Shay Lari-Hosain

Overview

Shay Lari-Hosain has spread hatred of America, demonized Zionists, trivialized antisemitism and spread hatred of Israel. Lari-Hosain was an activist for Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) Claremont Colleges chapter (Claremont SJP) in 2019 and 2020.

In 2019, Lari-Hosain was reportedly a leader of the Pitzer College (Pitzer) student coalition and sponsored two resolutions in the Pitzer student senate supporting the academic boycott of Israel.

Lari-Hosain has also promoted the “Deadly Exchange” campaign launched by the anti-Israel organization Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP).

Lari-Hosain is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Pitzer is one of five undergraduate colleges and two graduate colleges that share a campus in Claremont, California. The colleges are a consortium called The Claremont Colleges (Claremont) and are known alternatively as “5Cs” or “7Cs.”

As of March 2022, Lari-Hosain’s LinkedIn page said Lari-Hosain was a “Freelance Visual Designer” in San Jose, CA, since September 2020.

As of the same date, Lari-Hosain’s LinkedIn page said Lari-Hosain was a Graphic Designer at Turning Green in California from August to December 2020 and an Event Photographer at Pitzer College (Pitzer) from November 2018 to May 2019.

As of March 2022, Lari-Hosain’s LinkedIn page said Lari-Hosain was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Human-Centered Design at Pitzer, slated to graduate in 2022.

As of July 2021, Lari-Hosain used the handle “@karachi_bitch” on Twitter. As of March 2022, Lari-Hosain changed the handle to “@workbyshay.”

Hatred of America

On July 6, 2020, Lari-Hosain tweeted: “went to google maps and saw america on the map…wanna puke now.”

Lari-Hosain retweeted an August 28, 2020 tweet that read: “can’t believe hating America is cool now I used to get bullied for saying this s**t.”

On July 5, 2020, Lari-Hosain tweeted: “f**k the US military forever & always

.”

On January 13, 2020, Lari-Hosain tweeted: “now that we’re alone viewers i can tell you about how much i hate america.”

Lari-Hosain retweeted a November 5, 2019 tweet that read: “i f**king hate an americLari-Hosainan ‘liberal’ what the f**k is ‘america is the greatest country in the world we can do better’ bitch i’ll kill you.”

Lari-Hosain retweeted a September 3, 2020 tweet that read: “let’s talk about how the white American psyche is inherently genocidal and psychopathic.”

Demonizing Zionists

Lari-Hosain retweeted a July 5, 2020 tweet that read: “i block zionists idc [I don’t care], i’m not here to beg racists and colonizers to see my humanity.”

Lari-Hosain retweeted a June 8, 2021 tweet that read: “zionists should feel unsafe on college campuses, we want nazis and the klan to feel unsafe on campuses, campuses should not be safe places for ppl who support genocide, and zionists presence infringes on the safety of palestinian students and their ability to learn and exist.”

On June 10, 2021, Lari-Hosain tweeted: “imo [in my opinion] the complete vacuum of accountability (at best) from racist western media and the enormous blank checks in american aid means zionists don’t even need a good excuse to defend how utterly vile and violent they are. nobody with actual power is substantively interrogating them.”

Trivializing Antisemitism

On June 22, 2020, Lari-Hosain tweeted in support of Malak Afaneh, then senior class president at Pomona College (Pomona), one of the Claremont Colleges, who was accused of sharing and endorsing an antisemitic Instagram post. Afaneh reportedly sent a letter of apology, addressed to “Claremont Community Leaders,” to the Claremont Progressive Israel Alliance (CPIA).

Lari-Hosain wrote about the accusation against Afaneh and her subsequent apology: “how DARE they do this to our friend and comrade. these CP*A [CPIA] f**ks are beyond disgusting.”

The prior week, Afaneh reportedly posted a graphic with text suggesting that Zionist Jews “hate brown ppl” and that they are “stuck-on comparing-Holocaust-to-racism WW2 [World War Two]-worshipping-b**ches.” Afaneh wrote at the top of the image that the image’s text “put into words all I’ve been thinking!”

