Recent events have stirred controversy as two prominent pro-Palestine groups in the US, National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) and American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), are facing allegations of spreading propaganda on behalf of Hamas. A federal lawsuit filed by Greenberg Traurig, one of the top-grossing law firms in the US, accuses the AJP Educational Foundation Inc, which sponsors NSJP and AMP, of being a “propaganda division” for Hamas in the United States.
The lawsuit, representing a group of American and Israeli individuals affected by Hamas attacks, claims that AMP and NSJP have actively supported Hamas’s acts of terrorism, resulting in damages for the plaintiffs. Seeking monetary compensation, the lawsuit was filed in a US District Court in Virginia.
Amidst growing student protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza, NSJP chapters across US campuses have played a significant role in organizing demonstrations. The war in Gaza, which began with a Hamas attack on southern Israel, has spurred solidarity encampments at over 90 US universities, with thousands getting arrested in protest since mid-April.
However, the lawsuit against NSJP and AMP has sparked controversy, with AMP’s chairman Dr. Hatem Bazian denouncing it as Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian. Refuting the claims as baseless, AMP vows to defend itself against the accusations made in the lawsuit.
‘The lawsuit is an Islamophobic text reeking in anti-Palestinian racism’
– Dr. Hatem Bazian, chairman AMP
Allegations of Supporting Terrorism
The lawsuit paints a picture of NSJP and AMP as organizations trying to influence the American government and academia in favor of Hamas, using student protesters as “foot soldiers” for the terrorist group. It accuses them of perpetuating Hamas’s “terror campaign” through student activism on US campuses, further fueling the ongoing conflict in the region.
With AMP’s attorney dismissing the lawsuit as “misdirected”, the legal battle between the plaintiffs and the pro-Palestine groups continues. The allegations and counter-claims highlight the deep-rooted political tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.