A well-known Palestinian author and activist condemned the two victims of the DC Jewish Museum, labeling them “genocide cheerleaders” in a series of inflammatory tweets.
Susan Abulhawa, who directed the contentious “Palestinian Writing” Festival at the University of Pennsylvania earlier in 2023, posted several messages that appeared to support the actions of Elias Rodriguez, the shooter accused of killing two Israeli embassy staff members.
The victims, Yaron Lisinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, were at the Jewish Conference of the American Jewish Commission, which aimed to promote peace, when they lost their lives on Wednesday.
Abulhawa expressed her sentiments in a post, saying, “Now, we should be feeling bad for two genocide cheerleaders after seeing these colorazar baby killers slaughter people every day for two years.” She followed up the next day, highlighting a grim perspective. “I’ve looked inside too many children’s skulls to give them crap about human trash that will be descending in mass murder,” she added furiously.
Earlier that day, she criticized the ongoing violence in Gaza since October 7, 2023, insinuating that if the government isn’t holding Israel accountable for the current situation, then “genocide Zionists should not be safe anywhere in the world.”
Abulhawa’s remarks sparked significant backlash, with many calling for an investigation into her statements as a perceived incitement to violence.
One UPenn student and Israeli activist, Eyal Yakoby, tweeted, “@FBI This is a direct call to violence.” Another user expressed frustration, pointing out, “The routine of ‘miserable, poor Palestinians’ is getting older. The Nazi ghouls inside you are beginning to show.” Others criticized her character directly: “You’re such a terrible person.”
Attempts to contact Abulhawa via the phone number listed were unsuccessful, and she did not respond to an email seeking further comment.
Rodriguez, who reportedly committed the violent act “for Gaza,” called out “free, free Palestine” as he was taken into custody. He had a red kefir on him when the police arrived.
Abulhawa has been vocal about her opposition to Israel, particularly in light of the recent conflict with Hamas following deadly attacks on Israel. She had led the Palestine Writes Literary Festival at UPenn just weeks before the outbreak of the war, an event that has led to donors retracting funding and claims that speakers had a history of anti-Semitic remarks, calling for the resignation of the university’s president.
