The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) urges all its supporters to contact the University of California, Merced and San Francisco State University (SFSU), to demand that they cancel an upcoming webinar they are co-sponsoring, featuring Leila Khaled.  Khaled is a terrorist and leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization. 

SFSU had previously planned to host a webinar featuring Khaled, in September 2020, but Facebook, Zoom, and other platforms refused to host it.  As the ZOA wrote to SFSU’s president then, demanding that the webinar be cancelled, Khaled is a serial terrorist.  She hijacked an American passenger plane in 1969 and hijacked a second plane in 1970 – an El Al flight from Amsterdam.  Mid-flight, Khaled and her accomplice tried to storm the cockpit. Khaled took the pins out of the grenades she had with her teeth and ordered the captain to let them in.  Luckily, Israeli sky marshals were on the plane; they killed the accomplice and overpowered Khaled and the plane was diverted to London.  Khaled is unremorseful and continues to support terrorism.

Making matters worse, the upcoming April 23 program with Khaled – titled “Whose Narratives? What Free Speech for Palestine?” – will be moderated by SFSU Professor Rabab Abdulhadi.  Abdulhadi has a long record of cultivating terrorist ties, glorifying terrorists, and spreading hatred of Zionists at SFSU.

UC Merced and SFSU are academic institutions that claim to encourage their students’ intellectual and personal growth.  Both universities tout their commitment to benefiting society.  Given their values, neither school should be giving a podium to a speaker lacking any scholarly credentials, and whose sole distinction is that she is a Jew-hating, Israel-bashing terrorist who supports violence against innocent civilians.  Legitimizing her at all sends a terrible, painful message to Jewish, Israeli and pro-Israel students at both universities. 

Contact the leaders of UC Merced and SF State right away.  Let them know that it is morally wrong to give this terrorist a platform, especially in this troubling time of rising antisemitism and violence against Jews.  Let them know that American universities must be welcoming and safe places for all students, including those who are Jewish, Israeli, and supporters of the Jewish state.

• The Chancellor of UC Merced is Dr. Juan Sánchez Muñoz. Email him at chancellormunoz@ucmerced.edu or call him at (209) 382-4508.

• The President of SFSU is Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D. Email her at president@sfsu.edu or call her at (415) 405-3965.