Tareq Radi

Overview

Tareq Radi has disrupted pro-Israel events and organized a walkout of his 2013 graduation ceremony at George Mason University (GMU), because American-Israeli businesswoman and philanthropist Shari Arison gave the commencement address.

Radi was a founding member and 2013 president of (GMU)’s Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA), an affiliate of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).

Radi has also spread hatred against Israel and shown support for a terrorist.

Radi is an activist within the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. In 2019, Radi reportedly co-authored an academic boycott resolution passed by the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis (SCA) at New York University (NYU).

He has also protested with CODEPINK against the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

In 2018, Radi reportedly was a first-year doctoral student in American Studies at NYU.

As of June 2019, Radi’s Facebook page said he studied at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London, “Class of 2017,” where he reportedly completed a master’s degree in Globalization and Development.

As of June 2019, Radi’s LinkedIn profile said he was a Special Events Coordinator for the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University (Georgetown), since 2014.

Radi was also affiliated with SJP at Georgetown in 2015.

As of June 2019, Radi’s LinkedIn profile said he received a bachelor’s degree in Finance from GMU in 2013.

In 2014, Radi was an organizer with US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) in Washington, D.C.

In 2016, Radi was reportedly a member of the United States branch of the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM USA).

Radi is a program host for “Reclaiming Academic Freedom,” on Status Hour, an audio-journal co-sponsored by Arab Studies Institute, since 2014.

Disruptions

On June 4, 2013, Radi and other SAIA members disrupted [00:00:18] a speech given by Former Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington D.C.

Radi, wearing a black SAIA shirt, interrupted [00:00:18] Olmert’s address and shouted: “I’m appalled that the Wilson Center would host a war criminal such as yourself. Be sure that the international community will hold you accountable for your war crimes.”

As he marched out of the room, Radi continued [00:00:32]: “Solidarity with the Palestinians. All of you should be appalled for sitting and listening to this war criminal. The only threat to Israel is Israel in itself. You are pushing the line farther and farther.”

On November 5, 2013, Radi participated [00:01:27] in a GMU SAIA-staged walkout to disrupt a talk given at GMU by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Sgt. Benjamin Anthony about his personal experiences of the Israeli-Arab Conflict. At the disruption, Radi held up [00:02:02] a sign which read: “Stand Up Against Military Occupation.”

SAIA also projected [00:00:48] the SAIA logo on the building used to host the event.
and produced a video of the walkout with a description claiming: “The walkout was part of SAIA's anti-normalization strategy that seeks to expose normalizing events…”

Proponents of the “anti-normalization” policy seek to police all interactions between Israelis and Palestinians and shut down all conversations, interactions and speech that they perceive as being ideologically unaligned with their own agenda.

On May 18, 2014, Radi, carrying [00:00:08] a Palestinian flag and wearing a shirt with the SAIA emblem, led a disruption of an Israeli Independence Festival in Fairfax, Virginia with other SJP and SAIA members from Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia (DMV-SJP).

After the festival, Radi reportedly said: “Any time they have a presence, our presence needs to be there. Anytime they have a celebration, they need to know there will be some resistance.”

SAIA GMU Graduation Day Walkout

On December 19, 2013, Radi participated [00:05:17] in an SAIA walkout of GMU’s Winter Commencement ceremony, during a speech given by American-Israeli businesswoman and philanthropist, Shari Aronson.

During the walk-out, several graduates reportedly wore “no honor in apartheid” stickers on the tops of their graduate caps while their guests waved [00:02:04]keffiyehs.

Before the event, Radi co-authored with GMU professor and SAIA advisor Craig Willse an "open letter," published on the GMU SAIA website. The open letter claimed that the “university’s name is being used to whitewash the activities of the Arison Group.”

Radi and Willse claimed “Honoring Arison makes Mason appear to be a PR machine for robber baron billionaires” and went on to say ” This not only diminishes the academic autonomy and reputation of George Mason, but actually undermines possibilities for teaching, learning, and practicing social justice on our campus.”

