Savannah Simon
Overview
Savannah Simon promoted terrorists while an activist with Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), at the University of South Carolina (UofSC). Simon also promoted the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement and spread hatred of Israel.As of November 2019, Simon’s Facebook said that she was an undergraduate student at UofSC since 2017, studying Biology. Simon’s Instagram indicated that she was slated to graduate UofSC in 2021.
Also as of November 2019, Simon went by the name “Savannah Selena” on Twitter and “savannahxselena”Instagram.
Promoting Terrorists
Odeh was a key military operative with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist organization. In 1969, she masterminded a PFLP supermarket bombing that killed two college students. She also attempted to bomb the British consulate in Jerusalem. Odeh later moved to the United States but was deported to Jordan in 2017 for immigration fraud.
Khalida Jarrar is a senior member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terror organization. She has reportedly been the head of the PFLP in the West Bank since 2016. In 2015, an Israeli military court sentenced Jarrar to 15 months in prison for calling to kidnap Israeli soldiers. Israel arrested Jarrar again in 2017 “on suspicion of involvement with terrorist activities and violent public disturbances.” In 2019, she was arrested by Israel with 50 other PFLP operatives following a deadly 2018 bombing attack.
SJP Activism
In November 2018, Simon helped lead UofSC SJP’s fourth Palestine Cultural night, which celebrated the Great March of Return, then occurring on Israel’s Gaza border.On November 9, 2018, UofSC SJP posted a photo of the cultural night to Facebook, of the stage with the mock separation wall. A photo of March of Return protesters was projected on the wall behind the stage, along with the phrase “Resistance until Return.”
UofSC SJP posted a photo of the cultural night, with a photo collage with the words: “Jerusalem - Capital of Palestine.”
The event also sold UofSC SJP’s bookmarks glorifying terrorists.
On April 21, 2018, Simon posed for a group photo with other UofSC SJP activists posted on Facebook, while tabling for UofSC SJP during the Columbia International Festival.
In October 2019, Simon tweeted multiple times, promoting and fundraising for UofSC SJP’s fifth Annual Palestinian Cultural Night. Many of Simon’s tweets included a link to the GoFundMe page for the event, started by the 2019 SJP at UofSC President Dana AlHasan.
On October 22, 2019, Simon tweeted: “We’re so close to our goal! Please consider donating and sharing so that @UofSCSJP can continue to host great events like this one highlighting Palestinian people, their culture, and the injustices they endure under the illegal Israeli occupation. #FreePalestine.”
Also on October 22, 2019, Simon tweeted: “For every dollar up to the next $300 your donation will be matched! Please donate! Even one dollar makes a difference
https://gofundme.com/f/help-sponsor-palestinian-cultural-night…”
On October 21, 2019, Simon tweeted: “Thank you for donating and please share whether or not you can give money!! It all helps.”
Simon shared an October 21, 2019 tweet from National SJP, promoting their 2019 national conference.
On October 18, 2019, Simon tweeted: “Help Sponsor Palestinian Cultural Night! Any donation makes a difference…” Simon’s tweet included a link to the GoFundMe page for the event.
On September 9, 2019, Simon promoted a UofSC SJP event on Twitter.
Supporting BDS
Simon re-tweeted a November 3, 2019 tweet by Samer Alhato that said: “This is what israeli soldiers do with American taxpayer money. They shoot Palestinians for fun, while American politicians tell the public there’s no way to fund universal healthcare. End all US foreign aid to Israel now.”Alhato has trivialized sexual assault, spread anti-Semitism, advocated for violence, mocked disabled children and spread anti-Black bigotry. He has also expressed support for the terror group Hamas, attacked Jewish Identity and promoted anti-Israel hatred to high school students.
Simon re-tweeted an October 21, 2019 tweet by the BDS movement that called to: “Join @Amnesty in telling @TripAdvisor to stop promoting Israeli settlements.”
Simon re-tweeted an October 12, 2019 tweet from the BDS movement that said: “Mexican construction giant @Cemex is building Israel's apartheid wall and illegal settlements...#StopCemex from building Israeli apartheid.#BoycottCemex…”
Israel’s security barrier, 97 percent of which is a low chain-link barrier, was built as a deterrent to Palestinian terror attacks. The concrete portions of the fence were built in response to Palestinian sniper attacks.
Spreading Hatred of Israel
Simon retweeted an October 15, 2019 tweet that said: “girl f**k israel @amyklobuchar.”Simon retweeted a series of tweets September 27, 2019 tweets that demonized 2020 United States Presidential Candidate, Senator Elizabeth Warren’s support for Israel.
One of the tweets in the thread Simon retweeted said that Warren “DEFENDED AND JUSTIFIED Israel’s 2,200+ killings of Palestinians in that 2014 assault on Gaza by blaming it on Hamas via an absolute Right-wing LIE—for which NOT A SINGLE independent investigation found evidence…”
Israel commenced Operation Protective Edge (OPE) in July 2014, to stop rocket fire targeting Israeli civilians and to destroy Hamas attack tunnels.
Hamas fired over 4,564 missiles and rockets — including Grad rockets — at Israeli population centers during Operation Protective Edge (OPE) in July of 2014.
The tweet in the thread that Simon shared continued that Warren said: “...that ‘When Hamas puts its rocket-launchers next to...hospitals, next to schools, they’re using their civilian population to protect their military assets. And I believe Israel has a right, at that point, to defend itself…’”
Throughout the summer of 2014 — during Operation Protective Edge (OPE) — Hamas's deployment of human shields was extensively documented and publicized. Hamas encouraged Gazans to act as human shields to frustrate Israeli efforts to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza.
