Souphe Widdi

Overview

Souphe Widdi has called for anti-Israel violence and the dismantlement of Israel, glorified terrorists and spread hatred of Israel supporters. She has also demonized Israel, endorsed anti-Israel agitators, engaged in anti-Israel activism and is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

As of May 2022, Widdi served as a Steering Committee member of the Al-Awda-NY Palestine Right to Return Coalition and was listed as a speaker at Al-Awda’s May 2022 National Conference in New York City. On April 17, 2022, Al-Awda NY wrote on Instagram that Widdi was a “Years long Al Awda member.”

In May 2022, Widdi was also affiliated with American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)’s New Jersey chapter (AMP-NJ).

As of May 2022, Widdi was an Audiologist and a Speech-Language Pathologist, located in Brooklyn, New York.

As of May 2022, Widdi’s LinkedIn page said she graduated from Long Island University in Brooklyn (LIU Brooklyn) with a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 2012, and graduated from Hunter College (Hunter) with a bachelor’s degree in English in 2007.

As of May 2022, Widdi used the alias “Sophie Ghannam” on Facebook.

Calling for Anti-Israel Violence

On May 14, 2022, Widdi spoke at an anti-Israel rally organized by AMP-NJ, during which she said [00:00:55]: “Palestinian resistance is not only encouraged, it is our right…resistance is our right. Armed resistance, for that matter.”

Calling for the Dismantlement of Israel

On May 4, 2019, Widdi wrote on Facebook: “Lets push for this bill [H.R. 2407] to help protect Palestinian children until we dismantle ‘israel’ in shaa Allah [Allah willing] !!!!!!”

In 2019, U.S. Congresswoman Betty McCollum introduced bill H.R. 2407 to the U.S. Congress to “promote human rights for Palestinian children living under Israeli military occupation."

On January 22, 2018, Widdi wrote on Facebook: “…israel’s existence is very problematic... it exists because of Palestinian displacement and genocide...
Therefore, Peace will never exist with the existence of israel…”

Glorifying Terrorists

On April 16, 2022, Widdi spoke [00:00:01] at an anti-Israel rally organized by Al-Awda NY in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, during which she read aloud the names of “Palestinian Martyrs,” including Palestinian terrorist Ra’ad Hazem.

On April 8, 2022, Ra’ad Hazem opened fire on a bar in Tel Aviv killing three and wounding several others.Hazem opened fire a second time after he was tracked down by Israeli forces.He was killed during the firefight. Hazem’s father, a former security officer with the Palestinian Authority, praised his son for the terror attack.

On January 22, 2022, Widdi spoke [00:00:09] at a “Speak out to free Ahmad Sa’adat and all Palestinian prisoners” rally co-hosted by Al-Awda NY.

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.

Widdi retweeted a January 10, 2022 tweet from Al-Awda, which included photos of her with fellow activists posting flyers to promote the rally.

On June 15, 2018, Widdi shared on Facebook a Change.org petition in support of Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestinian (PFLP) terrorist Khalida Jarrar. The petition, signed by Widdi, referred to Jarrar as “one of Palestine’s foremost advocates for freedom and justice.”

Khalida Jarrar is a senior PFLP member who has been in Israeli prison multiple times. In 2019, she was one of 50 PFLP operatives arrested, following a deadly 2018 bombing attack that targeted an Israeli family on vacation.

Hatred of Israel Supporters

On October 2, 2021, Widdi shared on Facebook several videos of herself verbally harassing a group of Christian evangelicals who displayed signs and materials supporting Israel on 86th street in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Widdi repeatedly called [00:01:54] the pro-Israel activists “disgusting.”

Widdi described the incident on Facebook: “I was on a phone call when I spotted the horrific signs, which included, ‘we stand with israel.’ I instinctually began to shout at the top of my lungs at these imposters…these roaches…”

Widdi continued: “The supportive youth were of all backgrounds, ethnicities and religions, and to my pleasant surprise, all were denouncing the existence of israel and in support of Palestine!! I continued to incessantly speak over them while drowning their robotic voices and their hypocritical message.”

Widdi also wrote: “Our tenacity and teamwork led to the forced removal of their pro-israel signs!!!! The look of defeat on their faces was worth it all Alhamdulilah!!!! ["praise be to God"].”

Widdi concluded with: “NOT ONE person was able to call us antisemitic! Allahu Akbar [God is Great]! Now we have to make sure that these roaches don’t come back with a vengeance.”

In the videos she shared to Facebook, Widdi can be heard chanting [00:00:32]: “From the river to the sea” and [00:00:42]: “Israel Israel you can't hide, we charge you with genocide.”

“From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free” is a chant calling to dismantle 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.

Demonizing Israel

On January 23, 2022, Widdi featured in an Al-Awda NY Facebook video speaking at a rally held a day earlier in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. During her speech, Widdi accused [00:00:41] Israel of “the demolition of Palestinian homes in the name of ethnic cleansing in Sheikh Jarrah.”

