officers.
On July 7, 2021, Masoud gave an interview on the podcast of fellow WOL activist Anas Shuaib. Masoud said [00:52:04]: “There’s no talking to them [Zionists], there’s no fighting with love, fighting with peace. Because at the end of the day, sometimes people learn with a punch in their mouth. You know what I’m saying? Sometimes, after that, they wake up.”
Masoud then said [00:52:19]: “My whole thing is, the difference between me and other organizations, if any motherf**ker comes to you and starts getting in your face and lays hands on you, or whatever, you have the right by all and any means to defend yourself! Destroy that motherf**ker!”
Masoud said [00:25:34] that he had been to jail three times.
Masoud also said [00:20:12]: “F**k all cops, I don’t give a f**k. F**k all cops! If you’re a cop, you’re a f**king sheep … All y’all cops is dirty, I don’t wanna hear that s**t ‘oh some cops are good.’ F**k you.”
Masoud referred [00:46:05] to the “Holocaust” while using air quotes hand gestures. He added [00:46:05]: “We’ll get into that whole, y’all not ready for that conversation yet either.”
“Holocaust revisionism” is a form of anti-Semitism where proponents deny or minimize key aspects of the Holocaust.
Masoud defended [00:27:46] the “Holy Land 5 Foundation,” a reference to the Holy Land 5 (HL5). He said [00:28:54] of the HL5: “They are “f**king soldiers. We should have statues in they honor for what they did. For what they went through. And instead, we turned our back on them. D**n. D**n.”
On June 11, 2021, Masoud featured in a video and photos published by the Daily Mail where he led [00:00:01] the burning of an Israeli flag outside of Rockefeller Center. He later waved [00:01:04] a piece of the flag and yelled: “Allahu Akbar [God is Great]!”
The day after the rally, Masoud shared photos of his flag burning on Instagram. He wrote: “Some people laugh , cheer , or cry when i burn that Flag … It’s Foreshadowing that they will f**king burn and become NOTHING! The beginning to the end!”
WOL and Decolonize This Place jointly organized the rally which began at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Decolonize This Place is an anti-America and anti-Israel activist group, led by New York University professor Amin Husain.
The rally was part of the Strike MoMA campaign which targeted Jewish MoMA Board of Trustees members specifically for their pro-Israel activism or business ties to Israel, independent of any other issues.
The list included cosmetics executive Ronald Lauder for being president of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) and hedge fund manager Daniel Och for being on the board of Birthright Israel, a heritage trip to Israel for Jewish young adults from across the world.
The rally was also part of WOL’s “Globalize the Intifada” campaign, intended as an “ongoing strike at the heart of empire [sic] with Palestine as its compass.” The movement seeks to “break free from the genocidal grip of U.S. imperialism and Zionism” and advocates “liberation by any means necessary.”
On June 11, 2021, Husain featured in a Daily Mail video where he spilled [00:01:11] red paint on the sidewalk in front of the offices of global asset management firm BlackRock. Since 1971, BlackRock has invested in Lockheed Martin, which has done business with Israel. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink sits on MoMA’s board of trustees.
Kiswani spoke [00:00:13] outside of Rockefeller, saying: “You know how amazing it is, burning this Zionist flag that is responsible, that it symbolizes, the ethnic cleansing and the genocide of Palestinians?” As Kiswani spoke, Masoud was handling [00:00:10] a lighter while the Israeli flag was on the ground after it was burned.
Kiswani then said [00:00:35]: “We burning that s**t in the heart of the belly of the beast, in the heart of New York City, in front of Rockefeller, in front of the most notorious Zionists in this country that are right here in our city.”
Kiswani continued [00:00:49]: “We marched today, we took over the streets and we visited multiple Zionist settler foundations. Multiple. We let them know we know where they’re at. We know where they work. We’re gonna find out more about where they’re at too. And we’re gonna go after them.”
Husain also said [00:01:23]: “Palestine is not only over there, it’s over here. And we’re tired of just marching at the embassy. We will go to where these people feel they are comfortable.”
Husain then said [00:01:40]: “The money of the Rockefeller’s created MoMA. It’s no surprise, it’s no surprise that they wash their blood money with art.”
Husain told [00:03:00] the crowd: “You took Fifth Avenue. You took Sixth Avenue. You took Rockefeller Center. You went to the NYPD Foundation that is actually funded by people on the board at MoMA and you told them we’re not gonna use f**king words. We will go wherever you are comfortable.”
Husain concluded [00:03:16] his speech saying: “So finally, I am going to hand it over to Nerdeen to close out. One last thing, there’s an afterparty. Afterparty in front of MoMA at 8:30 because the illuminator is going to project large on the building for all our people back home to see our messages.”
At the Strike MoMa afterparty, organizers projected an image onto the MoMA building that read [slide 5]: “Long live Palestine! Fire to the colonizers!” Other images listed [00:04:00] MoMA board members and music included a song that said [00:00:18]: “F**k Israel, Israel a b**ch. B**ch, we out here mobbin’ on some Palestine s**t.”
On June 1, 2021, Masoud shared a video on Instagram where he was being restrained by the police. Masoud wrote: “This s**t is getting really annoying i can’t step 2 seconds out the car before i get gang assaulted by these pigs.”
The next day, he wrote on Instagram: “My occupation? I burn Israeli flags for a living gotta a problem come see me 
.”
Masoud and other activists pushed [00:01:33] and eventually breached [00:35:22] a police barricade erected to separate the pro-Israel rally from the counterprotest.
Masoud marched [00:35:36] with the anti-Israel activists toward the pro-Israel rally as they chanted and yelled at the pro-Israel side. One photo on Instagram showed [slide 8] Masoud speaking through a bullhorn at the head of the counterprotest.
Masoud then stole [00:35:36] an Israeli flag attached to a stick from one of the pro-Israel activists.
The anti-Israel activists then moved [00:37:54] back to their side of the barrier where they later chanted at the Israel supporters: “Nazis! Nazis!”
The police removed [00:03:03] the barrier and declared that the “assembly was unlawful” and demanded the crowd disperse or face charges. The police proceeded to arrest [00:03:20] several anti-Israel activists while others, including Masoud, fled the scene.
Masoud threw [00:14:15] garbage bags into the road in an attempt to create obstacles to law enforcement following [00:05:37] after them on bicycles. Other activists threw chairs and other items into the road.