Lari-Hosain’s tweet in support of Afaneh included a Twitter thread that claimed: “Unfortunately, this is not an isolated event - this is what we have seen happen with Ilhan Omar and with various other Palestinian students all over the country for criticizing Israel, & often having to apologize for advocating for their communities that have been severed. (2/X).”

Ilhan Omar was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2018. In February 2019, top Congressional leaders denounced Omar for tweeting anti-Semitic remarks.Omar has demonized Israel and endorsed BDS. In July 2019, Omar introduced a pro-BDS resolution in the U.S. Congress, which she described as “an opportunity for us to explain why it is we support…the BDS movement.”

The same twitter thread also promoted a petition titled: “Demanding Protection and Accountability for Malak Afaneh, Student Activist,” which excused Afaneh’s posting of the antisemitic remarks and expressed the hope that “the admin meets [sic] students, who intended to circulate Malak's identity, with the same disciplinary actions as they have in recent events regarding doxxing.”

Hatred of Israel

On May 16, 2021, Lari-Hosain tweeted photos from an anti-Israel protest held on May 15, 2021, in San Francisco, CA. Lari-Hosain commented: “...end the #genocideingaza. we demand nothing less than a free palestine and a liberated palestine!

down with isr*eli terrorism.” At the rally, one protester held a sign that accused Israel of “genocide.”

In May 2021, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists fired over 4,300 rockets from Gaza at major population centers in Israel. Israel responded by launching OGW, carrying out targeted military strikes in Gaza.

On June 15, 2021, Lari-Hosain tweeted a photo of a cement wall with the words “F**k you Israel” and “pray for Gaza” spray-painted on them.

Leading an Anti-Israel Coalition

In March 2019, Lari-Hosain was reportedly a leader of the “Pitzer Coalition to Suspend the Haifa Program,” a student coalition that promoted a 2018 Pitzer faculty motion to suspend the college’s study abroad program with the University of Haifa in Israel.

On March 14, 2019, the Pitzer College Council voted to suspend the school’s study abroad program with the University of Haifa. Immediately following the vote, Pitzer President Melvin Oliver said he would not implement the Council’s recommendation.

In March 2019, Lari-Hosain sponsored two Pitzer student senate resolutions, 55-R-14 and 55-R-15, calling on Pitzer President Melvin Oliver to rescind his veto of the College Council recommendation to suspend the college’s Haifa program.

Resolution 55-R-14, “A resolution enacting no confidence in the President of the College,” called on President Oliver to resign, unless he retracted his “anti-democratic decision” not to suspend the Haifa program.

55-R-15 was presented as“A Resolution in support of Shared Governance and to censure Presidents Olivers [sic] decision to dismiss the vote of College Council.”

Lari-Hosain also signed and promoted to Facebook a Claremont SJP petition condemning Oliver’s veto and calling on Oliver to “honor shared governance” and reverse his decision.

On March 28, 2019, Lari-Hosain published an op-ed in 7C’s student newspaper, The Student Life, in which Lari-Hosain claimed: “The University of Haifa, despite its tokenizing marketing, boasts a shockingly poor track record of academic integrity.” Lari Hosain argued: “Had it passed, the motion [to suspend the University of Haifa program] potentially could have kickstarted a movement across American campuses, similar to how students helped dismantle South African apartheid in the 1990s.”

On March 31, 2019, Lari-Hosain participated in an emergency meeting held by the Pitzer student senate during which Lari-Hosain promoted the two resolutions that Lari-Hosain co-sponsored.

According to the public meeting minutes, Lari-Hosain said: “The Haifa motion is not BDS. Haifa is about one institution and has been broadened. BDS was more about the different corporate brands and that was why the vote was overturned…they are both about Palestine and that is important to note…”

On April 7, 2019, the no-confidence resolution, 55-R-14, was reportedly voted down 20–12, and the resolution censuring President Oliver, 55-R-15, unanimously passed.

