A Harvard University graduate student, Abdullah Akl, was seen leading a chant calling for a strike on Tel Aviv during a Palestinian "Land Day" protest in New York City, as revealed by a video of the event.
Akl's call to action was directed towards Abu Obaida, the spokesperson for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, a faction of the Hamas terrorist organization. The video, initially posted online by the Palestinian activist group Within Our Lifetime, was subsequently removed.
Akl, who is pursuing his studies at Harvard's Extension School, has previously attracted the notice of pro-Israel students on campus due to his social media posts. His posts have included calls for an "intifada" against Jews, denial of the existence of the state of Israel, and urging his followers to educate their children about the "Zionist entity" being an enemy, as per posts examined by the Washington Free Beacon.
Following these posts, Harvard administrators initiated an investigation into Akl, as reported by the anti-Semitic group Within Our Lifetime. The specifics of the investigation remain undisclosed, but the group claims to have successfully pressured Harvard into dropping the case against Akl. Harvard has not commented on whether it was or is investigating Akl over his social media content.
In a statement released in February, the group expressed gratitude for the support they received, stating that their message to Harvard Administration was clear: #WeStandWithAbdullah. They claimed that as a result, the case against Akl was dropped. The statement also criticized the Free Beacon, labeling them as "Zionist provocateurs."
Neither Harvard nor Akl have commented on whether an investigation has been launched into his most recent comments. Akl, who is pursuing a master's degree in government at the Harvard Extension School, identifies himself as a Harvard graduate student on his social media accounts and in an academic article he published last year.
Jennifer Hochschild, a government professor at Harvard University, who had previously taken issue with a Harvard Extension School graduate's claim of being a Harvard graduate, stated that she was unaware of Akl or his comments. She clarified her stance on the matter, stating that her objection was towards the ambiguity that allowed the graduate to associate himself with the prestige of Harvard while criticizing the university.
Akl's call for violence coincides with the university's potential loss of over half a billion dollars in federal funding due to its hindrance of a congressional investigation into anti-Semitism. Interim university president Alan Garber has privately acknowledged a decline in donations to the school following Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, as reported by the Harvard Crimson. Additionally, the Wall Street Journal reported a 5% decline in applications to Harvard in 2024.
In February, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce issued a subpoena to Harvard after the university delayed a document request related to its handling of widespread anti-Semitism on campus following the October 7 attack.
During the Saturday protest, Akl was accompanied by Nerdeen Kiswani, founder of Within Our Lifetime, who has previously called for Israel to be "wiped off the map." Kiswani's Instagram account was removed in February after she used it to endorse Hamas's attack and advocate for "whatever means necessary" to overthrow Israel. At an unauthorized Columbia University event last month, Kiswani urged activists to openly advocate for violence against Jews.
During the protest, Kiswani stated, "This is why when Gaza encourages protest they are counting on us to expose this truth worldwide. They are leading the fight for freedom. The least we can do is elevate this fight and bring their message to the world."
Another speaker at the protest led the crowd in a chant of "From the river to the sea, Palestine is almost free," a slogan that calls for the eradication of Jews from Israel.
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