Sapphira Lurie

Overview

Sapphira Lurie is a student activist working to create a Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter at Fordham University (Fordham) since the fall of 2016. In April 2017, Lurie and fellow Fordham students sued the university for banning their SJP chapter.

Lurie spoke at an anti-Israel protest in March of 2017, where she responded to Fordham’s refusal to allow the establishment of SJP by declaring that: "we’ll build a militant anti-imperialist movement on their campus whether they like it or not!"

Lurie supports the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement and is a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. She is also affiliated with the ANSWER coalition.

Defying the Fordham SJP Ban

In January of 2017, Fordham decided to not give SJP official club status at the university, stating: "Fordham has no registered student clubs the sole focus of which is the political agenda of one nation, against another nation…The narrowness of Students for Justice in Palestine’s political focus makes it more akin to a lobbying group than a student club."

Following the decision, numerous anti-Israel organizations, as well as over 70 academics signed a petition in “Solidarity with Fordham SJP.”

Signatories included Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), often criticized for serving as a tokenized Jewish voice for the pro-Palestinian camp and is widely regarded as the BDS movement’s "Jewish wing," as well as Al-Awda, which advocates for BDS and the dismantling of Israel as a Jewish state.

Professors who signed the petition included Steven Salaita, notorious for anti-Semitic tweets that prompted the University of Illinois (U of I) to withdraw an offer of employment.

On January 23, 2017, Lurie organized a rally protesting Fordham’s decision to ban SJP from the school.

On February 1, 2017, Fordham Dean of Students Keith Eldredge issued a disciplinary charge against Lurie for violating the demonstration policy within the university code of conduct. According to the Fordham administration, Lurie did not receive proper authorization to host a protest, nor was she assigned space to occupy through the established university procedures. On the eve of the hearing, students and community members organized a rally on Lurie’s behalf.

Following Lurie’s refusal to participate in a closed-door meeting with Eldredge, her disciplinary hearing is still pending.

On April 26, 2017, The New York Post reported that Lurie and fellow Fordham students are taking legal action against the university for banning their SJP chapter.

On June 3, 2017, Palestine Legal produced a short fundraising video, featuring Awad, to pay for the legal fees of the lawsuit.

On June 5, 2017 Fordham University moved to dismiss the lawsuit on grounds that is a “straightforward educational decision” rather than Palestine Legal’s claim that it is “a First Amendment challenge” which is generally not extended to private institutions.

Eldredge further clarified in his affidavit that following extensive research, he denied the SJP group status in order to “prevent polarization” on campus “and the resulting possible negative impacts on student safety and the general security.”

Speaking at a Militant Anti-Israel Rally

At a March 26, 2017 anti-AIPAC rally in Washington DC, Lurie declared that although Fordham refused to allow the founding of an SJP chapter, "we’ll build a militant anti-imperialist movement on their campus whether they like it or not!"

The rally was co-organized by Al-Awda and the ANSWER coalition. Al-Awda founder Abbas Hamideh launched the protest, declaring "we are telling you, we are here for Palestine, in case you didn’t hear it, from the river to the sea" — a chant calling to dismantle the current State of Israel.

Among the speakers was Alison Weir, founder of the anti-Semitic organization If Americans Knew (IAK).

Weir is the founder and executive director of the anti-Semitic organization If Americans Knew (IAK). She has reportedly been “a repeat guest of white supremacist Clay Douglas on his hate radio show.” The Anti Defamation League (ADL) has exposed Weir’s propagation of numerous anti-Semitic and anti-Israel conspiracy theories.

Another speaker at the Al-Awda rally was Greta Berlin, a leader of the Free Gaza Movement. In 2012, Berlin posted on Facebook: "Finally people coming to confront what many of us have known for many years. Not Just that the H[olocaust] was exploited by the Zionists to create Israel, but that - in large measure-- it was aided, abetted and to a large degree- created by them to create an eluctable tide of world opinion for the establishment of a Jewish ‘safe haven.’"

Another speaker was Iyad Burnat, the coordinator of the Bil’in popular resistance committee and has since 2005 organized weekly demonstrations against the Israeli West Bank security barrier. The protests have attracted the media and participation of anti-Israel groups. Although described as "non-violent," these demonstrations have often turned violent.

Burnat has repeatedly equated Israel with Hitler and ISIS, claimed Zionism is a "racist ideology" and accused “Zionists” of controlling American politics.

One protester spread various conspiracy theories — including that Israel was behind the September 11, 2001 terror attacks — and blamed all Jews for spying on America. Signs at the rally included one which read: "I used to think Israel controlled Palestine. Now I know Palestine is the only Arab country Israel does not control."

Australian activist Robert Martin declared “I rather be called a terrorist supporter than a pro-Israel person.”

One common sign at the rally read "WHEN PEOPLE ARE OCCUPIED, RESISTANCE IS JUSTIFIED!" — an endorsement of anti-Israel terrorism.

Another sign read: "AIPAC CORRUPTS IT’S THAT SIMPLE! Want to buy a… President, Prime Minister, Lawyer, Christian Leader, Media Mogul, Hollywood Star… AIPAC has the $$$ for you!"

Defending a Terrorist

On March 17, 2017, Lurie took a leadership role in a protest condemning the "assassination of Palestinian youth leader" Basel al-Araj.

Basel Al Araj was killed in a shoot-out with Israeli troops during an arrest raid. He had been suspected of belonging to a terror cell planning to carry out attacks on Israeli targets. Two M-16 assault rifles and an improvised Carlo-style submachine gun were found inside his home.

The protest was held outside the Best Buy electronics store, where demonstrators held signs and distributed leaflets to passersby and Best Buy customers calling for the boycott of Hewlett-Packard products. Protesters also chanted "1, 2, 3, 4, open up the prison door! 5, 6, 7, 8, Israel is a racist state!"

The protest was organized by the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoners Network that misleadingly characterized criminals jailed for terrorism against Israelis as “political prisoners.”

At the end of the protest Lurie read Al-Araj’s will.

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.