The letter accused the Arison Group of displacing Bedouins, constructing a “cross-Israel Jewish-only highway”, building a portion of “the Apartheid Wall,” operating “an illegal factory for construction materials” and illegally extracting minerals from the occupied portion of the Dead Sea.

On December 17, 2013, Radi featured in a GMU SAIA YouTube video, titled: “GMU Graduates: Call to Walk Out on Shari Aronson” in which he called [00:00:15] Aronson an “apartheid profiteer.”

In the video, Radi also called o n [00:01:45] viewers to walk out on Aronson at the GMU graduation ceremony.

Spreading Hatred of Israel

On March 18, 2016, Radi was a featured speaker at a conference held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. titled "Israel’s Influence: Good or bad for America?"

The event description stated that “various panels will focus on the ways in which the state of Israel influences the U.S. to benefit Israel, but not necessarily the U.S" and “claimed that ‘History reveals that Israel and its lobby are most influential’ when they ‘manufacture’ an existential crisis that allegedly threatens Israel or the U.S".

During the conference, Tariq addressed “efforts to counter Israel’s influence in various venues, beginning with college and university campuses."

On August 2, 2014, during Operation Protective Edge (OPE), Radi delivered [00:00:20] a speech at a rally titled: “National March on the White House: End the Massacre in Gaza!”

Israel commenced 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 at Israeli population centers during Operation Protective Edge (OPE) in July 2014.

The event’s Facebook description said that “initial co-sponsors” included anti-Israel groups such as American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and Al-Awda: Palestine Right to Return Coalition.

During his speech, Radi said [00:01:01]: “They [Zionists] are trying to soil the words we hold sacred ‘šahīd, Martyr, Revolutionary’... They empower us and strike fear into the hearts of cowards. We are people of resistance and we need to rebuild our culture of resistance.”

Radi continued [00:01:44]: “by surrendering to the language of peace, we have handcuffed the means in which our people back home can resist."

Radi called [00:03:17] Israel’s right to defend itself “ludicrous rhetoric” and said [00:03:30]: “We must resist the Zionist entity at every turn. They must know that their presence is not welcome anywhere that values justice.”

On July 11, 2014, Radi participated in a protest against OPE at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. The event, titled“DC: EMERGENCY PROTEST Against the Bombing of Gaza!” was co-sponsored by US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR) and CODEPINK.

At the rally, one protester held a sign saying “Israel is the real terrorist,” and another held a flag of terrorist organization Hezbollah. Another sign likened Israelis to Nazis: “Zionist = Nazi, Israel = the 4th Reich, Netanyahu = The Fuhrer, Gaza = the Warsaw Ghetto, Operation Protective Edge = The pogrom.”

On July 5, 2014, Radi co-organized a demonstration hosted by the Washington, D.C., Maryland (MD), Virginia (VA) SJP Chapter (DC MD VA SJP) in front of the White House three days before Israel launched OPE.

The Facebook event description stated: “In the wake of the disappearance of three Israeli settlers, Israel has escalated its brutal occupation…Join us as we honor those who have been martyred.”

Hamas was responsible for the kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers from a bus stop on June 12, 2014. The abducted boys were murdered by their captors, and their bodies were found buried in Palestinian-controlled territory on June 30, 2014.

Support for a Terrorist

Radi also indicated on Facebook that he “went” to a March 13, 2015 event titled “Fundraiser for Rasmea Odeh” hosted by the DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival in Washington, D.C.

The Facebook event description said: “An evening to celebrate the resilience of Palestinian Community Leader Rasmea Odeh and raise funds for her legal defense fund on March 13, 2015.”

On October 10, 2015, Radi posted on Facebook: “**I will donate $1 dollar for every ‘Like’ and $2 for every share.** I absolutely love this woman. Please donate to help bus Rasmea’s supporters to her trial on October 14th.”

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.

BDS Activity

In May 2019, Radi reportedly co-authored a BDS resolution targeting NYU’s study abroad program in Tel Aviv, Israel.

