Rajeh A. Saadeh, a New Jersey lawyer and member of Rutgers University’s advisory boards, has been sharing bloodthirsty pro-Hamas content on his social media accounts, including posts celebrating attacks on Israeli soldiers. Saadeh has shared videos of IDF soldiers being gunned down in Gaza, captioning them with phrases like “Say a prayer” and “Three birds one stone” alongside images of soldiers being blown up by a rocket-propelled grenade. Another video he shared showed Hamas fighters firing on Israeli soldiers while chanting “Allah Akbar,” with Saadeh adding hashtags like “funny” and “lol” to the post. Saadeh has also retweeted antisemitic content through his X account, including conspiracy theories about the death of an Israeli woman killed by Hamas.
Saadeh’s social media posts came to light just before Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway was scheduled to testify before the House Education and Workforce Committee about antisemitism on college campuses. Holloway was set to appear alongside the presidents of Northwestern University and the University of California-Los Angeles. The committee’s chairwoman, Virginia Foxx, expressed concern over recent concessions made by university presidents to anti-Israel protesters on their campuses, calling them “despicable displays of cowardice.” This testimony comes after Holloway agreed to meet some demands of the unlawful antisemitic encampments that had been set up on the Rutgers campus.
Saadeh’s posts, which include videos of Hamas terrorists attacking Israeli soldiers and spreading conspiracy theories about the death of an Israeli woman, have caused outrage among Rutgers students and faculty. Saadeh, who is also a member of the Center for Security, Race and Rights advisory board and the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ New Jersey chapter, has not responded to requests for comment on his social media activity. The Post also reached out to Rutgers for a statement regarding Saadeh’s posts. His Instagram bio states, “From the River to the Sea Truth is always revolutionary,” further pointing to his support for controversial and violent content.
The content shared by Saadeh on his social media accounts has sparked debates about free speech, hate speech, and the role of advisory board members in promoting violence and antisemitism. While some argue that individuals have the right to express their opinions, others believe that promoting violence and hate speech goes beyond protected speech. The timing of Saadeh’s posts coinciding with Holloway’s upcoming testimony on antisemitism on college campuses raises concerns about the university’s response to such behavior by its own advisory board members. The controversy also highlights the challenges universities face in upholding free speech rights while addressing hate speech and antisemitism on their campuses.