As of May 30, 2022, Pitzer continued to offer a semester abroad program at the University of Haifa.

Anti-Israel Activism

On June 27, 2021, Lari-Hosain posted [slide 7] an Instagram Story from an anti-Israel protest held the previous day in San Jose, CA. The protest, titled: “Resistance Until Liberation, Stop the Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine,” was hosted by AMP Bay Area.

On May 16, 2021, Lari-Hosain posted an Instagram Story from an anti-Israel protest held the previous day in San Francisco, CA., titled: “All Out For Palestine.”

The protest was organized by the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Palestine Action Network, and other anti-Israel organization such as the Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC), Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition and the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM).

On May 16, 2021, Lari-Hosain tweeted about the protest, writing: “leading chants with some fellow cl*r*mont s~j~p folks

:’).”

On May 11, 2021, Lari-Hosain posted an Instagram Story from an “Emergency Protest for Palestine” rally held the day before in San Jose, CA. The event was hosted by AMP Bay Area.

At the rally, protesters chanted [00:22:01]: “There is only one solution, intifada revolution,” and [00:22:18]: “Intifada, intifada, long live the Intifada!...we support the intifada.”

On July 1, 2020, Lari-Hosain participated in a “Day of Rage- No to Annexation of Palestinian Land! (Car Caravan + Virtual Rally)” protest, co-sponsored by The San Francisco/Bay Area Chapter of Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition, AROC, PYM, the Palestine Action Network and JVP Bay Area.

Lari-Hosain tweeted about the protest: “we shut down montgomery & california street in front of the is**ali [Israeli] consulate in SF @priyavprabhakar.”

Promoting the “Deadly Exchange”

On March 28, 2019, Lari-Hosain published an anti-Israel op-ed in 7C’s student newspaper, The Student Life, in which Lari-Hosain claimed: “peaceful protesters [are] murdered by the same army that trains U.S. police.” In the op-ed, Lari-Hosain linked to a JVP press release promoting the “Deadly Exchange” campaign (@dxcampaign).

In 2017, JVP launched the “Deadly Exchange (DX)” campaign, which accused American Jewish organizations of promoting human rights abuses. JVP also released a video that blamed [00:04:04] U.S.-based Jewish organizations for violence that occurs against Black and Brown communities, immigrants and activists in the U.S.

On May 13, 2021, Lari-Hosain posted on Instagram Stories [slide 28] from an AMP Bay Area “Emergency Protest for Palestine” held the previous day at San Jose City Hall.

At the rally, Lari-Hosain shared on Twitter a video from the same rally in which a speaker claimed [00:00:49] that the security forces of Columbia president Ivan Duque were armed by and trained in Israel. The speaker also said [00:01:26]: “This is what I mean when I say Israel exports Nakba around the world.”

On June 21, 2021, Lari-Hosain shared to Instagram Stories Highlights a post that promoted JVP’s Deadly Exchange campaign. The post included a screenshot of an article suggesting increased fatal police shootings in Georgia could be attributed to Atlanta’s police exchange program with Israel.

The article, titled: “U.S. Police are Being Trained by Israel—And Communities of Color Are Paying the Price," was co-written by Ilise Benshushan Cohen, an Atlanta Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) chapter co-founder.

Supporting a 2021 Pomona BDS Resolution

Lari-Hosain retweeted an April 23, 2021 tweet that read: “Yesterday Pomona College student gov unanimously passed a resolution divesting all ASPC funds from companies complicit in Israel's occupation + banning future investments in Israeli apartheid. All won through the tireless efforts of student activists

Congrats to Claremont SJP

”

On April 23, 2021, Lari-Hosain tweeted: “i urge gabi starr to discuss whether she should continue as pomona president in greater depth, allowing for opposing voices to make their cases. we urge her to reverse course and allow for full discussion, and we welcome an open dialogue on this matter. sincerely, everyone.”

