Penn Faculty for Justice in Palestine (Penn FJP) was founded in January 2024 as a campus chapter of the nationwide Faculty for Justice in Palestine (FJP) Network. It claims to be a “collective of faculty, lecturers, staff, and graduate employees who support the teaching and research mission of the university” while aligning itself with radical pro-Palestinian advocacy, including terrorist organizations like Hamas.
Penn FJP’s extremism has played a leading role in fostering a dangerous environment on campus, contributing to disruptions, inciting hostility, and promoting antisemitic rhetoric.
Leadership & Key Affiliates
Leaders:
- Huda Fakhreddine
- Sukaina Hirji
Affiliated Individuals:
- Anne Norton
- Dagmawi Woubshet
- Patricia Anton
- Eve Troutt Powell
- Chi-Ming Yang
- Ahmad Almallah
- Ania Loomba
Activities & Involvement
Inciting Campus Disruption & Antisemitism
- Played a central role in assisting and abetting student and external extremists in setting up illegal encampments in May 2024.
- Led chants, conducted speeches, and organized events that encouraged radical rhetoric on campus, which includes support for Hamas and their horrific acts and antisemitism.
- Hosted and platformed antisemitic speakers, including Susan Abulhawa and Noura Erakat.
- Shared the locations of campus CCTV cameras on May 28, 2024, on social media, potentially aiding those involved in illegal activities.
- Filed a lawsuit (March 2024) against UPenn to prevent it from providing Congress with documents related to the House Committee on Education’s investigation into campus antisemitism.
- A study from AMCHA Initiative identified Penn FJP as one of the most extreme organizations linked to a surge in antisemitic incidents at UPenn.
Dangerous Online Activity
- On November 8, 2024, Penn FJP posted an Instagram story justifying attacks on Israeli and Jewish soccer fans in Amsterdam, writing: “As always, western media starts the story with ‘secondly.’ Here’s what actually started it.”
- Reposted an image of a student protester with red-painted hands, symbolizing violence.
- Regularly tags and collaborates with extremist groups such as “Up Against the Occupation,” which has been banned from UPenn.
- Published an Instagram story on October 7, memorializing the Hamas attack as a ‘day of resistance’.
Ties to External Radical Networks
- Part of a Philadelphia-area coalition of other radical FJP chapters, including:
- Haverford & Bryn Mawr Colleges
- Drexel University
- Temple University
- Villanova University
- Publicly supports BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement and amplifies calls for academic boycotts of Israel.
- Advocates for The Mapping Project, a campaign known for targeting Jewish organizations.
Faculty Endorsers of Academic Boycotts
Penn FJP members have actively endorsed public statements or petitions supporting an academic boycott of Israel, furthering an anti-Israel agenda on campus.
🔹 Notable Endorsers:
- Ali Karjoo-Ravary (Columbia University)
- Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher
- Ania Loomba
- Anne Norton
- Chi-Ming Yang
- Dagmawi Woubshet
- David Eng
- David Kazanjian
- Ericka Beckman
- Fatemeh Shams
- Huda Fakhreddine
- Jamal J. Elias
- Julia Alekseyeva
- Knar Gavin
- Marcia Chatelain
- Melissa Sanchez
- Nancy Bentley
- Sameera Syed
- Sebastián Gil-Riaño
- Sonia Rosen
- S. Pearl Brilmyer
- Sukaina Hirji
- Suvir Kaul
- Zehra Hashmi
An Absolute Threat to Campus Life
Penn FJP is a radicalized faculty organization that has actively propping up US-designated terrorist organization Hamas and has participated in campus disruptions, antisemitic incitement, and legal obstructionism. Its influence has contributed to UPenn’s extreme levels of antisemitic activity, as noted in independent reports. Through collaborations with external extremists, active support for boycotts, and attempts to shield itself from congressional scrutiny, Penn FJP represents a serious threat to campus safety and academic integrity.
Universities must take accountability and address the growing radicalization of faculty groups like Penn FJP before further harm is done.