Ummaya Joha
Overview
Ummaya Joha [Ummaya Juha] has glorified Hamas, celebrated terrorism and promoted anti-Jewish blood libels. Joha has also spread anti-Semitic imagery and incitement.As of 2016, Joha was a cartoonist with the Qatari-based new site Al Jazeera (AJ). In April 2009, an Al Jazeera English (AJE) interviewer described [00:00:11] Joha as “arguably the Arab world’s leading female cartoonist.”
In 2012, Joha was reportedly the Chairperson of the cartoon production house “Juhatoon.” Joha was also a cartoonist with Qatar’s semi-official daily newspaper Al - Raya, as well as the Al-Hayat al-Jadida, an official daily newspaper of the Palestinian National Authority and the Al-Quds daily newspaper.
Joha reportedly graduated from the Mathematics Department at Al Azhar University (Al Azhar) in Egypt in 1995.
Glorifying Hamas
On February 2, 2015, Joha tweeted: “#القسام_مقاومة #القسام_مش_إرهاب #القسام_فخر_الأمة [#Qassam_pride_of_nation #Qassam_isnt_terror #Qassam_is_resistance],” along with a cartoon glorifying a Hamas terrorist.The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades is the military wing of Hamas.
On August 26, 2014, Joha tweeted an image of a bandaged Palestinian girl saluting a Hamas terrorist.
On December 10, 2012, shortly after Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense (OPD), Joha published an illustration in Al Raya portraying Hamas leader Khaled Meshal with an M-75 rocket behind him. Meshal is also strangling a miniaturized image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while making a “V for Victory” sign.
On December 10, 2012, shortly after Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense (OPD), Joha published an illustration in Al Raya portraying Hamas leader Khaled Meshal with an M-75 rocket behind him. Meshal is also strangling a miniaturized image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while making a “V for Victory” sign.
Israel launched OPD to stop Hamas rocket attacks on Israeli civilians from Gaza. Over the course of eight days in November 2012, Palestinian terrorist groups fired more than 1,500 rockets at Israel. The majority struck Israel, damaging homes, schools and other civilian areas. Human Rights Watch noted: “Palestinian armed groups made clear in their statements that harming civilians was their aim.”
Celebrating Terrorism
On December 6, 2017, Joha tweeted an image of a suicide bomber with four miniature Israeli soldiers strapped to his chest and his finger on the trigger mechanism, which was shaped like the Al-Aqsa mosque. The cartoon was captioned: “With our soul, with our blood, we sacrifice for you O Aqsa.”On January 8, 2017, the day a terrorist rammed into and killed four Israeli soldiers on a Jerusalem promenade, Joha tweeted an illustration of a cloud with 2017 written on it, raining four Israeli soldiers into an open grave, next to a smiling elderly Palestinian woman with a thought bubble that read in Arabic: “A blessed year upon us, O god”.
On January 8, 2017, Fadi al-Qanbar drove his truck into a group of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers at a Jerusalem bus stop, killing four and injuring 17. Al-Qanbar was shot dead during the attack.
On January 1, 2016, Joha tweeted a cartoon portraying terrorist Nashat Melhem carrying the severed heads of two Orthodox Jewish men in a sack. The cartoon showed Melhem flashing a “v for victory” sign, with the caption in Arabic reading: “2016 Lucky is the one who shoots two heads in a Halal way.”
Joha added: “#بدايتها_مسك #انتفاضة_القدس #ستشرق [#Its_beginning_is_sweet #It_will_rise #Jerusalem_Intifada].”
On January 1, 2016, Nashat Melhem opened fire on Israelis in a Tel Aviv restaurant, killing two people and injuring seven others. Melhem also murdered a taxi driver while fleeing the murder scene.
On June 21, 2016, Joha published an illustration to Al Raya of terrorist Khader Adnan flashing a “V for Victory” sign, with a caption in Arabic that said: “The prisoner of war Khader Adnan is going through a hunger strike for 46 days.”
Khader Adnan was a senior member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist organization. A 2007 YouTube video showed Adnan praising and encouraging suicide bombings: "Who among you will carry the next explosive belt? Who among you will fire the next bullets? Who among you will have his body parts blown all over?” In May 2023, Adnan died in prison after refusing medical treatment during a hunger strike.
On October 4, 2015, Joha tweeted an illustration of a smiling Palestinian youth, resting his arm on a bloody knife and sitting on a dead Israeli soldier with the caption: “and revenge isn’t more bitter upon the enemy than the effect of a Muhannad sword.” The boy’s name is noted in Arabic as “Muhannad el-Halabi.”
A Muhannad sword is a traditional sword made of Indian iron.
Nineteen year old Muhannad Halabi 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.”