On April 15, 2021, Claremont SJP and 5C JVP introduced their resolution to the ASPC Senate that mandated ASPC compliance with BDS.

The resolution was titled [p.1], “Banning the Use of ASPC Funding to Support the Occupation of Palestine” and it required [p.2] that ASPC “internal spending” could not be used on products or services from companies that “knowingly support the Israeli occupation of Palestine.”

The Claremont SJP and 5C JVP resolution cited [p.2] a list of mostly Israeli companies compiled by the United Nations Human Rights Council as a guide for which companies to boycott. ASPC internal spending includes multiple items such as funding 5C student clubs and student-run events.

The resolution created [p.2] an oversight role for Claremont SJP over the ASPC-run Coop Store and the Coop Fountain restaurant. ASPC would “work in tandem with members of SJP, and other pertinent parties, to perform an annual check on the ASPC’s businesses to ensure all goods sold adhere to the guidelines outlined in this resolution.”

The resolution also said [p.2]: “Clubs that fail to divest and/or refrain from such uses of funding would face the loss of all Claremont Colleges Student Government Association funds.” This clause effectively mandated BDS compliance even for pro-Israel and Jewish student organizations like Claremont Hillel and Claremont Chabad.

Claremont Colleges pool mandatory student activity fees and distribute the money to the 5C student governments. ASPC provides almost 47% of the funding for all 5C clubs, although each 5C student government can fund 5C clubs.

In spring 2021, ASPC gave more than $10,000 to 5C clubs. It also gave $30,000 for student-run events at Pomona that were coordinated through the ASPC’s Pomona Events Committee (PEC). The full ASPC spring 2021 budget was $216,700.

The Claremont SJP and Claremont JVP resolution also said [p.2] that ASPC’s “end goal” would be to lead other 5C student governments to pass similar BDS resolutions.

On April 22, 2021, the ASPC Senate passed the resolution with a vote of 10-0-0. Five senators were not present, representing one third of ASPC Senate’s 15 seats.

On the same day, Claremont SJP issued a press release calling the resolution’s passage “an important first step in reducing our complicity with a country that maintains an illegal military occupation and regularly commits crimes against humanity against the indigenous Palestinian population.”

On April 23, 2021, following criticism of the resolution reportedly among campus and national Jewish groups, Pomona President G. Gabrielle Starr sent an email to the student body opposing the resolution. Starr said that requiring student clubs to boycott Israel was “deeply concerning.” He said that since the vote “was held without representation from any student opposition,” the ASPC Senate should “reverse course and allow for full discussion.”

On April 29, 2021, the ASPC Senate held a Zoom meeting that included a “comment period” for student senators and student guest speakers to express their feedback on the resolution.

On April 30, 2021, the ASPC Senate reportedly decided to “table the resolution” for further discussion on the resolution’s call to deny funding to student clubs that failed to adhere to BDS.

On May 6, 2021, the ASPC Senate reportedly passed a modified resolution that omitted the original clause forcing student clubs funded by ASPC to comply with BDS.

The final resolution mandated BDS compliance for internal ASPC spending, PEC-coordinated events and the two ASPC-managed businesses. Claremont SJP also received its new oversight role regarding the compliance of ASPC businesses with the resolution.

Supporting BDS

On June 16, 2020, Lari-Hosain tweeted regarding the ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s: “do you f**king caucasians have to relearn that they’re on the BDS list every week…”

On July 19, 2021, ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s announced it would stop all product sales in “Occupied Palestinian Territory.” The BDS movement celebrated the decision, calling on the ice cream company to boycott the State of Israel in its entirety. However, company owner Unilever overrode the subsidiary’s decision after multiple US states decided to divest public funds from Unilever.

