To The Joint Terrorism Task Force, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Leo Terrell Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Designated State Attorney Generals, Members of the House of Representatives and Committee on Education and the Workforce, FBI Acting Director Brian Driscoll, United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, Acting Attorney General James McHenry, State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism:


We are writing to urge immediate government action against Within Our Lifetime (WOL), a radical organization which has escalated its campaign of violence, antisemitism, and support for terrorism, threatening both Jewish communities and national security.

WOL, led by Nerdeen Kiswani [1], a Jordanian-born US citizen who has lived in the US since the age of two [2-3], vehemently supports violence against Israel and promotes antisemitic rhetoric rooted in violent ideology. This hate-driven, pro-terror movement vilifies Jews, advocates for the destruction of Israel, promotes the genocide of Jewish people, and glorifies the October 7th atrocities — a massacre perpetrated by Hamas that marked the most heinous attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust [4].

Originally founded in 2015 as NYC Students for Justice in Palestine, WOL was a branch of National Students for Justice in Palestine [5], a network of anti-Zionist student groups on university campuses across the U.S. that advocates for the Palestinian “right to resist.” Kiswani was the vice president and former president of SJP at Hunter College and at the College of Staten Island, both parts of CUNY [6]. Under Kiswani’s leadership as President of the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at the City University of New York Law School, the branch split from the national organization due to her belief that the group’s approach was too passive [7]. Kiswani sought a more radical line toward the destruction of Israel, the abolition of Zionism, and the celebration of terrorist organizations and their vile acts. This shift marked an escalation of violent anti-Israel protests across New York City, resulting in the shutdown of public spaces and law enforcement intervention.

While WOL is leading the vitriolic antisemitic and pro-terrorism protests on our streets, they also collaborate with SJP on college campuses. They were central organizers of the 2024 student encampments across U.S. universities [8], where their actions included hate speech, vandalism, incitement to violence, and criminal activities.

WOL isn’t just a name for this vicious organization; it’s a promise to see the end of Israel and the establishment of Palestine within their lifetime — by any means necessary. They consider themselves part of a united militant front led by designated foreign terrorist organizations, and they maintain close ties to pro-Palestinian groups in the CUNY system, spreading each other’s messaging [9].

Through their actions and amplified voice, WOL has made their goals undeniably clear:

1) Annihilation of Israel: WOL does not advocate for a two-state solution or Palestinian self-determination alongside Israel. Instead, they demand Israel be completely “wiped off the map [10],” as evident in their raucous chants like "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be Free,” a call for the extermination of all Jews in Israel, and “Globalize the Intifada,” which advocates for violence against Jews worldwide.

2) Vilification of Jews: WOL protests are rife with hate speech, glorifying Hamas terrorists, mocking Jewish suffering, and labeling Jews as "white colonizers" who must be eradicated by "any means necessary." Kiswani and WOL have propagated classic antisemitic tropes, such as “Zionists control Hollywood, the media and politics,” “Jews are greedy and powerful and therefore financially exploit other communities,” and by referring to Jews as “puppet masters [11].”

3) Glorification of Terrorism: WOL openly supports Hamas and rejoices in the savagery of the rape and slaughter of Israeli civilians committed by Hamas on October 7th. WOL has co-sponsored or hosted nearly 100 rallies that explicitly support violence against Israeli civilians by US - designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations, including Hamas, PFLP, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and notorious figures such as Leila Khaled and Abu Obaida, Hamas’ military wing spokesman [12]. WOL published an obituary praising Yahya Sinwar, and when Hassan Nasrallah was killed, WOL mourned his “martyrdom [13].” Kiswani also boldly posted a picture of a child kissing a Hamas terrorist on her Instagram story [14].

4) Targeting Jewish Communities: WOL directly threatens Jewish institutions, synagogues and businesses, labeling them as having "blood on their hands [15]" and putting Jews at risk of physical harm.

5) Abolishing Zionism: For WOL, Zionism is an "evil" that must be eradicated. They advocate for using brutality and terror to destroy the Jewish state. Kiswani has led chants like “Zionism out of CUNY” and called Zionists “complete scum [16].”

