Layla Saliba is a graduate student at Columbia University and a prominent activist known for her involvement in pro-Hamas movements, repeated endorsements of terrorist organizations, and a disturbing track record of hate-filled rhetoric. As an organizer and active member of extremist student coalitions, Saliba plays a key role in fueling antisemitism, anti-American sentiment, and campus unrest.
Support for Terrorism
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January 25, 2024: Saliba defended Houthi militants who attacked commercial ships, tweeting, “Yemen, Yemen makes us proud! Turn another ship around!” The Houthi movement, backed by Iran, is designated a terrorist organization and is infamous for its “Death to America, Death to the Jews” slogans.
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Saliba has retweeted a video celebrating Ghassan Kanafani, a spokesperson for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)—the group behind the Lod Airport Massacre (1972) that killed 26 and injured 80. She called Kanafani a “genius…a beautiful fiction writer.”
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In a video circulating online, Saliba appeared to align with Columbia students chanting in support of the Houthis, further linking her to violent extremist groups.
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She helped organize an online “Resistance 101” training in March 2024, featuring Khaled Barakat, a senior figure in a designated terror organization, and Charlotte Kates, both connected to Samidoun, which was recently banned by the United States for ties to terrorism.
Hatred of Specific Groups
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January 27, 2024: Saliba promoted the “right of return,” framing it as compensation owed by the West. This narrative is often used to delegitimize the existence of the Israeli state.
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She shared radical poetry containing lines like:
“‘America’ / They will bomb your homeland / Burn your olive trees to the ground / And claim to be the greatest nation in the world.”
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Saliba’s tweets reflect broader racial prejudice, where she complained about receiving criticism from “white men” and “rude white women.”
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In November 2024, she praised ongoing encampments at Sarah Lawrence University (NY) and Cambridge University (UK), encouraging similar unrest at other institutions.
Extremist Organizing at Columbia
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Saliba is a key figure in the Columbia Palestine Solidarity Coalition (CPSC) and the Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) movement. These coalitions have a history of glorifying Hamas and spreading antisemitic propaganda.
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She was an organizer of the illegal CUAD encampment in April 2024, which became a hub of antisemitic rhetoric, pro-terror propaganda, and violent confrontation. The encampment was dismantled after mass arrests.
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During a public online forum, she spoke about her role in the encampment’s planning and execution: Watch here.
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Saliba made false public accusations against a fellow student, claiming they used “chemical weapons” during protests—a reference to prank fart spray.
Public Rhetoric Glorifying Extremism
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Saliba has echoed rhetoric that minimizes civilian casualties and justifies retaliatory violence based on historical grievances.
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At Columbia’s encampment, she was seen masked, chanting “Say it loud, say it clear, we don’t want no Zionists here!” while surrounded by pamphlets urging:
“DISRUPT/RECLAIM/DESTROY… DEATH TO AMERICA!… LONG LIVE THE INTIFADA!”
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She has also amplified calls like “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, a slogan widely interpreted as a call for the violent dismantling of the Israeli state.
Impact and Influence
Layla Saliba’s influence reaches beyond campus activism into the broader ecosystem of radicalization. As a graduate student, coalition organizer, and social media provocateur, she empowers groups that celebrate violence and marginalize Jewish and Western students. Her repeated platforming of banned extremists and her coordination of antisemitic protests pose an ongoing threat to campus safety.
Conclusion
Layla Saliba embodies the convergence of academic privilege and radical extremism. Through her glorification of terrorism, endorsement of banned organizations, and racialized hate speech, she plays a dangerous role in fostering hostility and unrest at Columbia University and beyond.