On May 2, 2019, NYU’s Department of Social and Cultural Analysis (SCA) passed a resolution by majority vote pledging non-cooperation with the university’s own study abroad program in Tel Aviv.

According to the resolution, titled “Resolution of Non-Cooperation with NYU-Tel Aviv,” SCA would “not officially sponsor faculty teaching at NYU’s Tel Aviv study-abroad program, nor will it utilize any of its resources to facilitate faculty exchanges between the department and the program.”

On May 3, 2019, NYU spokesman John Beckman responded to SCA’s passage of the resolution with a statement that read: “The University will not allow the SCA vote to have any impact on NYU Tel Aviv, to prevent any students from studying there, or to disadvantage any student who chooses to study there.”

Radi indicated on Facebook that he “went” to an October 24, 2018 panel event at NYU titled, “The Assault on the Right to Boycott.”

Radi indicated on Facebook that he “went” to Israeli Apartheid Week 2015, hosted by Georgetown SJP on March 2, 2015.

Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) is presented internationally as a “series of events that seeks to raise awareness of…Israel’s settler-colonial project and apartheid system over the Palestinian people.” One of its goals is to build support for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. IAW has been renamed Palestine Awareness Week.

On February 11, 2015, Radi wrote on Facebook: “***CALL FOR ACTION: Georgetown SJP needs support to stop a secret Anti-Boycott Resolution from being passed in the student senate tonight at 7:30!!***”

Radi indicated on Facebook that he “went” to an August 9, 2014 protest at the White House called “Call to End US Aid to Israel #GazaDayofRage.”

The Facebook event description stated: “This protest at the White House is being organized as a response to the call from Palestinian civil society for an August Day of Rage...This action will be focused on ending aid to Israel and promoting the call for boycott, divestment, and sanctions in the face of Israeli impunity.”

Radi indicated on Facebook that he “went” to an October 21, 2014 protest, titled: “Protest Sabra: Stay Out of Georgetown, Stay Out of Gaza.”The event was hosted by the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR).

Radi indicated on Facebook that he “went” to a March 2, 2014 protest, titled: “Boycott AIPAC 2014.” The protest was hosted by CODEPINK in front of the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington D.C.

The stated mission of AIPAC is to “strengthen, protect and promote the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of the United States and Israel.”

The Facebook event description said: “Disgusted by AIPAC's moves to bring us to war with Iran? Sick of seeing US tax dollars go to Israel while they commit human rights violations in Palestine? Inspired by all the BDS victories happening left and right? Then join us to protest AIPAC's conference in DC!”

On March 21, 2013, GMU SAIA launched a campaign to boycott the sale of Sabra Hummus at GMU. Sabra is partially owned by an Israeli company, the Strauss Group.

The post urged readers to sign and share a petition, organized by SAIA member Keil Eggers "[i]]n accordance with the call issued by Palestinian civil society" alleging that The Strauss Group was complicit in human right violations.

Radi also wrote a December 24, 2013 article that said “as a result of our [SAIA] campaign to boycott Sabra hummus the university now offers an alternative hummus anywhere Sabra is sold on campus. While this wasn’t the aim of the campaign, it is still a major victory for BDS as GMU is now the second university to offer a non-Israeli brand as an alternative.”

Attending the 2017 National SJP Conference

Radi appeared and was tagged in a photo posted by National SJP to Facebook on October 22, 2017 that promoted and fundraised for the 2017 SJP National Conference in Houston, TX, held on October 27-29, 2017 .

SAIA - Supporting BDS

In March 2013, SAIA launched campaign to boycott Sabra Hummus at GMU. Sabra is partially owned by an Israeli company, the Strauss Group. SAIA member Keil Eggers organized a petition "[i]]n accordance with the call issued by Palestinian civil society" alleging that The Strauss Group was complicit in human right violations.