To achieve their goals, WOL has executed a sustained and coordinated progression of violent and antisemitic behavior. It is evident that their transgressions have escalated over time, expanding both in scope and severity to further support their mission, as evidenced by this partial list of egregious acts they have committed most recently:

CALLS FOR VIOLENCE AND SUPPORT OF TERRORISM
• January 1, 2024: WOL orchestrated a “Flood JFK for Gaza” protest, where a caravan of cars waved Hamas flags, displayed messages such as “Intifada” and “F*@k Israel,” and flaunted red triangles, which signify the support for Hamas, alongside the phrase “long live the resistance [17].”
• May 31, 2024: Protesters, holding posters praising the Intifada, stormed the Brooklyn Museum [18].
• June 10, 2024: Masked WOL members, on their way to cause chaos and disruption at a lower Manhattan exhibit commemorating the victims of the Nova Festival, swarmed subway cars, repeatedly demanding, “Raise your hand if you’re a Zionist! This is your chance to get out [19]!” Kiswani amplified these sentiments by tweeting, “We don’t want zionists [sic] in Palestine, NYC, our schools, on the train, ANYWHERE. This is free speech, it is saying we don’t want racists here [20].”
• August 25, 2024: Demonstrators at Baruch College held a banner saying, “Bring the war home” alongside an assault rifle image, and another sign reading “Let the intifada pave the way for people’s war [21].” Protesters flaunted symbols of Palestinian terror groups and called on Baruch to eject the Hillel from the college [22].
• October 7, 2024: On the anniversary of the October 7th attack on Israel, WOL led a “Flood New York City” march, saturating the streets with flags supporting Hamas, Hezbollah, and Samidoun. Kiswani spread false and inflammatory rhetoric about the October 7th attacks, distorting facts to incite further violence and hatred [23].
• November 5, 2024 (Election Day): WOL held a march in NY to protest the U.S. elections, burning an Israeli flag while shouting “Abu Obaida love, strike, strike Tel Aviv [24].”

ANTISEMITIC RHETORIC
• 2021: WOL launched a campaign to prevent the City University of New York’s (CUNY) student senate from adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism [25].
• May 2022, Kiswani delivered a speech at the City University of New York Law School commencement in which she decried alleged “Zionist harassment by well-funded organizations with ties to the Israeli government and military [26].”
• May 18, 2024: New York City Nakba Day rally held in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Kiswani said that President Biden is the oldest President in American history, and he will die soon. In response to this statement the crowd cheered loudly [27].
• June 10, 2024: Protestors outside of the Nova Festival exhibit featured antisemitic and dehumanizing messaging, the glorification of October 7th, and explicit support for terror organizations including large Hamas and Hezbollah flags. Protestors were shouting “long live the intifada,” and a sign reading “Zionists are not Jews & not humans,” was seen among protesters [28].
• June 10, 2024: At Union Square, a WOL protestor yelled, “I wish Hitler was still here. He would have wiped all y’all out [29].”
• November 9-10, 2024: Kiswani participated in what can only be described as a “Museum of Terror” at the Columbia University Alpha Delta Phi Society house. This glorification of terrorism and violence included Kiswani praising the Hamilton Hall takeover. She encouraged attendees to “take over the city block by block” and lauded the idea of creating a “Zionist-free NYC [30].”