In May 2021, calls to “save” Sheikh Jarrah, a Jerusalem neighborhood at the center of a property dispute, led to violence against Israelis and were one of the leading factors in Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists firing over 4,300 rockets from Gaza into Israel that month.

On October 2, 2021, Widdi shared on Facebook a video, in which she stood in front of pro-Israel activists and called out [00:00:02] to passers-by: “Israel is a settler colony. Israel is based on the continuous displacement and murder of Palestinians.”

Widdi also said [00:00:07]: “Israel is a settler colony based on racism and hate. Israel is an apartheid entity…committing genocide since 1948.”

On June 21, 2018, Widdi shared to Facebook a video interview of anti-Israel activist Abby Martin, in which sheaccused [00:08:07] Israel of “committing an ongoing massacre.”

Anti-Israel Activism

In May 2022, Widdi was a featured speaker at Al-Awda’s “Rising to Return National Conference” held in New York City from May 6 -8, 2022. The conference website stated that the event was organized with goal of “Mapping strategies to advance Palestinian liberation and return; Devising tactics to dismantle zionist supremacy and colonization.”

Al-Awda has co-organized major anti-Israel rallies, where speakers have incited [00:14:30] hatred toward Jews. The organization works to demonize Israel. Al-Awda founder, Abbas Hamideh, is known for spreading anti-Semitism and supporting terror.

Widdi’s bio for the event said she was a member of the Steering Committee of Al-Awda NY whose “work has included curriculum development for youth on Palestine, organizing parent-focused actions…”

On April 16, 2022, Widdi participated [00:00:01] in an “Emergency Rally to Defend Al-Aqsa” hosted by Al-Awda NY in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

The event’s Facebook description read: “Far-Right zionist politicians & settlers also plan to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque this upcoming week. Therefore, it’s crucially important to hit the streets to Defend Al-Aqsa, & demand an end to the occupation & settler colonialism.”

Palestinians and anti-Israel activists have historically described visits by Jews to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem as “incursions” during which Jews purportedly “storm” the Temple Mount and Al-Aqsa Mosque. Palestinians have also frequently used the mosque to stockpile stone slabs, fireworks and rocks, with which they attack Israeli security officers and non-Muslim visitors to the Temple Mount.

At the rally, protesters chanted [slide 9] in Arabic: “باب ألأقصى منحديدما بفتحها الا الشهيد [The al-Aqsa gate is made of iron, only the martyr can open it.]”

On June 3, 2018, Widdi participated in a protest co-hosted by Al-Awda NY to disrupt the 70th Celebrate Israel Parade in New York City. The protest was titled: “Counter the Israeli parade: Say no to celebrating genocide NYC.”

That day, Widdi shared on Facebook a video of the protest, during which protesters waved [00:00:21] Palestinian flags and called out [00:00:23]: “Shame on you!” and[00:00:44] “Murderer!”

Widdi commented: “My throat is killing me....... but it’s all worth it. We took those zios out of their murderous comfort and shat on their celebratory moods!”

The term "Zio" is a common derogatory reference to Zionists, as well as an often-used anti-Semitic slur among white supremacists.

In the same thread, Widdi also commented: “...Zionism is like GMO [genetically modified organisms] food... it’s artificially engineered and it’s dangerous.”

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.

Endorsing Anti-Israel Agitators

On January 31, 2018, Widdi wrote on Facebook that anti-Israel agitator Ahed Tamimi was “Palestinian liberation personified” and “our hero.” Widdi also wrote: “In shaa Allah [with God’s help] Palestine will be liberated very soon and Ahed will fulfill her dreams and aspirations…”

Ahed Tamimi has a long history of physically attacking Israeli soldiers. Tamimi is the daughter of Bassem Tamimi, who is known for exploiting young children as political props in staged confrontations with Israeli soldiers.

Supporting BDS

On May 9, 2019, Widdi called on Facebook followers to boycott Burgerim, an international Israeli hamburger franchise. In her post, Widdi also shared a video of anti-Israel activist Amer Zahr, who has advocated for the boycott of Burgerim.

Widdi wrote on Facebook: “There’s also a BurgerIM in Bay Ridge Brooklyn sadly owned by Palestinians! The owners have come on my previous posts and called me a liar… asking me if I drank coke or shopped at Century 21 (I don’t do either) in order to digress from the fact that they bought an ‘israeli’ franchise.... Shame, shame, shame! Palestinian blood is on their hands! PLEASE BOYCOTT!!”

On May 4, 2019, Widdi shared on Facebook an American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) action alert in support of H.R. 2407.

NGO Monitor reported that H.R. 2407l “includes several inaccurate factual claims and distortions of international law...misquotes a number of [U.S.] State Department reports.” The report also said the bill was “based largely on the lobbying efforts and accusations of Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCI-P),” a group that has “Numerous individuals with alleged ties” to the terror organization the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) among its member.

On April 17, 2019, Widdi wrote on Facebook: “Selling israeli dates means that you support settler-colonialism, apartheid and the occupation against Palestinians…”

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.