Victims of Hamas massacre sue Palestinian student right groups – Israel News

Nine American and Israeli survivors and victims of the October 7 massacre filed a lawsuit Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern Division of Virginia, the Alexandria Division against American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) and National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) , claiming that they worked with Hamas to legitimize the Hamas attacks and provide public relations services for the terrorist organization.

“It is time for Hamas and all its agents, such as AMP and NSJP, to be held accountable for their heinous acts,” the victims said in a joint statement on Wednesday. “We want to expose these groups as terrorists and ensure they can no longer operate in the United States and other countries where they infiltrate.”

The plaintiffs sought compensation from AMP and NSJP for what the lawsuit described as a coordinated effort to justify and support terrorist operations in Gaza in the immediate aftermath of the October attack, propaganda guides, the April 15 economic blockades and the April 19 call for campus camps .

A day after the October 7 pogrom, NSJP issued a Day of Resistance Toolkit for anti-Israel activists and began organizing protests.

Hamas’s call for mass mobilization

According to the indictment, it served as a direct response to a Hamas call for mass mobilization of international supporters. Several campus events were organized using the toolkit in the aftermath of October 7.

Palestinians take control of an Israeli tank after crossing the border fence into Israel from Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 7, 2023. (credit: ABED RAHIM KHATIB/FLASH90)

The toolkit hailed the attacks as a historic victory for Palestinians, used Hamas paraglider footage, described Israeli civilians as legitimate targets, and called for resistance in all forms, “armed struggle, general strikes and popular demonstrations.” of this is necessary.” The lawsuit noted that the NSJP’s rhetoric and arguments were often adopted by Hamas itself.

In the toolkit, NSJP described itself as part of the “unity intifada” being waged, and not merely in solidarity with the movement.

“NSJP has effectively become the U.S. campus arm of Hamas, directly aiding and abetting the terrorist group at U.S. universities, and facilitating the conditions necessary for Hamas to continue carrying out acts of terror and holding hostages, including U.S. citizens ” said lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky, CEO of The International Legal Forum, one of the organizations involved in the filing.

AMP and SJP participated in the April 15 economic blockades that attempted to disrupt US and global economic centers by blocking key bridges, airports and roads.

After establishing an encampment at Columbia University to force the government to implement anti-Israel policies, the NSJP called on its branches to repeat the process of “occupying” campuses across the US.

At Columbia and these other universities, many protesters have called for the Intifada, openly identified with terrorist organizations, flaunted their symbols and praised the October 7 attacks.

The lawsuit argues that the application is not intended to suppress speech, but to provide services to Hamas as a public relations firm that it could not otherwise obtain in the US as a foreign terrorist organization.

“It is deeply ironic that the same people holding signs saying ‘Death to America’ and ‘Death to the Jews’ claim they are protected by freedom of speech. That is not true. Free speech has never, and never has, included active support of terrorism. protected the destruction of private property or the cruelty of innocent men, women and children of many faiths, not just Jews,” said Scott Bornstein, senior vice president of the law firm Greenberg Traurig, which is representing the plaintiffs along with the National Jewish Advocacy Center. , law firm Schoen and law firm Holtzman Vogel. “We cannot allow – and through this lawsuit we say we will not – allow the infiltration of Hamas-directed hatred, violence and intimidation wherever we can prevent it.

The lawsuit alleged that AMP, and by extension NSJP, had ties to Hamas through now-defunct entities that had faced legal challenges for material support to the terrorist group.

According to the lawsuit, several members of AMP’s leadership were former members or employees of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF), the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP), and KindHearts for Charitable Humanitarian Development.

HLF was designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US Office of Foreign Asset Control and in 2008 HLF and five of its leaders were convicted of providing material support to Hamas.

IAP was disbanded after being found civilly liable in 2004 for providing material support to Hamas through propaganda efforts. KindHearts was dissolved after a settlement with the US Treasury Department over material support to Hamas.

“Six members of AMP’s core leadership were IAP board members or active in HLF and/or IAP, two are family members of IAP board members, and one was a frequent contributor and fundraiser for IAP and KindHearts,” the complaint said. “Many of the staff are also ‘leftovers’ from that company.”

AMP founder and chairman Hatem Bazian, who founded the first SJP chapter, is alleged to have regularly worked with IAP and raised money for KindHearts, according to the lawsuit.

“The chaos we see at American colleges and universities is well planned and organized, and National SJP’s work to support Hamas’s end goals must be exposed and stopped,” said Holtzman Vogel partner Jason Torchinsky. “We hope this lawsuit provides justice for our clients.”

Hamas’s call for mass mobilization

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