TARGETING PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS AND JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS
• November 2023: WOL posted maps on their Instagram account detailing the locations of Jewish organizations around NYC, with the message “Genocide supporters have been working amongst us.” It urged its 121,000 followers, in all caps, to “KNOW YOUR ENEMY,” and explicitly encouraged them to target these businesses [31].
• November 25, 2024: WOL showed up at the Thanksgiving Day Parade and defaced the façade of the New York Public Library, causing $75,000 in damage [32].
• December 4, 2024: WOL assembled at the Rockefeller Christmas Tree lighting ceremony with signs bearing antisemitic tropes and swastikas [33].
• January 13, 2024: Outside Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Kiswani encouraged WOL demonstrators to shout “shame” while cancer patients and their families, including those in the pediatric ward watched from the windows [34]. This was in response to a billionaire donor’s very indirect connection to Israel.
• January 6, 2025: WOL protests took place in front of NYU's Tisch Hospital. The evening prayer was led by a man wearing the headband of Hamas's military wing, Al-Qassam Brigades [35].
• WOL has also targeted AIPAC, ZAKA, the Israeli emergency services group, and the Weill Cornell Medical College [36].
Escalating Physical Threats and Vandalism
• April 2022: At a WOL demonstration, Saadah Masoud, a member associated with WOL, beat a Jewish man wearing an Israeli flag [37].
• April 2024: WOL encouraged encampments at Columbia University and CUNY to “escalate” by taking over buildings and spaces, expressing that “the universities are ours for the taking” and presented a plan for sustained encampments and what escalation could look like [38].
• May 31, 2024: WOL protesters defaced the Brooklyn Museum’s OY/YO sculpture with pro-Palestinian graffiti and harassed Jewish passersby [39].
• June 10, 2024: Protesters outside the Nova Music Festival exhibition harassed attendees, set off flares and smoke bombs, and shouted anti-Jewish slogans [40].
• June 12, 2024: Vandals defaced the homes of four Brooklyn Museum officials, including the Jewish Director, by spray painting them with red inverted triangles [41].
• November 9-10, 2024: Kiswani and WOL praised the violent occupation of Columbia University's Hamilton Hall, which involved masked assailants breaking windows and doors, barricading walls, and holding Mario Torres, a Columbia University custodian, hostage [42].

SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM AND VIOLENT EXTREMISM
• March 17, 2023: WOL, along with Samidoun and American Muslims for Palestine, staged a rally for the Palestinians' "right to resist and mobilize" in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York City while chanting "There is only one solution – Intifada, revolution [43]!"
• June 10, 2024: The protesters outside the Nova Music Festival exhibition featured flags of Hamas and Hezbollah, groups recognized by the U.S. as terrorist organizations. The protesters also shouted violent slogans, including “long live the intifada,” and made gestures of support for terrorism [44].
• September 2, 2024 "Flood New York City for Gaza" rally expressed support for a number of U.S. designated terror organizations. Participants waved a Hamas flag, a Palestinian flag issued by Samidoun, which was emblazoned with the images of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ziyad Nakhaleh, and PFLP leader Ahmad Sa'adat, as well as a combined flag of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hamas's Al-Qassam Brigades, the PFLP, and Fatah's Al-Aqsa's Martyrs Brigades [45].
• October 7, 2024: On the anniversary of the October 7th attacks, WOL led a march filled with flags supporting Hamas and Hezbollah, and spread disinformation about the attack [46].

WOL is not an independent nonprofit organization. Its operation and sources of funding are mysterious and unclear, but there are indications it is linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the government of Iran [47]. They appear to receive funding and material support from various sources that back terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, including through Wespac, a 501(c)(3) small nonprofit in Westchester County that serves as a clearinghouse for donations to pro-Palestinian groups around the country [48]. As a fiscal sponsor, Wespac receives and administers donations on behalf of WOL and NSJP [49]. This arrangement allows sponsored non-profits to receive tax-deductible funds without having to file their own tax documents. Wespac does not and is not required to make public the details of its fiscal sponsorships [50]. Additionally, Samidoun, a group designated as a sham charity by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in a joint action with Canada, has co-sponsored at least three protests with WOL [51].

WOL’s actions, orchestrated by Kiswani, are not isolated incidents but part of a broader campaign to incite violence, divide communities, and destroy the democratic values that American society upholds. Their calls of a “global intifada” and the use of violence are tools they use to achieve their goals. There is no despicable act that is off-limits for Kiswani and WOL.

Kiswani has enjoyed the privileges of being an American citizen. She attended CUNY, a university whose budget is primarily funded by the State of New York [52]. It seems morally and legally questionable whether someone who has benefited from the privileges of living in this country — while advocating for terrorism and violence — should be permitted to freely promote dangerous ideologies, continuously violate the law, and venerate international terrorist organizations and their leaders without facing consequences.