Also on May 20, 2021, anti-Israel activists from the counterprotest violently attacked and reportedly yelled anti-Semitic slurs at Joseph Borgen, a Jewish man, who was heading to the pro-Israel rally. Police arrested two of the anti-Israel activists, charging them with assault as a hate crime, menacing as a hate crime and aggravated harassment as a hate crime. That same day, other anti-Israel activists also shot fireworks and spit at people.
On May 21, 2021, WOL posted two Instagram posts that offered legal support and advice to anyone arrested and portrayed the assailants as victims.
On May 18, 2021, Masoud led [00:00:08] a mob of anti-Israel activists in violently attacking two men, one of whom held an Israeli flag. The incident occurred the same day as a WOL march.
Masoud initially appeared in the center of an Instagram video documenting the attack where he was bobbing and weaving in front of the two men. Once the mob starting attacking and police rushed in, Masoud waited until the mob pushed one of the men against a van. He then moved in to punch the man’s head, who absorbed the blow and managed to get away.
Masoud joined with Kiswani and other WOL activists that day in waving Palestinian flags and setting off smoke cannisters on top of the lion statues outside of the New York Public Library.
On May 19, 2021, Masoud shared on Instagram a video where he confronted a group of reporters at the previous day’s WOL rally and said [00:00:38]: “You are not invited here. Keep your Zionist s**t out there.”
Masoud wrote: “Zionist news station not welcome to Our PROTEST! Cbs , fox , pix 11 were all kicked out because they don’t give us the real news i was made to look like the aggressor on every news outlet so now until they start giving the people REAL FACTUAL NEWS and NOT FAKE NEWS. You’re not allowed in our protest!”
On May 21, 2021, Kiswani posted [slide 2-5] photos to Instagram showing her, Masoud and the other protesters sitting on one of the New York Public Library’s lion statue.
She wrote: “These pictures capture exactly how Palestinian resistance makes us feel, like we are lions and like nothing can stop us. Salute to my brothers and sisters holding it down from NYC to falasteen [Palestine]. We will liberate ourselves. #DefendPalestine #Palestine #FreePalestine #WithinOurLifetime.”
On May 25, 2021, Kiswani posted to Instagram another photo that showed her, Masoud and the other protesters sitting on the Lion statue. She quoted a 10th century Arab poet, writing: “اذا رايت نيوب الليث بارزةً فلا تظ�� ان الليث يبتسم ‘If you see the teeth of the lion, do not think that the lion is smiling at you.’ Al-Mutanabbi. #globalizetheintifada #WithinOurLifetime.”
WOL leader Nerdeen Kiswani and other WOL activists marched to the precinct where Masoud was being held, to demand his release.
During a May 14, 2021 WOL rally in Manhattan, WOL activists burned [00:09:46] an Israeli flag and Kiswani led [00:00:01] the chant: “It is right to rebel! Israel, go to hell!” She also led the chant: “There is only one solution! Intifada, revolution!” Masoud and others have made the same call for “intifada,” which are common at WOL protests.
Since the early 2000s, the term “intifada,” which translates from Arabic as “uprising” or “insurrection,” has carried the connotation of violence.
At the same rally, Masoud was told by police to stop blocking traffic as he sat on the top of his car. He was later arrested for “blocking 53rd street roadway.”
One YouTube video showed [00:01:32] Masoud sitting on top of his car with his arms folded as he shouted at police officers: “Take me to jail! Take me to jail! I’mma show you how uncomfortable y’all can get!”
Masoud then stood up [00:01:40] and told the officers: “This is how uncomfortable y’all can get! This is how uncomfortable y’all can get!” In the video, he was next shown waving a Palestinian flag while chanting [00:01:46]: “Whose streets?! Our streets?!”
On the day of the protest, Masoud was shown [00:00:01] in a Twitter video being restrained by five police officers in a parking lot. As police walked him to their car, Masoud screamed [00:01:55]: “Yeah, I’ll go to jail proudly! I’ll go to jail proudly! Allahu Akbar [God is Great]! I’ll go to jail proudly, baby! I love it!”
Three police officers then lifted him up to push him into the police car, as he continued shouting [00:02:02]: “I’ll go to jail proudly! I love it! I love it!”
Following Masoud’s arrest, Kiswani and other WOL activists marched down 53rd Street to the Midtown North Police Precinct to demand Masoud’s release from there.
Also on May 14, 2021, Masoud shared to Instagram a video of WOL protesters outside the precinct, chanting at police: “Let him out!” He wrote on the post: “I F**KING LOVE ALL OF YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!! BIG SHOUT OUT TO @nerdeenk [Nerdeen Kiswani] & @mr.tayeh for organizing the chants you filled my heart with so much joy hearing you guys from the cell!!”
Kiswani sat [00:28:25] in the middle of the street with other protesters and later said [00:34:13] through a bullhorn: “So what we’re gonna do now is chant his name, ‘Free Saadah!’” She later led the chant: “Free Saadah! Free Free Free Saadah!”
On May 11, 2021, Masoud featured in a Twitter video by a CBS New York photographer from a WOL rally where he and other activists yelled at and tried to reach counterprotesters who were behind a police barrier. Another video published in the U.S. Sun showed [00:00:30] Masoud being restrained by police.
One of the anti-Israel activists managed to attack [00:00:17] and punch one of the pro-Israel counterprotesters, while also stealing an Israeli flag.
At the same WOL protest, Masoud joined [00:34:40] the chants: “There is only one solution! Intifada, Revolution!” and “It is right to rebel! Israel, go to hell!” While Kiswani led the chants at the head of the march, Masoud was on someone’s shoulders and waving a Palestinian flag less than 10 feet away from her.
Masoud also led [00:01:44] a crowd in chanting: “From the River to the Sea! Palestine will be Free!”
During the same protest, anti-Israel protesters chased [00:00:07] after police and a counterprotester, who was then hit in the head with a chair. When police noticed blood had begun pouring from his head, they ran him to a nearby building to safety.
The rally occurred during Israel’s Operation Guardian of the Walls(OGW) against Hamas.
In May 2021, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists fired over 4,300 rockets from Gaza at major population centers in Israel. Israel responded by launching OGW, carrying out targeted military strikes in Gaza.
On May 23, 2021, Masoud shared an Instagram video from the May 11, 2021 rally that showed him confronting and yelling at counter-protesters. In the same post, Masoud wrote: “I wonder why the news didn’t post this one up ? Why didn’t the cops arrest them ? Btw [by the way] this was a PALESTINIAN PROTEST and they came to COUNTER PROTEST i guess they want to continue killing kids.”
