Yemeni-American Law Student Condemns Israel in Graduation Speech, Sparks Political Backlash

During her graduation speech on social justice, Yemeni-American law student Fatima Mohammed of the City University of New York (CUNY) delivered Israel firmly. Her speech was fiercely condemned by American politicians – Republicans and Democrats. She would have been guilty of anti-Semitism.

Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres called her “crazy,” former Republican New York gubernatorial nominee Lee Zeldin described Muhammad’s speech as “raging anti-Semitism,” and New York City Mayor Eric Adams spoke of “words of negativity and division.”

There was also criticism of other parts of her speech. Tuesday posted New York Post Fatima Mohammed with her headscarf face on the front page. The student would call for “revolution” and attack the “fascist” police in New York City, according to the right-wing tabloid.

The criticism of Fatima Mohammed fits into a broader pattern, the Arab news channel writes Al Jazeera. The aim is to deter Israel critics so that they no longer criticize the state of Israel. Lobbyist Adam Shapiro, who works for the NGO Democracy for the Arab World Now, tells the Arab news outlet that the Israel lobby hopes such attacks will dissuade Palestine activists from speaking up. “But I think it actually has the opposite effect. I think this encourages more people to speak out.”

Fatima Mohammed gave her speech a few weeks ago. But her story didn’t make headlines until the speech went online and went viral, and pro-Israel activists and politicians continued to condemn her story.

In her 12-minute speech, Mohammed praised the law school at New York City University as one of the few law schools in the United States to defend the right of students to speak out against “Israeli colonialism,” she said. “Israel continues to indiscriminately rain bullets and bombs on believers (Muslims, ed.), kill the elderly and the young, even attack funerals and cemeteries, while encouraging lynch mobs to attack Palestinian homes and businesses.”

According to Al Jazeera Muhammad describes facts with this. Israel attacked Muslims at the Al Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem during Ramadan, and Israeli police officers attacked the funeral procession of slain Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh last year. Earlier this year, Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank attacked the Palestinian town of Huwara, also looting.