On June 5, 2020, Lari-Hosain tweeted: “any white person who claims to support BLM [Black Lives Matter] but is apathetic or staunchly against BDS does not give a SH*T about BLM they do not feel the rage, the tears, the nausea when they watch videos of police brutality. they are not pushed to the brink of vomiting if they watch too many.”

On May 13, 2021, Lari-Hosain shared to Twitter a video of an activist promoting [00:00:27] BDS at an anti-Israel rally held the previous day at San Jose City Hall. The rally was sponsored by American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) Bay Area (AMP Bay Area). The activist, whom Lari-Hosain referred to as Lari-Hosain’s “closest friend from hs [high school] @pslweb,” was holding a sign produced by the communist group, Party for Socialism & Liberation (PSL) that said: “Stop U.S. Aid To Apartheid Israel.”

Claremont SJP - Overview

Claremont SJP has expressed support for terrorists, called for Israel’s destruction and rejected dialogue. The group has also demonized Israel, promoted anti-Israel agitators and campaigned for the BDS movement.

Claremont SJP created its Facebook page on June 2, 2011.

Claremont SJP - Supporting Terrorists 2020-2021

As of July 2021, Claremont SJP had signed a petition called the “Palestinian Students Solidarity Campaign” that was launched by the anti-Israel NGO Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network (Samidoun).

The petition supported Palestinian students detained or incarcerated by Israel for participating in terror-related activities and direct terror activity. Among them was Mays Abu Ghosh, Bir Zeit University student who was arrested by Israel for activism in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terror group.

Samidoun advocates for the release of all Palestinian prisoners, many of whom are members of Hamas or other terror groups like the PFLP. Multiple Samidoun activists have been identified as PFLP members, including Mohammed Khatib, Samidoun’s European Coordinator.

On March 26, 2021, Claremont SJP posted to Facebook an event page for an online panel titled “Free Them All!” that featured Samidoun’s Mohammed Khatib. The event page said speakers would give discuss “the importance of supporting and organizing for the freedom of political prisoners as part of the Palestinian national liberation struggle.”

Claremont SJP - Calling for Israel’s Destruction 2020-2021

As of May 2021, Claremont SJP’s platform referred to Israel as an “apartheid state... that can only be dismantled through Palestinian national liberation.”

As of the same date, Claremont SJP’s Instagram bio read: “Fighting for Palestinian liberation, from the river to the sea.” The same quote reportedly appeared in the Instagram bio as early as February 2020.

The chant “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free” has also been employed by Hamas leader Khaled Mashal to call for the replacement of Israel with an Islamic state. It is a chant calling to dismantle the State of Israel.

Claremont SJP - Rejecting Dialogue 2020-2021

As of May 2021, Claremont SJP’s platform read: “We reject any and all collaboration, dialogue, and coalition work with Zionist organizations through a strict policy of anti-normalization and encourage our comrades in other organizations to do the same.”

The policy of “anti-normalization” aims to ensure that all interactions between Israelis and Palestinians align only with the Arab agenda, including ending the occupation and a full right of return for Palestinians, which is a Palestinian demand discredited as a means to eliminate Israel. The policies are shared with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Claremont SJP - Campaigning for BDS 2018-2019

On November 18, 2018, Claremont SJP issued a statement supporting a pro-BDS faculty vote to suspend Pitzer’s study abroad program with the University of Haifa in Israel, which Pitzer had run since 2007. Professor Daniel Segal, the Claremont SJP and Claremont JVP faculty advisor, led the boycott campaign.

In March 2019, the Pitzer College Council (PCC) also voted to suspend the program, but Pitzer President Melvin Oliver said he would veto the PCC recommendation. The PCC is a body of student and faculty members who vote on recommendations to the Pitzer president.

On March 15, 2019, Claremont SJP wrote on Facebook “#ProApartheidOliver” and said that they would “continue to organize to suspend Haifa and demand that President Oliver reverse his decision.” Claremont SJP also posted an online petition demanding Oliver rescind his veto of the PCC motion.

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.