Sara Abdelsalam

Overview

Sara Abdelsalam is the public outreach coordinator of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at Purdue University (Purdue), which supports the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

At an April 5, 2016 SJP Purdue event, Abdelsalam posed for a photo alongside a Palestinian student from Birzeit University — a Palestinian college whose student body has been ridden with terrorists since at least 2003. The student government race in 2003 featured models of exploding Israeli buses. In the debate, the Hamas candidate asked the Fatah candidate: "Hamas activists in this university killed 135 Zionists. How many did Fatah activists from Bir Zeit kill?"

In January of 2016, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) swept Birzeit’s campus, seizing Hamas propaganda. The University reportedly characterized the sweep as a "belligerent ... attack on the university and our right to education and all the principles involved in the freedom of education."

The student with whom Abdelsalam posed was promoting a Birzeit University "Right to Education" campaign, protesting against Israeli security measures.

Islamists affiliated to Hamas won the student council elections at Birzeit in April of 2015.

Birzeit university's Fatah-affiliated students also embrace terror. The Shabiba student group, in December 2015, posted Facebook pictures of themselves beside a Christmas tree adorned with the portraits of terrorist murderers — including one who had recently stabbed four Israeli civilians. The terrorists whose images decorated the Christmas tree were collectively responsible for thousands of murderous attacks against Israelis. Behind the Birzeit students was a sign that proclaimed: "The way to freedom is a bullet and a martyr... a crescent and a cross; Merry Christmas, [Fatah] Shabiba student movement, Birzeit University."

Sara Abdelsalam is a student at Purdue.

SJP Purdue

SJP Purdue was formed in 2009. The group is part of Indiana Palestine Solidarity (IPS), an organization created by Sireen Zayedto "bring together activists and SJP chapters from all over the state of Indiana."

Promoting Anti-Semitism Under The Guise of Human Rights

SJP Purdue enthusiastically promotes the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement on its Facebook page.

In March of 2016, SJP Purdue signed a petition endorsing BDS and disingenuously denying that BDS is rife with anti-Semitism.

The petition was headlined "BDS Opposes all Racism--Including Anti-Semitism." The petition, however, showcased BDS’ anti-Semitism. The petition quoted Omar Barghouti calling Zionism — the belief that Jews have the right to self-determination in their own national home, and the right to develop their national culture — a form of racism and bigotry:

"The struggle for our inalienable rights is one opposed to all forms of racism and bigotry, including, but not limited to, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, Zionism, and other forms of bigotry directed at anyone, and in particular people of color and indigenous peoples everywhere."

The petition also stated that "[a]n end to racism in all its forms depends on an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine."

On February 25, 2016, SJP Purdue shared an IPS post on Facebook claiming that Indiana’s Senate anti-BDS bill HB-1378 “is wrong, unconstitutional and a waste of Indiana's time and resources." #BDS.” The bill was signed into law on January 19, 2016, by a unanimous vote of Indiana’s General Assembly.

Dressing Anti-Semitism as Anti-Zionism

On January 22, 2016, SJP Purdue shared a Peace House Video on Facebook featuring BDS promoter Taylor Valentine,a University of Tampa graduate:

The video insinuated that the media and the U.S. government are controlled by a "Jewish Nationalist Political Movement - Zionism" which took over Palestine with “massacres” to form Israel — a “Hyper Militaristic Pariah State, which pretty much does what it wants.” The video also characterized Israel as “making a great effort to undermine democracy and hold up a giant middle finger to the first amendment”.

The video features SJP member Mahmoud Ali Mohamed, dressed in a suit patterned with dollar signs, and portraying the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as buying off the U.S. government. Mohamed announces "we have money; just tell us how much you need." The video narration goes further, saying: “If you want to get elected for President, or pretty much any public office, you need to be friends with this guy.”

The video then explicitly accuses AIPAC of paying off senators to get their votes, writing legislation and having it passed in secret - in defiance of democracy, the U.S. Constitution — and the voters.

Mohamed’s character also invokes racially charged sentiments, saying "if you boycott Israel, then the government will boycott you and you’ll get put on a blacklist… it’s BLACK!"

Exploiting Disturbed Children to Demonize Israel

On April 26, 2016, SJP Purdue shared a post on Facebook presenting as a "political Prisoner" 12-year-old Dima Al-Wawi 

12-year-old Al-Wawi was imprisoned for attempting to stab a security guard at the Israeli community Karmei Tzur. Al-Wawi later claimed she intended to kill the guard and hoped she would be killed in the process. “I was dreaming that I was going to be martyred,” she said.  

