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Paul M. Cobb
Paul M. Cobb participated in the pro-Hamas encampment at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and spoke at an anti-Israel rally after the October 7, 2023 terror attacks.
Hamas murdered approximately 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped hundreds more that day. For more information, see the Canary Mission page on Hamas.
The Penn encampment was in support of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
As of February 2025, Paul M. Cobb was listed as a professor in the Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, and director of the Program in Global Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Penn, since 2008. Penn is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Date: April 25, 2024
Organizers: Philly Palestine Coalition (PPC)
Location: Penn campus, Philadelphia, PA
Event Flyer: Instagram
On April 25, 2024, anti-Israel activists from Penn, Temple University and Drexel University set up the "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" on the Penn campus to protest Israel's war against Hamas.
PPC also promoted the encampment by posting an Instagram graphic that said: "Join The Penn Encampment! Rally to Support Our Students and Stand With Gaza!"
The encampment was part of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Date: October 16, 2023
Organizers: Penn Against the Occupation (PAO)
Location: Van Pelt Library at Penn, Philadelphia, PA
Event Flyer: Instagram
On October 16, 2023, PAO organized an anti-Israel walkout on campus. The PAO Instagram graphic publicizing the event said: "We Will Be Walking Out Of Classes To Protest The Ethnic Cleansing Of Palestinians In Gaza And Stand In Solidarity With Palestine."
The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement was founded by pro-terror activist Omar Barghouti in 2005 to turn “Israel into a pariah state, as South Africa once was.” Barghouti has also called for Israel's destruction and the BDS movement demands would result in that same goal.
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 infiltrating university campuses through lobbying for “BDS resolutions.” In these cases, student governments propose resolutions to boycott or divestment from Israel or Israeli-affiliated entities. 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 and pro-terror activism on campus.
