Najla Said is subjected to smear campaign by the Israeli lobby after she asserted that "accusing protesters of antisemitism is merely a tactic to intimidate free voices, emphasizing that defending an entity committing genocide reflects a moral and humanitarian failing." Credit: Boycott 4 Palestine.
Americans place a high value on freedom of speech, often considering it more important than other rights. Some American would fight to death to defend their foes right to speak, but not the Zionist lobby, better known as the "Jewish lobby" in America. Case in point, platforms affiliated with the Israeli lobby are now waging a widespread incitement campaign targeting Palestinian American writer and playwright Najla Said by distorting her political statements and cherry-picking her stances against the occupation.
This attack followed her participation in the student solidarity encampment at Columbia University, where she asserted that accusing protesters of "antisemitism" is merely a tactic to intimidate free voices, emphasizing that defending an entity committing genocide reflects a moral and humanitarian failing.
This is nothing more than a coordinated effort by Israel and the powerful Israeli lobby groups, with the intention of suppressing those who shed light on the reality in Palestine and Lebanon in order to downplay the plight of Palestinians and Lebanese while portraying the perpetrators as victims.
Who is Najla Said?
Najla Said is an American author, actress, playwright, and activist, born on April 4, 1974. She is the daughter of Edward Said, a prominent Palestinian American literary scholar, and Mariam Cortas-Said, a Lebanese writer and activist. Najla's work often addresses themes of racism, stereotyping, and social inequality. She is also known for her one-woman show, "Palestine," which has been performed at numerous universities and institutions. "Palestine," which has been performed at numerous universities and institutions.
Miss. Said did not commit any crime. She only exercised her God given right to free speech and did not call for the destruction of Israeli or uttered anti-Jewish hate speech.
The Israeli lobby put Israel first, not America
* First of all, the Israel lobby have a meltdown last year when the mayor of Providence, RI raised the flag of Palestine over City Hall. The lobby protested by arguing the flag of Palestine is the same flag of Hamas, which is totally false and misleading. I never heard such a comparison before.
* What do you expect from a group of Israeli cheerleaders who celebrated when Yale University gave the Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir a hero's welcome, despite the fact that Ben Gvir confessed to have been indicted 53 times for various crimes in Israeli court.
* The Israeli lobby cheered President Trump when he invited Ben Gvir to attend dinner in his honor in his honor last month at US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, one year after Ben Gvir called for the execution of Palestinian prisoners (totaling now 10,000) an effort to ease overcrowding in Israeli jails.
* When the multibillionaire Elon Musk made the Nazi salute at an inauguration rally last January, the Israeli lobby acted blind, deaf, and mute.
* Where were Israeli lobby for the last 30 months when both liberal and Jewish-American groups like Jewish Voice for Peace, Code Pink, and If Not Now were protesting the Israeli genocide in Gaza and the West Bank by picketing, marching, and occupying NYC train stations and the US Capitol, thereby risking arrest and their careers?
* The Israeli lobby is on the wrong side of history, and it's you are simply parroting the Israelis' talking points, by promoting war and targeting US public officials, US citizen, and international students who dare to speak out against the Israeli genocide, land theft, and rape in both Lebanon and Palestine.
* Lest we forget, the Old Glory flew over Rafah, Palestine for the first time on March 16, 2003, to honor a U.S. citizen and peace activist Rachel Corrie who was run down with a bulldozer by an Israeli Occupation soldier while she was attempting to prevent a home demolition. The soldier was never charged with her death. Even that did not stop Israeli soldiers from raiding and disrupting the service, beating the mourners, and tearing down Rachel's pictures. Shamefully, the Israeli lobby in the US sided with Israel and blamed Rachel herself for the death. People in Rafah did not fly the Palestinian or Hamas flag on that day. Shame on the Israeli lobby!
* The Israeli lobby never uttered a word after several Israeli soldiers raped a Palestinian prisoner last year and videotaped the rape for the world to see, and when the soldiers were arrested, Israeli citizens as well as minister stormed the military base. Israel freed the soldiers and throw the military’s top lawyer, a two-star general, who had accused her of leaking a video. The lobby cannot claim the higher moral ground when it endorses such ugly crimes.
When the Israeli pirates kidnapped 430 mostly European activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla in international war last May and raped 15 of them, the disgraceful Israeli lobby was dead silent and were not available for comment.
* Last but not least, where was the Israeli lobby last May when President Trump threatened to drop a nuclear bomb on Iran if they didn’t sign an agreement with the U.S.? The lobby was also dead as a rock when last week Trump threatened to bomb Cuba, Iran, and Oman.
Finally, as Palestine Chronicle reported last year, "While the Israel Lobby continues to buy politicians in Washington DC, they have completely lost the youth in the United States.
While Israel attempts to achieve “total victory” in its “seven-front war”, it has suffered total defeat on the eighth front: The battle for public opinion. Across the political divide, the evidence suggests that in the US and across the collective West, support for Israel is at an unprecedented low."
‘Pro-Palestinian activists will not be intimidated into being quiet
The crackdown on pro-Palestinian voices on elite US campuses highlights challenges to free expression and the influence
of external factors on academic institutions. Photo: Reuters
The Daily Cardinal reported last year about "100 activists who gathered at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s to show for Mahmoud Khalil and to emphasize the importance of free speech and protest. The walkout was organized by UW-Madison’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Advocates for Immigrant Rights." Something the Israeli lobby should have respect for and emulate.
So, Israel and its lobby in the US are now seeking to developed new strategies, by smearing and defaming pro-Palestinian activist like Najla Said to win back support.
If I can borrow the phrase of Susan Abulhawa, the Palestinian American writer and activist, " The Israeli lobby in the US can kiss my 100% Palestinian ass."
Caption for additional photo #1: Smeared by the Israeli lobby in the US. Najla Said is an American author, actress, playwright, and activist, born on April 4, 1974. She is the daughter of Edward Said, a prominent Palestinian American literary scholar, and Mariam Cortas-Said, a Lebanese writer and activist. Photo credit: Saloon.com
Mahmoud El‑Yousseph is a Palestinian freelance writer and retired U.S. Air Force veteran. He writes on U.S. foreign policy, Middle East affairs, and justice. Email: elyousseph6@yahoo.com