Her actions have drawn criticism from a wide range of public officials. The Chancellor of CUNY called for congressional action to defund the university in response to her commencement remarks [48]. Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine condemned her social media posts as “dangerous and reprehensible [53].” Meta (owner of Instagram) cited WOL as violating its “Dangerous Organizations & Individuals policy” resulting in the removal of their account [54]. Congressman Ritchie Torres stated about WOL, “It has crossed lines that should never be crossed like openly aligning itself with foreign terrorist organizations that cry “Death to America” and “Death to Israel [55].” WOL’s protests at the Nova Exhibition also drew condemnation of public figures, including Rep. Ocasio-Cortez who stated, “The callousness, dehumanization and targeting of Jews on display at last night’s protest outside the Nova Festival exhibit was atrocious antisemitism – plain and simple [56].” Others such as Rep. Jamal Bowman, NY Governor Hochul, NYC Mayor Eric Adams, and the Biden administration also denounced their behavior.

Merely condemning these actions is not enough!

We urge the government to take immediate and decisive action against Nerdeen Kiswani, WOL, and Wespac:

• Investigate them for hate speech, vandalism, incitement to violence, and potential criminal activities related to conspiracy and material support for terrorism
• Pursue prosecution under anti-terrorism laws where applicable
• Enforce President Trump’s executive order to deport any members of WOL who are in the US on a student visa
• Hold universities accountable under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which mandates non-discrimination in federally funded institutions, for the persistent hostile environments created by WOL
• Strip Wespac of their 501(c)(3) status for being a fiscal sponsor of WOL and their criminal acts
• Trace all financial sources to uncover funding channels and any connections to terrorist organizations

WOL’s actions pose a direct threat to not only Jewish Americans but to the safety, security, and democratic values that define our great nation. We are counting on you to act now!