Misleading Students to Whitewash Terrorism

On October 14, 2015, during a month of spiraling Palestinian violence against Israeli civilians —in which scores of Israelis were stabbedor hacked to death — SJP Purdue posted on Facebook a decontextualized list of Palestinians killed during the month. The group falsely portrayed Israelis as child-killers by implying most of those killed were simply "Palestinian youth."

Below is a partial, contextualized list of so-called "youth" featured in SJP Purdue's accounting:

• Muhannad Halabi, 19: murdered two Israelis and injured two others, including a 2-year-old, during a stabbing spree. One day earlier, Halabi posted on his Facebook page that "[t]he third Intifada is here" and wrote “[w]ake up from your slumber and save al-Aqsa. Let the revolution erupt.”

  
  

• Fadi Allon, 19: shot by Israeli security forces after Aloon attempted to murder a 15-year old Israeli boy. Several hours before the murder attempt, Aloon posted "Either martyrdom or victory" on his Facebook page.

  
  

• Thaer Abu Ghazaleh, 19: stabbed a number of Israelis with a screwdriver near a bus stop in Tel Aviv, injuring four.

  
  

• Muhammad Ali, 19: stabbed a border policeman in Jerusalem in the neck.

  
  

• Muhammad Fares Abdullah al-Jaabari,19: stabbed a border policeman in Hebron.

  
  

• Amjad al Jundi, 18: stabbed an Israeli soldier and stole his gun.

  
  

• Hudhaifa Suleiman, 18: participated in a Hamas-organized riot where "hundreds of Palestinians...threw firebombs, rolled burning tires and threw rocks at [Israeli] soldiers."

  
  

On December 30, 2015, SJP Purdue shared on Facebook a misleading AJ+ video demonizing Israel. The video’s presenter, Dena Takruri, mischaracterized Israel’s security fence — 97% of which is a low chain link barrier — as an 8 meter-high wall running 280 miles. The video also falsely insinuated that a non-binding, advisory opinion on the security fence issued by the International Court of Justice is binding international law.

Welcoming Purveyors of Anti-Semitic Hate

On March 27, 2015, SJP Purdue hosted a discussion with Steven Salaita, now the Said Chair of American Studies at the American University of Beirut (AUB).

In 2014, The University of Illinois withdrew an offer of employment to Salaita after becoming aware of his anti-Semitic tweets. One tweet, posted shortly after Hamas kidnapped three teenage Israeli high school students, read: "You may be too refined to say it, but I’m not: I wish all the f**king West Bank settlers would go missing.” In 2017, Salaita posted to Facebook: “People ask if I would go back in time and change anything. I would not…I will die unapologetic.” In February 2019, Salaita stated that he had become a school bus driver in the Washington, D.C., area.

On December 4, 2014 SJP Purdue held a discussion with Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of the anti-Israel online magazine Electronic Intifada.

Abuminah is also a member of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). ISM has been accused of supporting terrorism and it encourages its foreign volunteers to act "as human shields in cities, towns and refugee camps." At least once, ISM facilities have been used in attempts to facilitate the escape of known terrorists.

Embracing Hate Speech

On September 29, 2009, SJP Purdue hosted New York-based Poet, Remi Kenazi at an event misleadingly titled "Speak Peace." Kenazi is notorious for aggressively anti-Israel poetry and spoken-word performances. SJP Purdue hosted Kenazi again on October 23, 2015, during SJP Purdue’s 2015 “Palestine Awareness Week.”

Promoting a Hamas Propagandist

On March 25, 2016, SJP Purdue shared a video on Facebook featuring a monologue by propagandist Dr. Mads Gilbert. 

Gilbert has been banned indefinitely from entering Gaza through Israel because of his connections to the Hamas leadership. 

In 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2014 Gilbert was stationed at a hospital that served as a Hamas command center and rocket launching site. During that time he acted as a propagandist for the Hamas government in Gaza.

In 2001, following al Qaeda's September 11 terrorist attacks, Gilbert expressed support for the terror acts as a “legitimate response.” In December of 2009, Gilbert was accused of faking resuscitation on a dead child in Gaza for dramatic effect for a CNN video.

Gilbert has been banned indefinitely from entering Gaza through Israel because of his connections to the Hamas leadership.

In 2008, 2009 and 2012 Gilbert — whose allegations are popular with white supremacists— was stationed at a hospital that served as a Hamas command center and rocket launching site. During that time he acted as a propagandist for the Hamas government in Gaza.

In 2001, following al Qaeda's September 11 terrorist attacks, Gilbert expressed support for them as a "legitimate response." In December of 2009, Gilbert was accused of faking resuscitation on a dead child in Gaza for dramatic effect for a CNN video.

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/saraabdelsalamiscool

Google+:https://plus.google.com/104523149243348812430/posts