Poet who says Israelis ‘lust Palestinian blood’ speaks to 21 UK student societies
Sheikh Jarrah resident Mohammed El-Kurd, who has made repeated allusions to Israelis “eating” the organs of Palestinians, was a guest speaker at the online event on Monday
Jenni Frazer is a freelance journalist
A Palestinian writer and poet who has made repeated allusions to Israelis “eating” the organs of Palestinians and of having “a particular lust for Palestinian blood”, was a feted guest of 21 campus student societies in the UK on Monday.
Mohammed El-Kurd, 23, and his twin sister, Muna, have become media stars in the last year as a result of his vehement verbal and written attacks on Israel.
He lives in both the disputed Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah, and in the United States where he was studying for a master’s degree.
According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), El-Kurd has compared Israelis to Nazis, negated the historic Jewish connection to the land of Israel, and vilified Zionism and Zionists.
In tweets last year, he wrote: “Fascists. Terrorists. Colonisers. There is no morally defensible argument for supporting Zionism. It’s blood thirsty and violent. It is spineless. Free Palestine.”
He also wrote: “Across the country Zionists are beating, gassing, shooting, lynching Palestinians. They’re unhinged. The videos we’re seeing are reminiscent of the Nakba. State-settler collusion emboldening an unquenchable thirst for Palestinian blood & land. Terrorist, genocidal nation”.
El-Kurd was taking part in a campus tour of north America last week to hammer home his message. On Monday, under the umbrella of Students for Justice for Palestine, he was an online guest for 21 different UK campus gatherings, with at least one live audience at City University in London.
Jewish students were horrified at El-Kurd’s appearance. In a statement, the Union of Jewish Students said it was “utterly appalled” at his invitation.
UJS said: “He has engaged in antisemitic tropes such as the blood libel, and now he is able to spread these views, seemingly without challenge.
“Instead of campus being a place of dialogue, discussion and learning, this event fosters a hostile environment where many Jewish students will feel incredibly unsafe.
“Activism should never come at the expense of a religious minority and we call on the university to act to better ensure the safety of their Jewish students, alongside the rest of their campus community”.
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