Masoud also wrote on LinkedIn that he received an associate’s degree in Business Administration and Management from the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) in 2015.
On September 1, 2022, Masoud posted a TikTok video where he wrote [00:00:04] that he was “a year from graduating.” However, in a July 2021 YouTube interview, Masoud said [00:44:28] he quit Baruch before his two remaining semesters.
As of October 2022, Masoud was listed by the New York Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) as a Process Server, with an inactive license due to a suspension on February 22, 2022 for “Failure to Comply with Order.”
Also as of the same date, Masoud’s LinkedIn page also said had been a “Guest Service Agent,” at Hyatt Hotels Corporation in Manhattan from February 2019 to March 2020. His LinkedIn also said he was a “Bell Attendant” at Hotel 50 Bowery in Manhattan from August 2018 to February 2019.
As of March 2022, Masoud’s Backstage.com profile page said he was an “Actor & Model” in Brooklyn, New York.
In a July 2021 YouTube interview, Masoud said [00:24:48] he produced “Red Lions” t-shirts that he gave [00:25:22] to people who he believed have “the heart to speak up against injustice.”
As of October 2022, Masoud used the handle “@bodegachronicles” on TikTok and the handle “@red_lion_kingg” on Instagram.
Acts of violence and physical confrontations with police have frequently occurred at WOL protests and marches. WOL uses harassment campaigns to target pro-Israel organizations or companies that do business with Israel, making it a part of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Multiple activists who have either burned Israeli flags or led chants at WOL rallies were later jailed for violent anti-Semitic hate crimes, including Saadah Masoud and Waseem Awawdeh. In Masoud’s case, he received 18 months in jail for an anti-Semitic assault at an April 2022 WOL rally and two other anti-Semitic assaults in 2021.
WOL promotes “resistance” against Israel “by any means necessary,” calls to “Globalize the Intifada,” spreads incitement and idolizes [00:34:06] Palestinian terrorists like Leila Khaled and others at rallies and online events.
WOL was founded by Nerdeen Kiswani and Dan Cione in 2015. Kiswani is a frequent speaker at WOL rallies where she has promoted terrorism against Israelis and called for the death of Zionists. She has also provided support for Masoud and other activists following their arrests.
WOL began as the New York City chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), going by NYC SJP, but changed its name in 2018. The group is not found to be registered in any U.S. state as a nonprofit organization under its official name. Nor is there any listing for WOL under its name on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website for tax-exempt organizations.
When violent anti-Israel activist Mahmoud R. Musa was released from prison on June 9, 2021, he appeared [00:00:01] in a Twitter video with a Red Lions t-shirt draped on his back. Musa said [00:00:03], “Free Palestine,” and then Masoud said: “talk that s**t lions!” Musa was greeted [00:00:17] by several other people in Red Lions t-shirts. He then hugged [00:00:21] Masoud, who wore a Red Lions t-shirt.
Twitter 1: https://twitter.com/Common_sensez
Twitter 2: https://twitter.com/saadah20382728
Instagram 1: https://www.instagram.com/red_lion_kingg/
Instagram 2: https://www.instagram.com/happiness_nyc/
Instagram 3: https://www.instagram.com/saadah_nyc/ [Private]
LinkedIn 1: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saadah-masoud-b6b077176/
LinkedIn 2: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saadah-masoud-2b9007158/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR6iW2n1oEdRNrhdJthyIsQ/featured
TikTok 1:https://www.tiktok.com/@bodegachronicles
TikTok 2: https://www.tiktok.com/@bodega_chronicles9
https://www.tiktok.com/@Bodega_chronicles [Deleted]
TikTok 3: https://www.tiktok.com/@red_lion_kinggg [Deleted]
Harri.com: https://harri.com/Saadah-Masoud-1
Masoud marches with activists in New York May 21 2021
Masoud with anti-Israel Protesters in New York May 19 2021
Masoud at Protest July 29 2021
Masoud attends Palestine Protest May 23 2021
Masoud at MOMA Protest May 21 2021
Masoud Approaches Protesters May 23 2021
Masoud at Protest May 19 2021
Masoud at Protest May 14 2021
The Sun footage of Masoud at rally May 11 2021
Masoud Instagram Video June 1 2021
As part of his guilty plea, Masoud admitted to committing the following acts of violence:
“- On or about April 20, 2022, Masoud assaulted a victim who was wearing an Israeli flag;
- On or about June 2, 2021, in Brooklyn, Masoud and a co-conspirator assaulted a victim who was wearing clothing traditionally associated with the Jewish religion, while the victim was sitting outside the victim’s own home;
- On or about May 20, 2021, in Manhattan, Masoud assaulted a victim who was wearing a Star of David necklace.”
For more information on the April 20, 2022 incident, see the section below titled: “April 20 - 27, 2022 - WOL Rally and Aftermath.” On that day, Masoud followed a man wearing an Israeli flag, threw him to the ground and then punched and kicked him in the face. The man went to the emergency room with a concussion and multiple injuries.
For more information on the May 20, 2021 incident, see the section below titled: “May 20 - 21, 2021 - Violent Protest.” On that day, he stole a rally-goer’s Israeli flag, forcibly pushed police barricades and threw garbage into the street in an attempt to evade arrest.
On September 1, 2022, Masoud posted a video to TikTok where he wore an ankle monitor at home. He wrote that he was under “#housearrest.”
On the same date, Masoud posted a TikTok video of him wearing the ankle monitor in a college library. He wrote: “It’s ok the richest men in America are all Crooks i guess I’ll fit right in
.”As of August 2, 2022, in a TikTok video posted “2d ago,” Masoud said [00:00:38]: “I spoke to my lawyer now, and to be honest with you, for the case that’s going on, I’m probably looking at 15 months, so almost five years for some bulls**t. And since you know what? And since I’m gonna be probably doing that time, at least I’m gonna tell my truth.”
Also as of August 2, 2022, in another TikTok video posted “2d ago,” Masoud said [00:01:09] that his lawyer was Ron Kuby.
In the same video, Masoud spoke [00:01:24] about “Zionists,” saying at the end of the video [00:02:03]: “They control the media! They control everything!”
As of August 2, 2022, Masoud’s TikTok account featured a video posted “2d ago” where he said [00:00:09] his original court date was set for February 21, 2023.
In late July 2022, Masoud posted an undated TikTok video, which showed him wearing [00:00:01] an ankle monitor while under house arrest.
On July 5, 2022, the U.S. District Judge denied Masoud’s request to travel out of state.