In August 2016, BDS leader Ilan Pappé admitted that BDS was not initiated by a “call” from Palestinian civil society; rather, it was initiated by a small number of radical anti-Israel extremists.

On April 25, 2013, GMU SAIA held a panel event featuring SAIA Advisor and GMU professor Craig Willse delivering a lecture on BDS.

On November 25, 2013, SAIA members participated in the American Studies Association (ASA) Conference, during which a resolution calling for an academic boycott of Israel was adopted.

GMU SAIA - Promoting A Graduation Day Walkout

On December 19, 2013, SAIA staged a graduation day walkout during a speech delivered by American-Israeli businesswoman and philanthropist Shari Arison, who SAIA described as an “apartheid profiteer.”

During the walk-out,several graduates reportedly wore “no honor in apartheid” stickers on the tops of their graduate caps while their guests waved [00:02:04]keffiyehs.

Before the event, SAIA leader Tareq Radi co-authored with GMU professor and SAIA advisor Craig Willse an "open letter outlining our concerns," hosted on the GMU SAIA website. The open letter quoted University President Ángel Cabrera’s praise of “Arison’s example of practicing moral responsibility in business” as the basis to allege that the “university’s name is being used to whitewash the activities of the Arison Group.”

Radi and Willse claimed “Honoring Arison makes Mason appear to be a PR machine for robber baron billionaires” and claimed that the Arison Group was displacing Bedouins, constructing a “cross-Israel Jewish-only highway”, building a portion of “the Apartheid Wall,” operating “an illegal factory for construction materials” and illegally extracting minerals from the occupied portion of the Dead Sea.

GMU SAIA - Crashing an Israel Festival

In May 2014, GMU SAIA members crashed an Israeli Independence Festival wearing garments with the SAIA emblem and Keffiyehs. The police permitted the group to enter only after issuing [00:01:53] a warning not to cause trouble. The group subsequently spent their time at the festival arguing [00:05:37] with pro-Israel attendees.

GMU SAIA - “Day of Anger” Rally

On August 1, 2013, GMU SAIA hosted a "Day of Anger: Stop Prawer DC" rally outside The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) headquarters in Washington D.C.

The event’s Facebook description said the rally was to “spread awareness of the biggest impending ethnic cleansing campaign against Palestinians by Israel since 1948” and called on participants to “Demand that the US Government stops its unquestioning support of Israel!”

The “Prawer Plan” is a proposed Israeli government plan (the Begin-Prawer Plan) to officially recognize and register the vast majority of Bedouin settlements throughout southern Israel and relocate and compensate the residents of 35 unrecognized villages.

At the protest, students chanted [00:00:07] “5-6-7-8 Israel is a racist state” and [00:00:32] “1-2-3-4 occupation no more.”

PYM

In 2012, the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM USA) released a statement saying: “Our liberation...will be gained with the path that was written with the blood of our martyrs. We reaffirm that the only path that we are concerned with is the path that explicitly heads towards the liberation of our land and the return of our people to Palestine.”

PYM organized rallies demonizing Israel where it displays propaganda posters supporting the terrorist organization Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and compared Israel to Nazi Germany.

On October 25, 2015, PYM called to support “intifada” during a period when Palestinian radicals across Israel stabbed and hacked to death scores of Israeli civilians. PYM alleged that “Al-Aqsa Mosque has been the target of particularly brutal assaults” and that “... arbitrary killings are committed daily by the Zionist military and settlers.”

On November 10, 2015, the PYM Facebook page displayed a photo of masked Palestinian radicals throwing rocks and firing rocks from slingshots. That photo was used to promote at least 25 anti-Israel rallies across the globe on or around November 29, 2015 under the banner of “Transnational mobilization for Palestinian resistance.”

On November 30, 2015, PYM displayed a photo on Facebook from one of the rallies showing a sign in support of PFLP member Khalida Jarrar, who confessed to inciting violence and calling for terrorists to abduct Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers.

Another sign showed support for PFLP Secretary-General Ahmad Sadat, who was convicted for the 2001 assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi.

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.