Nine survivors of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in southern Israel filed a federal lawsuit accusing National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) and its parent organization, AJP Educational Foundation Inc. (also known as American Muslims for Palestine), of collaborating with Hamas by recruiting college students to serve as “foot soldiers.” The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern Division of Virginia, alleges that AMP serves as Hamas’s propaganda division in the United States and was founded by senior Hamas officials after other organizations were found liable for supporting terrorist groups.
AMP expanded its operation to American college campuses in 2010 when it founded NSJP to control Students for Justice in Palestine chapters across the country. The lawsuit alleges that the organizations intentionally incite fear, violence, and hatred on college campuses to intimidate politicians and institutions for Hamas’s benefit. The complaint states that in response to the Oct. 7 attacks, AMP and NSJP coordinated the occupation of college campuses to force the American government and academia to follow Hamas’s will. The plaintiffs seek compensatory damages for the attacks and want these organizations held accountable for their actions.
The complaint accuses AMP and NSJP of violating the Antiterrorism Act and the Alien Tort Statute. The plaintiffs, who are both U.S. citizens and Israelis, hope that by bringing this lawsuit, they can expose the true nature of these organizations and prevent them from operating in the United States and other countries they infiltrate. The law firm handling the case, Greenberg Traurig, aims to hold Hamas’s collaborators accountable and show that no one is above the rule of law, regardless of their sympathies.
The lawsuit details how NSJP and AMP responded to the Oct. 7 attacks by disseminating a manifesto and plan of attack that aligns with Hamas’s objectives. The organizations identify themselves as part of Hamas’s movement and advocate for “armed struggle” and other violent means to achieve liberation. The lawsuit alleges that NSJP acted as Hamas’s loyal foot soldiers on college campuses by spreading Hamas-authored disinformation and propaganda.
The lawsuit also highlights a National Day of Resistance Toolkit released by NSJP after the attacks, which promoted organizing protests and teach-ins on college campuses to challenge Zionist hegemony and normalize anti-Israel sentiments. The organizations are accused of providing ongoing support to Hamas by operating as its mouthpiece in North America. The plaintiffs, who have been affected by Hamas’s terrorism, hold AMP and NSJP liable for aiding and abetting Hamas’s acts of international terrorism and seek damages for their injuries.
