Saim Chaudhary

Overview

Saim Chaudhary [Saim Ejaz Chaudhary] has spread incitement, demonized Israel and endorsed anti-Israel agitators. Chaudhary has also promoted a Boycott, Divest, Sanctions (BDS) initiative launched by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) in 2019.

Chaudhary was a co-founder and president of the Islamic Alliance for Justice (IAJ) at Cornell in 2016. In 2019, IAJ officially endorsed Cornell SJP’s divestment campaign.

In 2015-2016, Chaudhary was a member of Cornell’s Student Assembly (SA) and the Chair of the SA’s Diversity Committee.

As of March 2022, Chaudhary’s LinkedIn page said he was employed as a “Country Launcher” at Trella, in Saudi Arabia, since February 2020 and that he worked at UberAuto from August 2017-February 2020.

Chaudhary’s LinkedIn also said he graduated from Cornell with a bachelor’s degree in Economics in 2017.

Spreading Incitement

Chaudhary retweeted an August 11, 2019 tweet that said: “Happening Now: Israeli Occupation Forces fire tear gas and stun grenades at Palestinian worshippers outside al Aqsa mosque during Eid prayer.”

On August 11, 2019, Palestinian rioters gathered at the gates of the Al Aqsa compound after rumors circulated that police would allow Jewish visitors on to the Temple Mount. This was in honor of Tisha B’Av, which is regarded as the saddest day in the Jewish calendar and a day of mourning for the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem.

Rioters threw stones at police and threw chairs and other objects at Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount.

Chaudhary retweeted a May 11, 2021 tweet by anti-Israel agitator Mohammed El-Kurd that said: “

anyway #SaveSheikhJarrah.”

In May 2021, Palestinian violence erupted in anticipation of an Israel High Court ruling on eviction proceedings concerning over 70 Palestinian tenants illegally residing in Jewish-owned properties in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah.

Incitement surrounding Al-Aqsa and Sheikh Jarrah were leading factors in Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists firing over 4,300 rockets from Gaza at Israeli population centers from May 10 to 21, 2021. In response to rocket attacks from Gaza, Israel launched “Operation Guardian of the Walls (OGW),” striking military targets in the terrorist-controlled enclave.

Demonizing Israel

Chaudhary retweeted a May 15, 2021 tweet by El-Kurd that said: “Israeli forces just bombed & destroyed a tower that housed almost all the offices of media outlets reporting on the Israeli war crimes in the Gaza Strip—again, this is at best sadistic & at worst an attempt to commit atrocities in the dark. Good guys don’t bomb journalists.”

On May 15, 2021, Israel carried out a targeted bombing of a high-rise building in Gaza that was used as a base for Hamas operations. The building was also used by the Al Jazeera Media Network and other major news outlets. The Israeli military warned all of the building’s tenants to vacate the premises one hour prior to the attack.

During the violent March of Return riots, Chaudhary retweeted a May 14, 2018 tweet criticizing the U.S. government’s decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The tweet said: “...The US has ignited this fire and hurt the sentiments of the entire Muslim world by moving its embassy to Jerusalem.”

In May 2018, terror group Hamas instigated violent riots on the Israeli-Gaza border. Thousands of rioters attempted to breach Israel’s border fence, declaring their intention to harm Jews across the border under the pretext of “peaceful resistance.”

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.

Chadhary retweeted a May 15, 2018 tweet, accusing Israel of “a massacre of innocent Palestinians.”

The tweet was in responseto another tweet by Pakistani news site Dawn.Com that said: “Violent clashes along the #Gaza border between protesting #Palestinians and #Israeli security forces over the US decision to move its embassy to #Jerusalem have left at least 60 Palestinians ─ including nine children ─ dead.”

Endorsing Anti-Israel Agitators

On December 2, 2018, Chaudhary shared an AJ+ video of anti-Israel agitator Marc Lamont Hill speaking at the United Nations (UN) to his Facebook page, and added: “

.”

Hill has promoted anti-Semitism, supported a terrorist, celebrated violence and glorified terrorists. Hill was fired from CNN in November 2018 after he used [00:20:47] language associated with the destruction of Israel, while speaking [00:00:01] before the United Nations (UN).

On October 24, 2018, Chaudhary shared an Al Jazeera article to his Facebook page, glorifying an “iconic” photo of shirtless Palestinian demonstrator A’ed Abu Amro holding a Palestinian flag and throwing a slingshot, while taking part in the March of Return violent protests.

Abu Amro [Muhammad Na’im Muhammad Abu Amro] was famously photographed participating in violent protests organized and funded by Hamas along Israel’s border with Gaza. Abu Amro was later wounded while participating in the protests.

Chaudhary retweeted an August 1,2018 tweet from AJ+ Senior Presenter Dena Takruri that said: “I spoke to Ahed Tamimi in her first sit-down interview out of Israeli prison. She talked about why she slapped the soldier, the night of her arrest and interrogation, life behind bars, and her dreams for the future. My most memorable interview to date.”