Hamas fired rockets from Shifa Hospital (Shifa) at Israeli population centers during Operation Protective Edge. Hamas misfires also struck Shifa and the nearby al-Shati refugee camp. Hamas cleanup crews then concealed the evidence of the misfires, as was confirmed by Amnesty International and an independent Italian journalist.
The tweet that Simon shared continued: “...She has since NOT changed her words, but continues repeating along the same line and tenor.”
The U.N. also reported that its inspectors found rockets at U.N. schools in Gaza.
In July 2014, then-U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s office released a statement saying “those responsible are turning schools into potential military targets, and endangering the lives of innocent children.”
In April 2015, the U.N. released a report stating [p.15] that a “projectile” was launched from a U.N. school on July 14, 2014, concluding [p.15] it “was highly likely that an unidentified Palestinian armed group could have used the school premises to launch attacks.”
UofSC SJP - Celebrating Terrorists
On January 23, 2019, UofSC SJP posted to Facebook: “Joining the intl call to free Ahmad Sa’adat and all political prisoners!”along with a photo of UofSC SJP activists holding signs that demanded “Freedom for Ahmad Sada’at.”Ahmad Sa’adat is the Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). He is currently sentenced for terror activities, including his role in the 2001 assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evi and is in an Israeli prison. Under Sa’adat’s leadership, the PFLP perpetrated many suicide bombings against Israeli civilians during the second intifada.
In December 2018, UofSC SJP sold bookmarks glorifying Palestinian terrorists Fatima Bernawi, Rasmea Odeh and Khalida Jarrar, as well as terror-inciter Dareen Tatour.
Khalida Jarrar is a senior member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terror organization. She has reportedly been the head of the PFLP in the West Bank since 2016. In 2015, an Israeli military court sentenced Jarrar to 15 months in prison for calling to kidnap Israeli soldiers. Israel arrested Jarrar again in 2017 “on suspicion of involvement with terrorist activities and violent public disturbances.” In 2019, she was arrested by Israel with 50 other PFLP operatives following a deadly 2018 bombing attack.
On August 3, 2018, UofSC SJP posted to Facebook a PFLP poster that featured a photo of George Habash and his quote “Palestine, all of Palestine, from the river to the sea.”
George Habash, who has been called“the godfather of Middle East terrorism,” founded the terrorist organization the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). In 1970, Habash was the mastermind behind the hijacking of four Western airliners known as the Dawson Field hijackings. In 1972, the PFLP collaborated with Japanese Red Army terrorists to massacre 24 people at Israel's Lod International Airport (renamed Ben Gurion International Airport).
On November 21, 2017, UofSC SJP shared an Al Jazeera interview about Marwan Barghouti to Facebook.
Marwan Barghouti is currently serving five consecutive life sentences for his role in suicide bombings and shooting attacks that killed five Israelis during the second intifada.
Barghouti led the Palestinian Authority (PA) terrorist Tanzim force and founded the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. He also financed the guitar-case bomb used in the Sbarro Cafe massacre, where 15 civilians were killed and 130 injured.
UofSC SJP - Defending Terrorists
On August 13, 2018, UofSC SJP shared an article to Facebook that defended several“Knife Intifada” terrorists, including Ahmed Manasra and Nurhan Awad.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.
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.
In December 2015, 16-year-old Lama al-Bakri drew a knife and attempted to stab a pedestrian in the Jewish neighborhood of Kiryat Arba before she was shot. Bakri was then detained for 3 years.
UofSC SJP- Glorifying Violent Protesters
On May 14, 2018, UofSC SJP posted to Facebook: “Just today, the number of Palestinian martyrs doubled since the beginning of the #GreatReturnMarch as Israel opened live fire” and added: “demand the US and Israel put an end to this ruthless massacre.”On May 15th, 2018, UofSC SJP launched a photo campaign of UofSC SJP activists and members holding up signs in defense of the March of Return.
That day, UofSC SJP tweeted: “peaceful Palestinian protestors at the #GreatReturnMarch demanding basic rights are being massacred by Israeli snipers. Israel opened live ammunition murdering over 50 Palestinians yesterday.”
UofSC SJP - Opposing the Anti-Semitism Bill
In 2017, UofSC SJP fought against SC H. 3643, which sought to include the State Department’s definition of anti-Semitism when evaluating hostile environment complaints.The bill did not pass in 2017, however it was reportedly placed in the 2018-2019 budget and currently applies on college campuses.
UofSC SJP - Promoting Supporters of Terror
On April 22, 2018, UofSC SJP co-hosted Joe Catron and Islam Marqa of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). The event’s Facebook page noted that ISM volunteers acted as human shields, writing: “They stayed with resistance fighters trapped under siege in the Nativity Church in Bethlehem.”The International Solidarity Movement (ISM), founded in 2001, is a movement allegedly “committed to resisting the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land using nonviolent, direct-action methods and principles.”
However, the group has been accused of supporting terrorism and has encouraged its foreign volunteers to act “as human shields in cities, towns and refugee camps.” ISM has also encouraged activists to break curfew and disregard Israeli directives prohibiting access to closed military zones.
That policy resulted in the death of Rachel Corrie, who was accidentally killed while interfering with an Israeli military operation in 2003. A wrongful death suit brought by Corrie’s family was dismissed, because the judge ruled that Corrie unreasonably chose to put her own life in danger.
The HLF5 were five individuals associated with the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) indicted for funnelling funds to Hamas in the guise of humanitarian aid.
The men were were all convicted and sentenced in 2009 to federal prison terms ranging from 15 to 65 years.
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
Twitter:https://twitter.com/SavannahSelenaaInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/savannahxselena/ [Private]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100016610792428
