Over 20 U.S. Groups Mourn Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh

While the sane world cheered the news that Israel had killed the political leader of Hamas in Tehran and the second-in-command of Hezbollah in Beirut yesterday, some activist organizations couldn’t hold back their emotions and let their pro-terrorism flags fly.

Here’s a list of 24 groups or leaders of groups who we observed honoring Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Instagram in the hours immediately following Iran’s announcement of his death:

1. Linda Sarsour, executive director of MPower Change and self-declared “every Islamophobe’s worst nightmare,” posted a quote from a senior Hamas official that said, “Hamas will not be affected by the assassination of any of its leaders.”
2. Zahra Billoo, executive director of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of Council on American-Islamic Relations honored Haniyeh, saying “Glory to the martyrs” and “Tonight, we mourn Ismail himself but know his martyrdom is not vain. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
3. Freedom Road Socialist Organization’s Atlanta chapter published a story declaring that the “Palestinian resistance will live forever” and another that says “Haniyeh represented the aspirations of a free people” above the national organization’s statement after the October 7 attacks declaring solidarity with Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
4. Our Moral Imperative, Swing States for Peace, and Ceasefire for the Kids made a collaborative post with Billoo’s statement mourning Haniyeh with accompanying text with the hashtag, “#glorytoourmartyrs”.
5. Nerdeen Kiswani, leader of Within Our Lifetime, made multiple posts on X vowing that that the “resistance” will be uninjured by Haniyeh’s death and sees “martyrdom” and “victory” as the “two best things.”
6. Ali Abunimah, director of Electronic Intifada, posted and reposted messages describing Haniyeh as a “martyr” with a glorifying photo showing him voting in 2006. He also posted a quote from Haniyeh about assassinations making Hamas stronger, predicting Haniyeh’s death will strengthen the Palestinians and lead to Israel’s destruction, saying “Zionism will set the whole world on fire rather than let the Palestinian people live and be free.”
7. Texas for Palestine published a story amplifying Abunimah’s statement about Haniyeh’s death strengthening Palestinian support for Hamas and leading to Israel’s destruction.
8. Fed Up for Palestine posted a screenshot of a X post saying that the killings are a “provocation” and that the U.S. and Israel “are plunging the region into a devastating war.”
9. Mothers Against Genocide described Haniyeh as a “martyr.”
10. Irish Americans for Palestine posted a quote from Haniyeh about the “martyrdom” of his children who were killed in an Israeli airstrike and how all the “martyrs” of Gaza are his “children.”
11. International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network reacted by posting a screenshot of Billoo’s statement mourning Haniyeh.
12. PAL-AWDA, a merger of Palestinian Assembly for Liberation and Al-Awda NY, honored Haniyeh as a “martyr”
13. Artists Against Zionism published several items in its Instagram stories including one with a a quote from the founder of the theocratic Iranian regime saying it is strengthened by being killed; one glorifying him as a martyr and one claiming that Haniyeh desired martyrdom and so Israel enabled him to achieve his “goal.”
14. Punks for Palestine’s San Diego chapter, whose account may also serve as the national one, published a story describing Haniyeh as a “martyr.”
15. Bronx Anti-War Coalition’s Instagram stories called Haniyeh a “martyr,” quoted from Hamas’s official statement praising him, cited Islamic verses, and said “It is a jihad of victory or martyrdom” and showed a X post that said it “looks like the genocidal evil empire is preparing to strike back in a coordinated attack.” It conspiratorially claimed that the U.S. is engineering a coup in Venezuela and that Hezbollah’s attack on the Golan Heights in Israel is a “false flag.”
16. Hanna Alshaikh, project coordinator for the “nonpartisan research organization” Arab Center Washington DC, posted on X a quote from Haniyeh saying how assassinations will only make his terrorist group stronger and she said Israel’s hit is “nothing but an obscene provocation.”
17. Nevadans for Palestinian Liberation published posts glorifying Haniyeh as a “martyr,” quoting Abunimah predicting that his death will lead to the destruction of Israel and declaring “Long live the resistance! Glory to all of our martyrs.”
18. Madison for Palestine glorified Haniyeh as a “martyr” and condemned Jewish Voice for Peace, IfNotNow, Party for Socialism and Liberation, Democratic Socialists of America, and “every other liberal zionist front org” that it claims is seeking a two-state solution.
19. Decolonize the Classroom posted a video of Haniyeh singing during worship with text in the sidebar referring to him as a “martyr.” The preview photo for the post that is seen when you go to the group’s Instagram page is of his face with the words “martyr and hero” over it.
20. Community Liberation Programs posted a graphic declaring Haniyeh to be a martyr and saying “glory to the martyrs” above a sword.
21. The Bakersfield-based United Liberation Front for Palestine posted a story amplifying a statement from pro-Hamas activist and human rights attorney Lamis Deek lavishing praise upon Haniyeh as a “freedom fighter.”
22. Southwest Virginia Coalition for Palestine posted a photo of Haniyeh and said, “Salaam, the Zionist entity has gone into full world war mode and has attempted assassinations in Iran and Lebanon. They are betting on full American support. PLEASE, let it be known that we don’t support using our money and citizens to defend the genocidal state.”