Ahed Tamimi has a long history of physically attacking Israeli soldiers. Tamimi is the daughter of Bassem Tamimi, who is known for exploiting young children as political props in staged confrontations with Israeli soldiers.

Chaudhary retweeted a July 31, 2018 tweet by AJ+ that said: “South Africa will honor Ahed Tamimi with a special award, says Nelson Mandela’s grandson. The Palestinian teenager was held in prison for 8 months for slapping an Israeli soldier.”

Pushing BDS on Campus

On April 11, 2019, Chaudhary signed a Cornell Alumni letter signed by half a dozen people in support of Cornell SJP’s divestment resolution. The letter accused Israel of“apartheid treatment of Palestinians” and of committing “atrocities,” as well as the “violation of human rights.”

In February 2019, Cornell SJP launched an anti-Israel divestment campaign, introducing and pushing S.A. Resolution 36, “Urging Cornell to Divest from Companies Profiting from the Occupation of Palestine and Human Rights Violation.”

Cornell SJP’s resolution called on Cornell to divest from Cornell Tech’s partnership with the Technion. Cornell Tech is Cornell’s technology, business, law and design campus.

Cornell SJP also called on the university to divest from Tata Motors, Ingersoll-Rand, Raytheon, G4S, and Hewlett-Packard and any other companies SJP Cornell claimed “profit directly from Israeli military occupation.”

Cornell SJP also said: “We will publicly name endowment investments… and hold university leadership responsible for complicity in crimes of apartheid.”

On February 18, 2019, Cornell SJP delivered a letter to Cornell’s President Martha Pollack calling on the University to “divest from companies profiting from morally reprehensible human rights violations in Palestine.”

On April 11, 2019, Cornell SJP presented their divestment initiative to Cornell’s Student Assembly (SA). During the discussion, Mahfuza Shovik, a resolution sponsor, denied [00:23:03] the resolution was part of the BDS movement.

SA senators used a secret ballot to vote in favor of the resolution, but the resolution failed to pass after a “community vote” (SA by-laws, section 7) was cast.

BDS activists have resorted [00:11:05] to the use of secret ballots to eliminate [02:51:15] transparency from the voting process and avoid any public scrutiny and accountability for their anti-Israel initiatives on university campuses.

On April 12, 2019, Chaudhary tweeted: “So incredibly proud of the student activists - closest we have come to getting this passed on the SA!!”

On the same day, Chaudhary tweeted: “...i always thought if we got more likeminded people on the SA we could get the resolution passed…”

Chaudhary further tweeted: “5 years on, the resolution on Divestment from Israel was brought to the floor of the SA. 14 voted for it, 13 voted against it. The elected reps showed their support. Alas, Cornell gives two community votes and a really organized Hillel ensured their support base was there…”

In response, Cornell SJP activist, resolution sponsor and SA senator Omar Din, tweeted his thanks to Chaudhary for helping Din get elected to the SA and attributed the partial success of the BDS initiative to Chaudhary.

Cornell SJP - Overview

Cornell SJP has dismissed anti-Semitism, supported anti-Israel violence and whitewashed terrorists. The student group has also disrupted Israel Day campus events multiple times, demonized Israel and campaigned for the BDS movement.

Cornell SJP activists wrote an anti-Israel statement and presented it at Cornell’s Student Assembly (SA) in May 2021.

Cornell SJP created its Facebook page on April 25, 2013.

Cornell SJP - BDS Overview

In February 2019, Cornell SJP launched an anti-Israel divestment campaign, calling on the University to divest from Technion Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) and any companies which Cornell SJP claimed “profit directly from Israeli military occupation.”

Cornell SJPmembers tried to [00:23:03] deny that the resolution was part of the larger BDS movement, a tactic encouraged [00:58:53] by BDS-founder Omar Barghouti. Cornell senators also used a secret ballot to vote on the bill. The bill ultimately failed to pass.

In October 2019, Cornell SJP moved to direct confrontation, disrupting the quarterly meeting of Cornell’s Board of Trustees and calling on the Board to “sever ties” with the Technion. Cornell SJP also called to eliminate the Board’s power of discretion in investments in “the occupation of Palestine.”

SJP

SJP is a student organization engaged in anti-Israel activity on North American college and university campuses.

The first chapter of SJP was founded in 2001 at the University of California at Berkeley by Professor Hatem Bazian. Bazian has spread classic anti-Semitism, reportedly promoted religious anti-Semitism and defended the Hamas terror group. In 2004, Bazian called for “intifada” in America.

SJP organizes anti-Israel campaigns, including running annual Israel Apartheid Weeks, often in collaboration with Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and Muslim Students Association (MSA) campus chapters.

SJP has been a major force in pushing the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement on campuses. Chapters have initiated dozens of BDS resolutions in student governments, which have been proposed on or around Jewish holidays, a time when many Jewish students are off-campus.

SJP activists have reportedly physically assaulted, intimidated and harassed Jewish students, disrupted pro-Israel campus events and demonized pro-Israel campus organizations.

Chapters have often endorsed and campaigned for numerous terrorists and whitewashed terrorism.

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.