On June 14, 2014, Joha tweeted an illustration of a person holding an assault rifle with their face covered and holding up three fingers at a frightened looking Jewish man. Joha wrote: “٣ مخطوفين صهاينة [three kidnapped Zionists].”
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.
A three-fingered victory sign became one of the ways the kidnapping of the three Israel teens was celebrated.
On November 8, 2014, Joha tweeted a cartoon portraying an Orthodox Jewish man running away from a remote-controlled car guided by Ibrahim Akkari, depicted as a mischievous child.
On November 5, 2014, Hamas terrorist Ibrahim Akkari drove his car into a group of people at a Light Rail station, killing a Druze border police officer and injuring more than 12 others. Akkari then exited his vehicle, attacking police with a metal bar, before he was shot.
Joha wrote:“#داعس #مقاومة #لبيك_يا_أقصى #القدس #زوال_إسرائيل #سلاح_الرعب #الموت_في_سبيل_الله #إبراهيم_العكاري [#Wiping_out_Israel #Jerusalem #We_are_for_you_Alaqsa #Resistance #Running_Over #Ibrahim_Elakari #Dying_in_the_sake_of_Allah #Terror_weapon]”
On May 13, 2017, Rima Najjar shared on Facebook an illustration attributed to Joha, of an Orthodox Jewish man with pointed ears, a large pointed nose and sharp teeth dripping with blood, eating a child wearing a shirt resembling the Palestinian flag.
On July 9, 2014, Joha tweeted an image of a person wearing a bib with a Jewish star eating a Palestinian child. The man is using a fork bearing the American flag and a knife with the words in Arabic: “Arab silence.”
An image published on February 9, 2006 by Getty Images showed Joha holding up two caricatures. One portrayed the corpse of an newborn infant stabbed through its back by a large fork bearing a Star of David. The other depicted former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon eating a bowl of bloodied Palestinian children.
Promoting anti-Jewish Blood Libels
On September 18, 2018, Joha published a cartoon in Al Raya featuring a stereotypically anti-Semitic caricature of an Orthodox Jew standing in front of the Israeli flag drinking two goblets of blood. The goblets are labeled in Arabic: “Massacres” and “Palestinian people.”On May 13, 2017, Rima Najjar shared on Facebook an illustration attributed to Joha, of an Orthodox Jewish man with pointed ears, a large pointed nose and sharp teeth dripping with blood, eating a child wearing a shirt resembling the Palestinian flag.
On July 9, 2014, Joha tweeted an image of a person wearing a bib with a Jewish star eating a Palestinian child. The man is using a fork bearing the American flag and a knife with the words in Arabic: “Arab silence.”
An image published on February 9, 2006 by Getty Images showed Joha holding up two caricatures. One portrayed the corpse of an newborn infant stabbed through its back by a large fork bearing a Star of David. The other depicted former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon eating a bowl of bloodied Palestinian children.
On April 22, 2003, during the Second Intifada, Joha reportedly published a cartoon in Al-Hayat al-Jadida of Israel’s then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon sitting in a goblet overflowing with blood.
Spreading Anti-Semitic Imagery
On September 29, 2015, Joha tweeted a stereotypically anti-Semitic illustration depicting Israel as a rodent near a mousetrap, with the Al Aqsa mosque placed as bait inside the mousetrap.On October 17, 2015, Joha tweeted a stereotypically anti-Semitic illustration of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish man hiding in a dresser drawer in fear of a stabbing attack, as a kitten walks by.
Joha wrote: “#نصرت_بالرعب #انتفاضة_القدس #انتفاضة_السكاكين #ستشرق #اقترب_الوعد [#Knives_Intifada #Jerusalem_Intifada #Victorious_with_terror #The_promise_is_near #It_will_rise]”
On October 31, 2014, Joha tweeted a cartoon portraying terrorist Mutaz Hijazi strangling Israeli Rabbi Yehuda Glick, whom she caricatured as a reptile. Text embedded in the cartoon in Arabic said: “You make me angry.”
Islamic Jihad operative Mutaz Hijazi shot and seriously wounded Rabbi Yehuda Glick, who holds dual US and Israeli citizenship. Hijazi was later killed while resisting arrest, after he fired on Israeli police.
On November 18, 2014, the day of the Har Nof Massacre, Joha tweeted a cartoon of a cowering Orthodox Jew surrounded by a knife, an axe, an assault rifle and a car. Joha wrote: “#الأقصى #القدس #الانتفاضة_الثالثة #داعس #مقاومة #فلسطين #لبيك_يا_أقصى #الأقصى_في_خطر #انتفاضة_السكاكين’ [#Resistance #Running_over #Third_Intifada #Jerusalem #Alaqsa #Alaqsa_is_in_danger #We_are_for_you_Alaqsa #Palestine #Knives_Intifada].”.