On June 14, 2022, Masoud was arrested for the assault and charged with a hate crime. That same day, he posted a $75,000 bond and was ordered by the court to be on “Home Detention” and to wear “Location Monitoring Technology.”
October 18, 2022 - Spreading Anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theories
Masoud posted a video to TikTok that began with a clip of rapper Kanye West spreading conspiracy theories about “Jewish Zionists.” Masoud spoke in support of West, who is known as “Ye.” He also posted the same video to Instagram.Masoud’s TikTok video began by West saying [00:00:01]: “It’s Jewish Zionists that’s about that life … The devil is a defeated foe. You can't poison me and by the way y'all done already f**ked with me so much, y'all already black mirrored me. You already made everybody think I'm crazy. You already took my family away. You already separated all my friends…”
Masoud then said [00:00:32]: “You see a lot of people wanna say that yo, Kanye West is crazy, that he’s this and that, he’s anti-Semite, he’s this. But he’s speaking up for people like me who are going up against those powerful elites and don’t have the influence as he has, who can speak up against it…”
Masoud then showed [00:00:49] an internet search of news articles about his April 2022 assault against Matt Greenman.
Masoud continued [00:00:51]: “They can use the media and their outlets to paint whatever picture they like against people. Also, they can use foot soldiers of the marshals and the military and the NYPD to literally take you out your house and put you in jail, execute you, whatever it is. They’re literally using these people to carry out their missions of what they want.”
April 20 - 27, 2022 - WOL Rally and Aftermath
Masoud was one the leaders of a WOL rally where he violently assaulted a man on a crutch who was counterprotesting the event. Masoud verbally threatened the man, followed him, chased him down, threw him to the ground and then punched and kicked him in the face.Masoud also stole the man’s Israeli flag and it ended up in the hands of Suleiman Othman, who tied it around his shoe to trample on it. Othman later held the flag after it was lit on fire. Masoud called the flag “our trophy for the day.”
The day after the WOL march, Masoud reportedly sent threatening messages to the Jewish Lives Matter Instagram page that concluded: “I feel bad for you zionist people when judgement day comes and we slaughter all of them like sheep.”
WOL’s April 20, 2022 rally was titled: “NYC EMERGENCY RALLY TO SUPPORT PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE & LIBERATION BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.” WOL chairperson Nerdeen Kiswani frequently uses the phrase “By Any Means Necessary” at her group’s rallies throughout New York City to support Palestinian terrorists and promote incitement and martyrdom. It is also a phrase Masoud echoed in a July 2021 interview where he talked about his desire to punch people who support Israel.
WOL’s promotional poster for the march said it would begin at the Israeli consulate, which WOL called the “ZIONIST MISSION.” The consulate is located at 800 Second Avenue, which is between 42nd and 43rd Street.
During the rally, Masoud and Othman led [00:44:21] the march while waving Palestinian flags. Othman spotted a man wearing an Israeli flag on his back, who started walking in front of them, alone. The man walked with a crutch and he came into view of Masoud on 42nd Street, between Second and Third Avenue.
Masoud and Othman both began shouting at the man while following him. Othman shouted “Yahouda,” an Arabic anti-Semitic slur that translates to “Judas,” referring to the disciple who betrayed Jesus. Othman then called the man a “p**sy” and then said: “that dirty f**king flag, yeah p**sy,” as he followed him down the street. Othman held up his middle finger as he approached the man.
Masoud also shouted [00:44:31]: “Hey, yo! Tough Guy!” and sped up to reach the man wearing the Israeli flag. As Masoud quickened his pace, anti-Israel agitator Mohammad Odeh and another activist ran [00:45:05] ahead to reach Masoud and the man.
Samuel Bravo, a local journalist, reported that a man who wore an Israeli flag on his back and walked with a crutch had been “chased down and beaten” at the march. Bravo posted a video that showed Masoud punching Matt Greenman, a Jewish man, in the face. Masoud also stole Greenman’s Israeli flag. Greenman later said that he had been thrown to the ground and kicked in the face during the assault.
Bravo also reported that an elderly woman was injured while trying to stop the attack.
The watchdog group Stop Antisemitism tweeted that the attack occured at 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Manhattan.
Later on, at the corner of 43rd Street and Third Avenue, two blocks from the attack, Masoud ran [00:47:27] back to the head of the march and pulled out an Israeli flag from under his sweatshirt.
The flag was next seen in the video less than 10 feet away from Masoud when Othman, who had been with Masoud earlier, could then be seen tying the flag to his foot and stomping on it. Protesters then said: “Yo, burn that s**t,” and: “Yo, who stole that s**t?” Othman then tied the flag to his foot again and dragged it along the pavement.
Othman later held the Israeli flag while it was on fire as he walked alongside Masoud, at the front of the march. He later repeatedly kicked the flag.
A tweet posted the next day showed a video originally from Masoud’s Instagram page with Othman holding the burning Israeli flag after Masoud asked: “Y’all wanna see our trophy for the day? That’s our trophy for the day.”
On April 21, 2022, Masoud reportedly [slide 3] sent threatening Instagram direct messages to Jewish Lives Matter through his account @red_lion_kingg.
Masoud’s direct messages, which Jewish Lives Matter later posted, said:
“I wish I can show you the things I do to Zionist
But I can’t post them
Come to the next protest we would love to have you there
Just come and find out
I would love to make you an example
Just keep watching my stories I’m going to keep violating you dirty zionist.”
The direct messages concluded: “I feel bad for you zionist people when judgement day comes and we slaughter all of them like sheep.”
On April 27, 2022, Greenman recounted the assault on him in an interview with the Jerusalem Post. Greenman said that he went to the emergency room where he was diagnosed with a mild concussion and a possible fracture above the eye, in addition to other injuries. Greenman said he filed a police report and that the attack was being investigated as a hate crime.
Greenman said that the man who pursued him said: “when we’re somewhere more private I’ve got something for you.” The Jerusalem Post article reported: “A short time later, the man allegedly attacked Greenman. He threw him to the ground and proceeded to punch and kick him in the face while he lay there. ‘That’s what you get for being a terrorist,’ he said he was told as the man left.”
July 31, 2021 - WOL Protest
Masoud burned an Israeli flag at a Brooklyn WOL event where Nerdeen Kiswani spread incitement to violence and celebrated martyrdom.On July 31, 2021, WOL held a rally in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn. Masoud burned [slide 10] an Israeli flag at the event.
At the rally, after fireworks were lit, Kiswani told [01:02:43] the crowd: “I hope that a pop-pop is the last noise that some Zionists hear in their lifetime!”