Sincerely,



References:
1 https://www.adl.org/resources/article/nerdeen-kiswani-and-within-our-lifetime-united-palestine-what-you-need-know
2 https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-barrows-friedman/listen-israel-blocks-us-citizen-visiting-palestine
3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Within_Our_Lifetime#:~:text=She%20was%20born%20in%20Jordan,Abdullah%20Akl%20and%20Fatima%20Mohammed
4 https://www.ushmm.org/information/press/press-releases/museum-statement-on-the-anniversary-of-hamass-october-7-attack-on-israel
5 https://www.ushmm.org/information/press/press-releases/museum-statement-on-the-anniversary-of-hamass-october-7-attack-on-israel
5 https://www.timesofisrael.com/what-is-within-our-lifetime-the-group-behind-nys-most-extreme-anti-israel-protests/
6 https://canarymission.org/individual/Nerdeen_Kiswani
7 https://www.timesofisrael.com/what-is-within-our-lifetime-the-group-behind-nys-most-extreme-anti-israel-protests/
8 https://www.memri.org/reports/cair-lawsuit-against-city-new-york-alleging-police-brutality-during-october-2023-anti-israel
9 https://capitalresearch.org/app/uploads/Marching-Toward-Violence-1.pdf
10 https://www.adl.org/resources/article/nerdeen-kiswani-and-within-our-lifetime-united-palestine-what-you-need-know
11 https://www.adl.org/resources/article/nerdeen-kiswani-and-within-our-lifetime-united-palestine-what-you-need-know
12 https://www.adl.org/resources/article/nerdeen-kiswani-and-within-our-lifetime-united-palestine-what-you-need-know
13 https://www.adl.org/resources/article/nerdeen-kiswani-and-within-our-lifetime-united-palestine-what-you-need-know
14 https://www.adl.org/resources/article/nerdeen-kiswani-and-within-our-lifetime-united-palestine-what-you-need-know
15 https://www.timesofisrael.com/what-is-within-our-lifetime-the-group-behind-nys-most-extreme-anti-israel-protests/
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19 https://www.adl.org/resources/article/nerdeen-kiswani-and-within-our-lifetime-united-palestine-what-you-need-know
20 https://www.timesofisrael.com/what-is-within-our-lifetime-the-group-behind-nys-most-extreme-anti-israel-protests/
21 https://www.jta.org/2024/08/26/ny/protesters-at-baruch-college-call-to-bring-the-war-home-at-rally-targeting-campus-hillel
22 https://www.timesofisrael.com/what-is-within-our-lifetime-the-group-behind-nys-most-extreme-anti-israel-protests/
23 https://www.adl.org/resources/article/nerdeen-kiswani-and-within-our-lifetime-united-palestine-what-you-need-know
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26 https://www.jta.org/2024/06/19/ny/what-is-within-our-lifetime-the-anti-israel-activist-group-behind-the-protests-at-the-nova-exhibit-and-brooklyn-museum
27 https://www.memri.org/tv/crowd-brooklyn-nakba-day-rally-cheers-within-our-lifetime-leader-nerdeen-kiswani-president-biden-die-soon-nypd-occupying-army
28 https://www.adl.org/resources/article/nerdeen-kiswani-and-within-our-lifetime-united-palestine-what-you-need-know
29 https://www.adl.org/resources/article/nerdeen-kiswani-and-within-our-lifetime-united-palestine-what-you-need-know
30 https://www.thefp.com/p/columbia-university-anti-israel-museum-of-terror
31 https://www.jta.org/2023/11/16/ny/elected-officials-and-jewish-leaders-decry-pro-palestinian-groups-map-of-jewish-organizations-with-blood-on-their-hands
32 https://www.timesofisrael.com/what-is-within-our-lifetime-the-group-behind-nys-most-extreme-anti-israel-protests/
33 https://www.timesofisrael.com/what-is-within-our-lifetime-the-group-behind-nys-most-extreme-anti-israel-protests/
34 https://nypost.com/2024/01/15/metro/pro-palestinian-protesters-target-nycs-memorial-sloan-kettering-cancer-center/
35 https://www.memri.org/reports/cair-lawsuit-against-city-new-york-alleging-police-brutality-during-october-2023-anti-israel
36 https://jewishlouisville.org/what-is-within-our-lifetime-the-anti-israel-activist-group-behind-the-protests-at-the-nova-exhibit-and-brooklyn-museum/
37 https://www.timesofisrael.com/what-is-within-our-lifetime-the-group-behind-nys-most-extreme-anti-israel-protests/
38 https://www.adl.org/resources/article/nerdeen-kiswani-and-within-our-lifetime-united-palestine-what-you-need-know
39 https://www.timesofisrael.com/what-is-within-our-lifetime-the-group-behind-nys-most-extreme-anti-israel-protests/
40 https://www.adl.org/resources/article/nerdeen-kiswani-and-within-our-lifetime-united-palestine-what-you-need-know
41 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/12/nyregion/anti-zionist-graffiti-jewish-museum-officials.html
42 https://www.thefp.com/p/columbia-university-anti-israel-museum-of-terror
43 https://www.memri.org/tv/nyc-rally-un-headquarters-palestinian-right-resist-mobilize-solidarity-intifada
44 https://www.adl.org/resources/article/nerdeen-kiswani-and-within-our-lifetime-united-palestine-what-you-need-know
45 https://www.memri.org/reports/cair-lawsuit-against-city-new-york-alleging-police-brutality-during-october-2023-anti-israel
46 https://www.timesofisrael.com/what-is-within-our-lifetime-the-group-behind-nys-most-extreme-anti-israel-protests/
47 https://capitalresearch.org/app/uploads/Marching-Toward-Violence-1.pdf
48 https://capitalresearch.org/app/uploads/Marching-Toward-Violence-1.pdf
49 National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) and Within Our Lifetime (WOL) –https://www.adl.org/resources/article/wespac-westchester-peoples-action-coalition-foundation
50 https://www.adl.org/resources/article/wespac-westchester-peoples-action-coalition-foundation
51https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2646
52 https://canarymission.org/individual/Nerdeen_Kiswani
53 https://www.jta.org/2023/11/16/ny/elected-officials-and-jewish-leaders-decry-pro-palestinian-groups-map-of-jewish-organizations-with-blood-on-their-hands
54https://www.adl.org/resources/article/nerdeen-kiswani-and-within-our-lifetime-united-palestine-what-you-need-know
55 https://www.instagram.com/ritchietorresny15/p/DAwk8ihvnXF/
56 https://www.mercazusa.org/2024/06/focusantisemitismreachesfeverpitch061824/