Dagmawi Woubshet, an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania, has openly supported Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, known for its mass murder, rape, torture, and kidnapping of Israeli civilians during its October 7, 2023 massacre. Despite Hamas’s atrocities—the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust—Woubshet participated in rallies and events that glorified this terrorism and vilified Israel for defending itself.
On October 16, 2023, just nine days after Hamas’s brutal attack, Woubshet spoke at a pro-Hamas rally at Penn titled “Collective Walkout for Palestine.” This event celebrated Hamas’s invasion of Israel and echoed slogans like:
“When people are occupied, resistance is justified!”
In these contexts, “resistance” is a euphemism for terrorism, often used to justify the murder, rape, and mutilation of civilians.
At the rally, Woubshet ignored Hamas’s war crimes and instead demonized Israel for its response, saying:
“I stand here with you all in solidarity and also offended as a citizen of the world… Nearly 7,000 bombs have come down in a week? Over a million people forced to leave their homes? That should offend all of us who have any human pulse…”
By blaming Israel while ignoring Hamas’s barbaric acts, Woubshet whitewashes terrorism and shifts sympathy away from the victims of mass murder.
Participation in Anti-Israel Campus Actions
On January 29, 2024, Woubshet participated in an anti-Israel die-in and vigil organized by Penn Faculty for Justice in Palestine (PFJP), a group formed after Hamas’s October 7 attacks. The event blocked Penn’s main administration building and featured banners blaming Israel for the conflict, with slogans like:
“Gazans murdered by Israel since 10/7/23” and “Penn faculty against genocide.”
Woubshet defended this propaganda, saying:
“Critique is the lifeblood of the university. We teach our students to hone a critical sensibility. That’s one way to be an ethical citizen.”
By masquerading support for terrorism as “critique,” Woubshet creates an environment where antisemitism and hate are disguised as academic freedom.
Longstanding Antisemitic Activism
Woubshet’s support for antisemitic movements is longstanding. He is a vocal supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to isolate Israel economically and culturally—a campaign widely criticized for its antisemitic underpinnings.
In 2016, Woubshet signed an “Open Letter” urging the Modern Language Association to boycott Israeli academic institutions—a move that targets Israel’s academic freedom while ignoring human rights abuses in other countries.
As of February 2024, Woubshet was reportedly a member of Penn Faculty for Justice in Palestine (PFJP), one of eighty chapters of the national Faculty for Justice in Palestine, an organization that emerged after October 7, 2023, to provide academic cover for anti-Israel and pro-Hamas activism.
PFJP’s founding statement claims solidarity with Palestinians “resisting occupation, warfare, and displacement,” a thinly veiled endorsement of Hamas’s terror tactics.
A Dangerous Influence on Campus
By endorsing terrorist rhetoric, participating in pro-Hamas rallies, and vilifying Israel, Dagmawi Woubshet is fostering an environment of antisemitism, hate, and extremism at the University of Pennsylvania. His actions embolden students and faculty to align with terrorist sympathizers, putting Jewish students and pro-Israel voices at risk on campus.