The WOL activists responded with loud cheers and applause.
At the same rally, Kiswani led [00:00:26] Arabic chants translated to: “The Gate of Al-Aqsa is made of iron, it can be opened only by martyrs” and [00:00:54] “Either we liberate [the Al-Aqsa Mosque] or we die!”
The allegation that Jews “threaten” to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque has been a pretext for Arab attacks on Jews long before the existence of the modern Jewish state. Such propaganda has led to multiple periods of violence against Israeli civilians.
Later at the rally, Kiswani translated [00:55:55] the chants into English, saying that “the Palestinian community and the people who stand with and support Palestine are 100% behind our martyrs. We are 100% behind our resistance. … We know that our liberation will only come through resistance by any means necessary.”
July 29, 2021 - Robbery and Assault
On July 29, 2021, Masoud posted on Instagram that he had been charged with “robbery and assault” for stealing an Israeli flag and a hockey stick.Masoud’s post featured a video of him holding an Israeli flag and a stick while being approached by police officers.
July 7, 2021 - WOL Activist’s Podcast
Masoud spoke on a podcast in which he admitted to having been incarcerated three times. He also promoted hatred of Zionists and of the police, spread Holocaust revisionism and expressed support for terror financiers.On July 7, 2021, Masoud gave an interview on the podcast of fellow WOL activist Anas Shuaib. Masoud said [00:52:04]: “There’s no talking to them [Zionists], there’s no fighting with love, fighting with peace. Because at the end of the day, sometimes people learn with a punch in their mouth. You know what I’m saying? Sometimes, after that, they wake up.”
Masoud then said [00:52:19]: “My whole thing is, the difference between me and other organizations, if any motherf**ker comes to you and starts getting in your face and lays hands on you, or whatever, you have the right by all and any means to defend yourself! Destroy that motherf**ker!”
Masoud said [00:25:34] that he had been to jail three times.
Masoud also said [00:20:12]: “F**k all cops, I don’t give a f**k. F**k all cops! If you’re a cop, you’re a f**king sheep … All y’all cops is dirty, I don’t wanna hear that s**t ‘oh some cops are good.’ F**k you.”
Masoud referred [00:46:05] to the “Holocaust” while using air quotes hand gestures. He added [00:46:05]: “We’ll get into that whole, y’all not ready for that conversation yet either.”
“Holocaust revisionism” is a form of anti-Semitism where proponents deny or minimize key aspects of the Holocaust.
Masoud defended [00:27:46] the “Holy Land 5 Foundation,” a reference to the Holy Land 5 (HL5). He said [00:28:54] of the HL5: “They are “f**king soldiers. We should have statues in they honor for what they did. For what they went through. And instead, we turned our back on them. D**n. D**n.”
The Holy Land Five (HLF5) 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.
Someone off screen told [00:44:25] Masoud: “I go to a predominantly Jewish college. I go to CUNY Baruch.”
Masoud responded [00:44:28] “I go to Baruch too! Swear to God, yeah! Yo, listen, I quit though. … I want this to be known too. I had two two semesters left in Baruch but because it’s such a dirty a** Zionist a** f**king school, I will never go back to that school! F**k your school! And I literally had two more semesters to get my bachelor’s in Marketing/Management and I refused! I said f**k it!” Shuaib responded: “Preach!”
The person off camera then asked [00:45:10] Masoud about Jews immigrating to Palestine: “What do you tell Israelis that will say that if we let the Palestinians take over, what’s to stop the Palestinians from doing to the Israelis what the Israelis did to the Palestinians?”
Masoud responded [00:45:34]: “Who let them in the beginning was the Falastinis [Palestinians]! Why didn’t we stop them in the beginning? Why didn’t we say ‘no no no, you guys are not allowed to come in?’ We said, ‘We open up with open arms’ because we are a child of God!”
Masoud responded [00:44:28] “I go to Baruch too! Swear to God, yeah! Yo, listen, I quit though. … I want this to be known too. I had two two semesters left in Baruch but because it’s such a dirty a** Zionist a** f**king school, I will never go back to that school! F**k your school! And I literally had two more semesters to get my bachelor’s in Marketing/Management and I refused! I said f**k it!” Shuaib responded: “Preach!”
The person off camera then asked [00:45:10] Masoud about Jews immigrating to Palestine: “What do you tell Israelis that will say that if we let the Palestinians take over, what’s to stop the Palestinians from doing to the Israelis what the Israelis did to the Palestinians?”
Masoud responded [00:45:34]: “Who let them in the beginning was the Falastinis [Palestinians]! Why didn’t we stop them in the beginning? Why didn’t we say ‘no no no, you guys are not allowed to come in?’ We said, ‘We open up with open arms’ because we are a child of God!”
The claim that Palestinians saved Holocaust survivors has been denounced by politicians and described by leading historian Benny Morris as “completely ignorant” or a lie. Great Britian issued a “White Paper” constraining Jewish immigration to Mandatory Palestine from 1939 to 1945, in response to Arab opposition to and riots.
June 11, 2021 - WOL and Strike MoMA Protest
Masoud burned an Israeli flag in front of a large crowd outside of Rockefeller Center. The day after the incident, he wrote that burning an Israeli flag is “Foreshadowing that they will f**king burn and become NOTHING! The beginning to the end!”On June 11, 2021, Masoud featured in a video and photos published by the Daily Mail where he led [00:00:01] the burning of an Israeli flag outside of Rockefeller Center. He later waved [00:01:04] a piece of the flag and yelled: “Allahu Akbar [God is Great]!”
The day after the rally, Masoud shared photos of his flag burning on Instagram. He wrote: “Some people laugh , cheer , or cry when i burn that Flag … It’s Foreshadowing that they will f**king burn and become NOTHING! The beginning to the end!”
WOL and Decolonize This Place jointly organized the rally which began at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Decolonize This Place is an anti-America and anti-Israel activist group, led by New York University professor Amin Husain.
The rally was part of the Strike MoMA campaign which targeted Jewish MoMA Board of Trustees members specifically for their pro-Israel activism or business ties to Israel, independent of any other issues.
The list included cosmetics executive Ronald Lauder for being president of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) and hedge fund manager Daniel Och for being on the board of Birthright Israel, a heritage trip to Israel for Jewish young adults from across the world.
The rally was also part of WOL’s “Globalize the Intifada” campaign, intended as an “ongoing strike at the heart of empire [sic] with Palestine as its compass.” The movement seeks to “break free from the genocidal grip of U.S. imperialism and Zionism” and advocates “liberation by any means necessary.”