On November 18, 2014 Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorists Ghassan and Odai Abu Jamal murdered six worshippers in a Har Nof, Jerusalem synagogue with a gun, axes and a butcher knife, during morning prayers.
The New York Times and The Atlantic reported the attackers were described as “motivated by what they saw as threats to the revered plateau [the Temple Mount] that contains Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.’”
The PFLP claimed credit for the massacre, publishing a video that lauded the attackers on its official website. Gaza PFLP leader, Hani Thawbta, stated: “We declare full responsibility of the PFLP for the execution of this heroic operation..." Hamas also praised the murders.
On April 6, 2014, Joha published an illustration in Al Raya which portrayed a witch holding a wand topped with a Star of David, smiling and looking at a crystal ball showing two Arabs fighting.
On February 27, 2014, Joha tweeted a cartoon of an Orthodox Jewish man holding a fork and consuming a piece of land upon which a man wearing is saying in Arabic: “We denounce, condemn, and refuse the swallowing of Palestinian land that Israel is doing and we will continue to denounce and condemn until the last breath.”
On April 6, 2014, Joha published an illustration in Al Raya which portrayed a witch holding a wand topped with a Star of David, smiling and looking at a crystal ball showing two Arabs fighting.
On February 27, 2014, Joha tweeted a cartoon of an Orthodox Jewish man holding a fork and consuming a piece of land upon which a man wearing is saying in Arabic: “We denounce, condemn, and refuse the swallowing of Palestinian land that Israel is doing and we will continue to denounce and condemn until the last breath.”
On March 5, 2013, Joha published an illustration in Al Raya of a cockroach wearing a white Kippah with a Star of David on its wing, with a giant key bearing down on the insect.
On January 21, 2012, Joha tweeted a cartoon portraying an anti-Semitic caricature of an Ultra Orthodox Jew hiding behind a tree from a man with an assault rifle. The tree is calling out in Arabic: “Oh Muslim, Oh slave of Allah, this is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.”
The cartoon extracts a line from a hadith speaking of Judgement Day that is often quoted in anti-Semitic sermons.
On January 21, 2012, Joha tweeted a cartoon portraying an anti-Semitic caricature of an Ultra Orthodox Jew hiding behind a tree from a man with an assault rifle. The tree is calling out in Arabic: “Oh Muslim, Oh slave of Allah, this is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.”
The cartoon extracts a line from a hadith speaking of Judgement Day that is often quoted in anti-Semitic sermons.
Spreading Incitement
On June 2, 2013, Joha published a stereotypically anti Semitic illustration in Al Raya, of a giant octopus, wearing a Kippah, with sharp teeth and a Star of David on its head, enveloping the Al Aqsa mosque compound.
The allegation that Jews “threaten” to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque has been a traditional pretext for Arab attacks on Jews long before the existence of the modern Jewish state. Such propaganda served as the excuse for an upsurge in Palestinian violence that flared in the fall of 2015 and incited Palestinians to attempt mass casualty attacks on Israeli civilians in July 2016..
On October 14, 2015, Joha tweeted an image suggesting that Jewish presence on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is akin to a peel that needs to be cut way with a knife.
Joha wrote: “#انتفاضة_القدس #انتفاضة_السكين #لن_يقسم #أقصانا_لا_هيكلهم #الانتفاضة_انطلقت #ستشرق [#Wont_be_divided #Knife_Intifada #Jerusalem_Intifada #It_will_rise #The_Intifada_has_begun #Our_Aqsa_Not_Their_Temple].”
On October 18, 2015, Joha tweeted an illustration of a knife serving as a needle to sew together a ripped Palestinian flag, captioned, in Arabic: “The intifada heals the wound of our division.”
On October 29, 2015, Joha tweeted the image of a man with an assault rifle and a knife embracing the Temple Mount compound which includes the Al Aqsa mosque.
Joha wrote: “#انتفاضة_القدس #البركة_بالشباب #لن_يقسم #لن_يمروا [They_won’t_pass #It_won’t_be_divided #Blessings_is_in_Youth #Jerusalem_Intifada].”
On November 28, 2015, during the Knife Intifada, Joha tweeted a cartoon of a knife, using blood to write in Arabic: “And for the red freedom is a door that knocks with every blood-covered hand.” Joha wrote: “#انتفاضة_القدس [#Jerusalem_Intifada].”
On March 7, 2016, Joha was interviewed on the Qatari news site Al Sharq, where she defended posting incitement on her Facebook page. Joha claimed her incitement was “resistance,” and accused “Jewish activists” of “seeking to close the page because they are disturbed by the drawings supporting the Intifada."
On July 28, 2017, Joha published on Al Jazeera.net a cartoon portraying the Old City of Jerusalem and the Al Aqsa compound in the shape of a giant chopping knife. The knife is threatening a cowering Israeli soldier carrying a metal detector.
