Sameh Helmy

On October 24, 2023, Helmy posted on LinkedIn quotes from an article by the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), including: “Finally, understand Palestinian resistance as fundamentally just and as a means of survival for our people; it will not stop in the weeks and months to come, and you must be prepared not to waver again.”

Helmy also posted quotes from the PYM article calling to “oppose the genocidal drumbeat waged by Zionist and Western leaders alike” and for “the total anti-normalization of a Zionism that has once again shown its face to the world.”

Proponents of the “anti-normalization” policy seek to police all interactions between Israelis and Palestinians and shut down all conversations and interactions perceived as being ideologically unaligned with their own agenda.

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.

On Saturday, October 7, 2023, approximately 2,900 heavily armed Hamas terrorists breached Israel’s border with Gaza. They executed numerous war crimes on civilians, including mass murder, beheadings of children, rape of men and women, torture, kidnappings and mutilation. Hamas broadcast videos of their butchery on social media, often to victims’ accounts for families to see. Israel retaliated with a war called “Swords of Iron.” As of November 10, 2023, over 1,200 Israelis, the vast majority of them civilians, were murdered during the attacks. Hamas kidnapped 242 Israelis, including at least 30 children. At least 3,500 people were wounded, many severely.

Support for Terrorists

On May 13, 2017, Helmy posted on Facebook, promoting a protest in Toronto, Ontario, in support of an ongoing hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

The “Dignity Strike” was a hunger strike initiated on April 16, 2017, by Marwan Barghouti, the terrorist who financed the guitar-case bomb used in the Sbarro Cafe bombing. More than 1,000 other Palestinian prisoners participated in the hunger strike, most of whom were also incarcerated for acts of terrorism.  

On May 10, 2017, Helmy wrote on Facebook: “The Canadian Labour Council just passed this resolution in support of the Palestinian prisoners’ hungry [sic] strike and calling for an end to the illegal occupation!”

On May 5, 2017, Helmy posted on Facebook an article about the hunger strike and wrote: “...Reminder that it is illegal under international law for Israel to imprison Palestinians in Israeli prisons…”

On October 27, 2015, Helmy wrote on Facebook: “Remember, this is nothing new. It’s just the ‘it’ thing to report now, finally.” He linked to an article published on the anti-Israel website Electronic Intifada (EI), titled:“Schoolgirl executed by Israeli soldiers,” referring to Palestinian terrorist Dania Irsheid.

In October 2015, during the “Knife Intifada,” Dania Irsheid was shot by an Israeli police officer after she attempted to stab him.

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.

On October 12, 2015, Helmy shared a video on Facebook of Ahmed Manasra and wrote that he was “reported to have been hit by a car as he fled police after stabbing an Israeli man (not to death, mind you.)...what humanity is this?”

Ahmed Manasra (sometimes spelled Mansara) and his 15-year-old cousin Hassan went on a stabbing spree in Jerusalem on October 12, 2015, during the Knife Intifada. They critically wounded a 13-year-old boy and moderately wounded a 25-year-old man. The spree ended when police shot Hassan and a passing motorist hit Ahmed. Ahmed was taken to an Israeli hospital. He admitted to investigators: “I went there to stab Jews.” He was later tried and convicted on two counts of attempted murder.

Hatred of Israel

On November 11, 2023, during Israel’s war against Hamas, Helmy wrote in a LinkedIn post: “...look up all the companies that make the weapons used to brutalize the Palestinian people…there are times when…we have to make the correct, courageous decision to remove ourselves from environments that are complicit in oppression. / Would we have worked at companies that profited off of slavery? The holocaust? Do we work at companies now that profit off of war?”


On October 23, 2023, Helmy wrote in a LinkedIn post: “...Every piece of land that Israel has occupied since 1948 was built on the rubble of a Palestinian community…Israel has been very actively trying to wipe Palestinians off the face of the Earth since even before 1948. From the moment the Zionist movement was established…”

Theodor Herzl was the founder of the modern political Zionist movement. His 1896 book, “The Jewish State” envisioned the founding of an independent Jewish state within the next century. The First Zionist Congress was held in 1897. Herzl’s vision culminated in the birth of the State of Israel in 1948.

On February 24, 2023, Helmy wrote on Facebook: “...sorry if I was a Facebook jerk to you unless you are a z*onist in which case let me know I can be a jerk to you again...”