On June 11, 2021, Husain featured in a Daily Mail video where he spilled [00:01:11] red paint on the sidewalk in front of the offices of global asset management firm BlackRock. Since 1971, BlackRock has invested in Lockheed Martin, which has done business with Israel. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink sits on MoMA’s board of trustees.
Kiswani spoke [00:00:13] outside of Rockefeller, saying: “You know how amazing it is, burning this Zionist flag that is responsible, that it symbolizes, the ethnic cleansing and the genocide of Palestinians?” As Kiswani spoke, Masoud was handling [00:00:10] a lighter while the Israeli flag was on the ground after it was burned.
Kiswani then said [00:00:35]: “We burning that s**t in the heart of the belly of the beast, in the heart of New York City, in front of Rockefeller, in front of the most notorious Zionists in this country that are right here in our city.”
Kiswani continued [00:00:49]: “We marched today, we took over the streets and we visited multiple Zionist settler foundations. Multiple. We let them know we know where they’re at. We know where they work. We’re gonna find out more about where they’re at too. And we’re gonna go after them.”
Husain also said [00:01:23]: “Palestine is not only over there, it’s over here. And we’re tired of just marching at the embassy. We will go to where these people feel they are comfortable.”
Husain then said [00:01:40]: “The money of the Rockefeller’s created MoMA. It’s no surprise, it’s no surprise that they wash their blood money with art.”
Husain told [00:03:00] the crowd: “You took Fifth Avenue. You took Sixth Avenue. You took Rockefeller Center. You went to the NYPD Foundation that is actually funded by people on the board at MoMA and you told them we’re not gonna use f**king words. We will go wherever you are comfortable.”
Husain concluded [00:03:16] his speech saying: “So finally, I am going to hand it over to Nerdeen to close out. One last thing, there’s an afterparty. Afterparty in front of MoMA at 8:30 because the illuminator is going to project large on the building for all our people back home to see our messages.”
At the Strike MoMa afterparty, organizers projected an image onto the MoMA building that read [slide 5]: “Long live Palestine! Fire to the colonizers!” Other images listed [00:04:00] MoMA board members and music included a song that said [00:00:18]: “F**k Israel, Israel a b**ch. B**ch, we out here mobbin’ on some Palestine s**t.”
June 1 & 4, 2021 - Altercations with Police
On June 4, 2021, Masoud shared a video on Instagram of police officers inside his home. He wrote: “MUST WATCH LOOK AT THESE DIRTY A** COPS BREAKING INTO MY HOUSE AND BEATING ME UP I WASNT EVEN DRESSED!F**KIN THUGS!”On June 1, 2021, Masoud shared a video on Instagram where he was being restrained by the police. Masoud wrote: “This s**t is getting really annoying i can’t step 2 seconds out the car before i get gang assaulted by these pigs.”
May 22, 2021 - WOL Protest
On May 22, 2021, Masoud burned an Israeli flag at a WOL rally in Queens.The next day, he wrote on Instagram: “My occupation? I burn Israeli flags for a living
gotta a problem come see me .”May 20 - 21, 2021 - Violent Protest
Masoud participated in a violent counterprotest against a pro-Israel rally in Times Square. He stole a rally-goer’s Israeli flag and stick, forcibly moved police barricades and then threw garbage into the street in an attempt to evade arrest. Other anti-Israel activists were arrested and WOL lent legal support to them the following day.Masoud and other activists pushed [00:01:33] and eventually breached [00:35:22] a police barricade erected to separate the pro-Israel rally from the counterprotest.
Masoud marched [00:35:36] with the anti-Israel activists toward the pro-Israel rally as they chanted and yelled at the pro-Israel side. One photo on Instagram showed [slide 8] Masoud speaking through a bullhorn at the head of the counterprotest.
Masoud then stole [00:35:36] an Israeli flag attached to a stick from one of the pro-Israel activists.
The anti-Israel activists then moved [00:37:54] back to their side of the barrier where they later chanted at the Israel supporters: “Nazis! Nazis!”
The police removed [00:03:03] the barrier and declared that the “assembly was unlawful” and demanded the crowd disperse or face charges. The police proceeded to arrest [00:03:20] several anti-Israel activists while others, including Masoud, fled the scene.
Masoud threw [00:14:15] garbage bags into the road in an attempt to create obstacles to law enforcement following [00:05:37] after them on bicycles. Other activists threw chairs and other items into the road.
Also on May 20, 2021, anti-Israel activists from the counterprotest violently attacked and reportedly yelled anti-Semitic slurs at Joseph Borgen, a Jewish man, who was heading to the pro-Israel rally. Police arrested two of the anti-Israel activists, charging them with assault as a hate crime, menacing as a hate crime and aggravated harassment as a hate crime. That same day, other anti-Israel activists also shot fireworks and spit at people.
On May 21, 2021, WOL posted two Instagram posts that offered legal support and advice to anyone arrested and portrayed the assailants as victims.
May 18, 2021 - WOL Protest and Violent Assault
Masoud led a mob in an attack on two pro-Israel activists. He punched one of them in the head. At the same protest, he joined Nerdeen Kiswani and other activists in standing on one of the lion statues outside of the New York Public Library where they set off smoke canisters.On May 18, 2021, Masoud led [00:00:08] a mob of anti-Israel activists in violently attacking two men, one of whom held an Israeli flag. The incident occurred the same day as a WOL march.
Masoud initially appeared in the center of an Instagram video documenting the attack where he was bobbing and weaving in front of the two men. Once the mob starting attacking and police rushed in, Masoud waited until the mob pushed one of the men against a van. He then moved in to punch the man’s head, who absorbed the blow and managed to get away.
Masoud joined with Kiswani and other WOL activists that day in waving Palestinian flags and setting off smoke cannisters on top of the lion statues outside of the New York Public Library.
On May 19, 2021, Masoud shared on Instagram a video where he confronted a group of reporters at the previous day’s WOL rally and said [00:00:38]: “You are not invited here. Keep your Zionist s**t out there.”
Masoud wrote: “Zionist news station not welcome to Our PROTEST! Cbs , fox , pix 11 were all kicked out because they don’t give us the real news i was made to look like the aggressor on every news outlet so now until they start giving the people REAL FACTUAL NEWS and NOT FAKE NEWS. You’re not allowed in our protest!”
On May 21, 2021, Kiswani posted [slide 2-5] photos to Instagram showing her, Masoud and the other protesters sitting on one of the New York Public Library’s lion statue.