The allegation that Jews “threaten” to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque has been a traditional pretext for Arab attacks on Jews long before the existence of the modern Jewish state. Such propaganda served as the excuse for an upsurge in Palestinian violence that flared in the fall of 2015 and incited Palestinians to attempt mass casualty attacks on Israeli civilians in July 2016..
On October 14, 2015, Joha tweeted an image suggesting that Jewish presence on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is akin to a peel that needs to be cut way with a knife.
Joha wrote: “#انتفاضة_القدس #انتفاضة_السكين #لن_يقسم #أقصانا_لا_هيكلهم #الانتفاضة_انطلقت #ستشرق [#Wont_be_divided #Knife_Intifada #Jerusalem_Intifada #It_will_rise #The_Intifada_has_begun #Our_Aqsa_Not_Their_Temple].”
On October 18, 2015, Joha tweeted an illustration of a knife serving as a needle to sew together a ripped Palestinian flag, captioned, in Arabic: “The intifada heals the wound of our division.”
On October 29, 2015, Joha tweeted the image of a man with an assault rifle and a knife embracing the Temple Mount compound which includes the Al Aqsa mosque.
Joha wrote: “#انتفاضة_القدس #البركة_بالشباب #لن_يقسم #لن_يمروا [They_won’t_pass #It_won’t_be_divided #Blessings_is_in_Youth #Jerusalem_Intifada].”
On November 28, 2015, during the Knife Intifada, Joha tweeted a cartoon of a knife, using blood to write in Arabic: “And for the red freedom is a door that knocks with every blood-covered hand.” Joha wrote: “#انتفاضة_القدس [#Jerusalem_Intifada].”
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.
On March 7, 2016, Joha was interviewed on the Qatari news site Al Sharq, where she defended posting incitement on her Facebook page. Joha claimed her incitement was “resistance,” and accused “Jewish activists” of “seeking to close the page because they are disturbed by the drawings supporting the Intifada."
On July 28, 2017, Joha published on Al Jazeera.net a cartoon portraying the Old City of Jerusalem and the Al Aqsa compound in the shape of a giant chopping knife. The knife is threatening a cowering Israeli soldier carrying a metal detector.
On July 14, 2017, terrorists murdered two Israeli police officers outside the entrance to the Al-Aqsa compound, reportedly following claims that the Al-Aqsa Mosque was in danger. In response to the terror attack, Israel installed metal detectors and security cameras at the entrance to the holy site, which the authorities later removed, after further rioting and escalation in violence.
On December 6, 2017, Joha tweeted a stereotypically anti-Semitic portrayal of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish man, with a long nose, pointed teeth and an open mouth, aiming to devour the Al-Aqsa mosque.
As of February 2019, Joha’s Twitter cover photo featured an image of a masked person and playing a large knife as if it were a violin, using a key as a bow.
The key is used to symbolize the Palestinian call for the “right of return.” The “right of return” is a Palestinian demand discredited as a means to eliminate Israel.
The key is used to symbolize the Palestinian call for the “right of return.” The “right of return” is a Palestinian demand discredited as a means to eliminate Israel.
Social Media and Weblinks
Twitter:https://twitter.com/omayyajohaWebsite:www.omayya.com [Deleted]
- Status:
- Professional
- University:
- Organizations:
- AJ+
- Related Profiles:
- Last Modified:
- 05/04/2026
Videos
3 videos
Photos & Screenshots
89 images
Infamous Quotes
“My hope is that i can leave my imprint and the drawing of cartoons in the Arab world.”
“#يهودي_احفر_قبرك #أقصانا_لا_هيكلهم [#Our_Aqsa_Not_Their_Temple #Jew_Dig_Your_Grave].”
“# مهند الحلبي # بطل_القدس...# هديل الهشلمون # أشبالنا_أبطال # جئناكم بالذبح #Jerusalem_hero #Muhannad_elHalabi #We’re_coming_to_Slaughter_you #our_cubs_are_heros #Hadeel_Elhashlmon].”
“#نصرت_بالرعب #انتفاضة_القدس #انتفاضة_السكاكين #ستشرق #اقترب_الوعد [#Knives_Intifada #Jerusalem_Intifada #Victorious_with_terror #The_promise_is_near #It_will_rise].”
“#داعس #مقاومة #لبيك_يا_أقصى #القدس #زوال_إسرائيل #سلاح_الرعب #الموت_في_سبيل_الله #إبراهيم_العكاري [#Wiping_out_Israel #Jerusalem #We_are_for_you_Alaqsa #Resistance #Running_Over #Ibrahim_Elakari #Dying_in_the_sake_of_Allah #Terror_weapon].”
“#القسام_مقاومة #القسام_مش_إرهاب #القسام_فخر_الأمة [#Qassam_pride_of_nation #Qassam_isnt_terror #Qassam_is_resistance]”