Helmy retweeted a May 6, 2017 tweet that said about a statement by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau celebrating Israel’s Independence Day: “Just a friendly reminder that Justin Trudeau loves an illegal, white supremacist, apartheid state.”

Anti-Israel Activism (BDS)

On March 6, 2017, Helmy wrote on Facebook: “*Zionist steals my tape* like that is going to stop me from LITTERING THIS CAMPUS WITH IAW POSTERS y’all need new tactics for real.” In response to the comment “U r being antisemitic,” Helmy wrote: “ay 5edma [at your service].”


On March 3, 2017, Helmy published an article titled: “Israeli Apartheid Week,” for Lanterns, the ISNA Canada blog, in which he promoted various IAW 2017 events.

 

In 2013, ISNA Canada lost its non-profit status over alleged links to a Pakistani terror group.

In the article, Helmy wrote that he gets to see people “find out just how much there is to the colonization of Palestine – and a year later seeing them organizing for that very cause. Israeli Apartheid Week crafts visionaries and activists.”

Helmy also wrote that IAW raises “awareness about Israel’s settler-colonial project and apartheid policies and how it has affected the indigenous Palestinian population.”

On August 18, 2016, Helmy posted on Facebook a petition in support of activist Nadia Shoufani, who expressed [00:08:16] support for terrorism and called [00:08:59] for Israel’s destruction at an anti-Israel rally in July 2016.

In the post, Helmy wrote: “My friend’s mom got suspended from her teaching job for speaking at a rally protesting Israeli crimes earlier this summer. This sets a ridiculous precedent so pls sign this petition to get her reinstated and end the investigation!” 

On July 2, 2016, in a speech at Toronto’s Al-Quds Day Rally, Shoufani called [00:08:16] on anti-Israel activists to “support the resistance in any form that is possible” and led [00:08:59] the crowd in chanting: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”

The Iranian government initiated International Quds Day in 1979, as an annual protest against Israel’s existence. The protest has historically been a platform for anti-Semitism.

“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.

In July 2016, Shoufani was reportedly investigated by the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board for her speech at the anti-Israel rally earlier that month and was suspended from teaching “pending further investigation.”

On March 9, 2016, Helmy participated in an IAW event titled: “Apartheid: Live!” hosted by McMaster SPHR. He was featured in a photo from the event posted on Facebook, where can be seen speaking into a megaphone.

The event featured a “mock apartheid wall” labeled “BARRIER TO PEACE” and infographics titled: “Gaza: An Open Air Prison.” On the “barrier” was written: “APARTHEID: WRONG FOR SOUTH AFRICA WRONG FOR PALESTINE.”


Referring to Gaza as an "open-air prison" is a way to delegitimize the United Nations-approved [pp. 39–41] joint Israeli-Egyptian blockade of the Gaza Strip imposed in 2011 to prevent Hamas from acquiring more sophisticated rockets.

On March 24, 2015, Helmy posted on Facebook a photo of himself hugging another student at a vote on BDS held at the McMaster Students Union (MSU) General Assembly. Helmy wrote: “March 23rd. McMaster is BDS certified. / Onto the next one.” He also commented on the photo: “...I had to keep my hand up because they were counting votes.”

On March 23, 2015, Helmy was featured in a Facebook group photo posted by McMaster anti-Israel activist Salah Abdelrahman that was captioned: “The team that made it happen. Team BDS at McMaster.”

On March 23, 2015, the MSU voted to pass a BDS motion endorsed by McMaster SPHR and other student groups.

On March 19, 2015, Helmy wrote on Facebook: “Are the illegal settlements in the West Bank bad? Are they detrimental to the peace process? Yes? So, why wouldn’t you Vote Yes to BDS? No? Congratulations, you’re probably the only person outside of Israel who thinks so.”

On March 17, 2015, Helmy wrote on Facebook: “GUYS THE BDS VOTE IS ON MONDAY,” and linked to a McMaster BDS event BDS 101 which called on students to “TAKE A STAND AGAINST WAR CRIMES. VOTE YES TO BDS.” 

In March 2015, Helmy participated in a McMaster SPHR IAW event and was featured in a Facebook photo, posing next to a “mock apartheid wall” labeled “BARRIER TO PEACE.” On the “barrier” was written: “APARTHEID: WRONG FOR SOUTH AFRICA WRONG FOR 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.

Social Media and Weblinks

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/samehelmy

Twitter:https://twitter.com/same7elmy

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sameh-helmy-a43705ba/