She wrote: “These pictures capture exactly how Palestinian resistance makes us feel, like we are lions and like nothing can stop us. Salute to my brothers and sisters holding it down from NYC to falasteen [Palestine]. We will liberate ourselves. #DefendPalestine #Palestine #FreePalestine #WithinOurLifetime.”
On May 25, 2021, Kiswani posted to Instagram another photo that showed her, Masoud and the other protesters sitting on the Lion statue. She quoted a 10th century Arab poet, writing: “اذا رايت نيوب الليث بارزةً فلا تظ�� ان الليث يبتسم ‘If you see the teeth of the lion, do not think that the lion is smiling at you.’ Al-Mutanabbi. #globalizetheintifada #WithinOurLifetime.”
May 15, 2021 - WOL Protest
At a May 15, 2021, WOL protest in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Masoud stood [slide 5] on the roof of a New York City bus that appeared to be in use but was blocked by a crowd of protesters.May 14, 2021 - WOL Protest and Arrest
Masoud was arrested for blocking traffic during a WOL protest in Manhattan. He had to be restrained by multiple officers during his arrest and while being placed into a police car. During the arrest, Masoud yelled at police: “Yeah, I’ll go to jail proudly! I’ll go to jail proudly! Allahu Akbar [God is Great]! I’ll go to jail proudly, baby! I love it!”WOL leader Nerdeen Kiswani and other WOL activists marched to the precinct where Masoud was being held, to demand his release.
During a May 14, 2021 WOL rally in Manhattan, WOL activists burned [00:09:46] an Israeli flag and Kiswani led [00:00:01] the chant: “It is right to rebel! Israel, go to hell!” She also led the chant: “There is only one solution! Intifada, revolution!” Masoud and others have made the same call for “intifada,” which are common at WOL protests.
Since the early 2000s, the term “intifada,” which translates from Arabic as “uprising” or “insurrection,” has carried the connotation of violence.
At the same rally, Masoud was told by police to stop blocking traffic as he sat on the top of his car. He was later arrested for “blocking 53rd street roadway.”
One YouTube video showed [00:01:32] Masoud sitting on top of his car with his arms folded as he shouted at police officers: “Take me to jail! Take me to jail! I’mma show you how uncomfortable y’all can get!”
Masoud then stood up [00:01:40] and told the officers: “This is how uncomfortable y’all can get! This is how uncomfortable y’all can get!” In the video, he was next shown waving a Palestinian flag while chanting [00:01:46]: “Whose streets?! Our streets?!”
On the day of the protest, Masoud was shown [00:00:01] in a Twitter video being restrained by five police officers in a parking lot. As police walked him to their car, Masoud screamed [00:01:55]: “Yeah, I’ll go to jail proudly! I’ll go to jail proudly! Allahu Akbar [God is Great]! I’ll go to jail proudly, baby! I love it!”
Three police officers then lifted him up to push him into the police car, as he continued shouting [00:02:02]: “I’ll go to jail proudly! I love it! I love it!”
Following Masoud’s arrest, Kiswani and other WOL activists marched down 53rd Street to the Midtown North Police Precinct to demand Masoud’s release from there.
Also on May 14, 2021, Masoud shared to Instagram a video of WOL protesters outside the precinct, chanting at police: “Let him out!” He wrote on the post: “I F**KING LOVE ALL OF YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!! BIG SHOUT OUT TO @nerdeenk [Nerdeen Kiswani] & @mr.tayeh for organizing the chants you filled my heart with so much joy hearing you guys from the cell!!”
Kiswani sat [00:28:25] in the middle of the street with other protesters and later said [00:34:13] through a bullhorn: “So what we’re gonna do now is chant his name, ‘Free Saadah!’” She later led the chant: “Free Saadah! Free Free Free Saadah!”
May 11, 2021 - WOL Protest & Aftermath
Masoud was among a group of WOL activists who attempted to attack pro-Israel counterprotesters at a WOL protest outside of the Israeli consulate in Manhattan. He had to be restrained by police during the confrontation. He also led and joined in chants that promoted incitement and called for Israel’s destruction.On May 11, 2021, Masoud featured in a Twitter video by a CBS New York photographer from a WOL rally where he and other activists yelled at and tried to reach counterprotesters who were behind a police barrier. Another video published in the U.S. Sun showed [00:00:30] Masoud being restrained by police.
One of the anti-Israel activists managed to attack [00:00:17] and punch one of the pro-Israel counterprotesters, while also stealing an Israeli flag.
At the same WOL protest, Masoud joined [00:34:40] the chants: “There is only one solution! Intifada, Revolution!” and “It is right to rebel! Israel, go to hell!” While Kiswani led the chants at the head of the march, Masoud was on someone’s shoulders and waving a Palestinian flag less than 10 feet away from her.
Masoud also led [00:01:44] a crowd in chanting: “From the River to the Sea! Palestine will be Free!”
“From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free” is a chant used [00:02:47] to call for the elimination of 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. In April 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning the chant as antisemitic.
During the same protest, anti-Israel protesters chased [00:00:07] after police and a counterprotester, who was then hit in the head with a chair. When police noticed blood had begun pouring from his head, they ran him to a nearby building to safety.
The rally occurred during Israel’s Operation Guardian of the Walls(OGW) against Hamas.
In May 2021, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists fired over 4,300 rockets from Gaza at major population centers in Israel. Israel responded by launching OGW, carrying out targeted military strikes in Gaza.
On May 23, 2021, Masoud shared an Instagram video from the May 11, 2021 rally that showed him confronting and yelling at counter-protesters. In the same post, Masoud wrote: “I wonder why the news didn’t post this one up ? Why didn’t the cops arrest them ? Btw [by the way] this was a PALESTINIAN PROTEST and they came to COUNTER PROTEST i guess they want to continue killing kids
.” Biographical Information
As of October 2022, Masoud’s LinkedIn page said he was studying for a bachelor's degree in “Marketing/Marketing Management” at Baruch College (Baruch), since September 2017, and slated to graduate in May 2023.Masoud also wrote on LinkedIn that he received an associate’s degree in Business Administration and Management from the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) in 2015.
On September 1, 2022, Masoud posted a TikTok video where he wrote [00:00:04] that he was “a year from graduating.” However, in a July 2021 YouTube interview, Masoud said [00:44:28] he quit Baruch before his two remaining semesters.
As of October 2022, Masoud was listed by the New York Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) as a Process Server, with an inactive license due to a suspension on February 22, 2022 for “Failure to Comply with Order.”
Also as of the same date, Masoud’s LinkedIn page also said had been a “Guest Service Agent,” at Hyatt Hotels Corporation in Manhattan from February 2019 to March 2020. His LinkedIn also said he was a “Bell Attendant” at Hotel 50 Bowery in Manhattan from August 2018 to February 2019.
As of March 2022, Masoud’s Backstage.com profile page said he was an “Actor & Model” in Brooklyn, New York.
In a July 2021 YouTube interview, Masoud said [00:24:48] he produced “Red Lions” t-shirts that he gave [00:25:22] to people who he believed have “the heart to speak up against injustice.”
As of October 2022, Masoud used the handle “@bodegachronicles” on TikTok and the handle “@red_lion_kingg” on Instagram.
WOL
Within Our Lifetime (WOL) is a pro-terror activist group in New York City dedicated to Israel’s destruction within the lifetime of its members.Acts of violence and physical confrontations with police have frequently occurred at WOL protests and marches. WOL uses harassment campaigns to target pro-Israel organizations or companies that do business with Israel, making it a part of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Multiple activists who have either burned Israeli flags or led chants at WOL rallies were later jailed for violent anti-Semitic hate crimes, including Saadah Masoud and Waseem Awawdeh. In Masoud’s case, he received 18 months in jail for an anti-Semitic assault at an April 2022 WOL rally and two other anti-Semitic assaults in 2021.
WOL promotes “resistance” against Israel “by any means necessary,” calls to “Globalize the Intifada,” spreads incitement and idolizes [00:34:06] Palestinian terrorists like Leila Khaled and others at rallies and online events.
WOL was founded by Nerdeen Kiswani and Dan Cione in 2015. Kiswani is a frequent speaker at WOL rallies where she has promoted terrorism against Israelis and called for the death of Zionists. She has also provided support for Masoud and other activists following their arrests.
WOL began as the New York City chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), going by NYC SJP, but changed its name in 2018. The group is not found to be registered in any U.S. state as a nonprofit organization under its official name. Nor is there any listing for WOL under its name on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website for tax-exempt organizations.
Red Lions
The Red Lions is an anti-Israel group led by activist Saadah Masoud, a violent convicted criminal. He has promoted [00:52:04] violence against Israel supporters in his Red Lions activism.
In a July 2021 interview, Masoud discussed [00:24:48] how he founded the Red Lions as an “idea” for “anybody who has the heart to speak up against injustice” and how he gave [00:25:22] “Red Lions” t-shirts he made to people he felt lived up to this standard.
Red Lions activists have participated [slide 4] in multiple Within Our Lifetime (WOL) protests in New York City. At WOL protests, Red Lions activists [00:01:43] have expressed [00:17:58] hatred of Israelis, promoted [00:06:11] incitement and ripped [00:00:41] and burned [00:01:25] an Israeli flag.
In a July 2021 interview, Masoud discussed [00:24:48] how he founded the Red Lions as an “idea” for “anybody who has the heart to speak up against injustice” and how he gave [00:25:22] “Red Lions” t-shirts he made to people he felt lived up to this standard.
Red Lions activists have participated [slide 4] in multiple Within Our Lifetime (WOL) protests in New York City. At WOL protests, Red Lions activists [00:01:43] have expressed [00:17:58] hatred of Israelis, promoted [00:06:11] incitement and ripped [00:00:41] and burned [00:01:25] an Israeli flag.
When violent anti-Israel activist Mahmoud R. Musa was released from prison on June 9, 2021, he appeared [00:00:01] in a Twitter video with a Red Lions t-shirt draped on his back. Musa said [00:00:03], “Free Palestine,” and then Masoud said: “talk that s**t lions!” Musa was greeted [00:00:17] by several other people in Red Lions t-shirts. He then hugged [00:00:21] Masoud, who wore a Red Lions t-shirt.
Social Media and Weblinks
Twitter 1: https://twitter.com/Common_sensez
Twitter 2: https://twitter.com/saadah20382728
Instagram 1: https://www.instagram.com/red_lion_kingg/
Instagram 2: https://www.instagram.com/happiness_nyc/
Instagram 3: https://www.instagram.com/saadah_nyc/ [Private]
LinkedIn 1: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saadah-masoud-b6b077176/
LinkedIn 2: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saadah-masoud-2b9007158/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR6iW2n1oEdRNrhdJthyIsQ/featured
TikTok 1:https://www.tiktok.com/@bodegachronicles
TikTok 2: https://www.tiktok.com/@bodega_chronicles9
https://www.tiktok.com/@Bodega_chronicles [Deleted]
TikTok 3: https://www.tiktok.com/@red_lion_kinggg [Deleted]
Harri.com: https://harri.com/Saadah-Masoud-1
Extra Videos
Masoud in video shared on Instagram Apr 23 2022NY Federal Court House Masoud Taken into Custody Twitter 3 Feb 2023
Masoud protests with WOL Apr 21 2022
Masoud protests with WOL Apr 21 2022
Masoud marches with activists in New York May 21 2021
Masoud with anti-Israel Protesters in New York May 19 2021
Masoud at Protest July 29 2021
Masoud attends Palestine Protest May 23 2021
Masoud at MOMA Protest May 21 2021
Masoud Approaches Protesters May 23 2021
Masoud at Protest May 19 2021
Masoud at Protest May 14 2021
The Sun footage of Masoud at rally May 11 2021
Masoud Instagram Video June 1 2021
Videos
11 videos
Photos & Screenshots
130 images
Infamous Quotes
“I feel bad for you zionist people when judgement day comes and we slaughter all of them like sheep.”
“F**k all cops, I don’t give a f**k. F**k all cops! If you’re a cop, you’re a f**king sheep.”
“There’s no talking to them [Zionists], there’s no fighting with love, fighting with peace. Because at the end of the day, sometimes people learn with a punch in they mouth. You know what I’m saying? Sometimes, after that, they wake up.”
“My occupation? I burn Israeli flags for a living 🤷🏻♂️ gotta a problem come see me 😈.”
“Some people laugh , cheer , or cry when i burn that [Israeli] Flag … It’s Foreshadowing that they will f**king burn and become NOTHING! The beginning to the end!”
“Yeah, I’ll go to jail proudly! I’ll go to jail proudly! Allahu Akbar [God is Great]! I’ll go to jail proudly, baby! I love it!”
“All y’all cops is dirty, I don’t wanna hear that s**t ‘oh some cops are good.’ F**k you.”