A planned event at Georgetown University Law Center featuring Ribhi Karajah, a convicted member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), has sparked outrage and calls for cancellation. Karajah's involvement in a 2019 bombing that killed 17-year-old Rina Shnerb and injured her family led to his imprisonment. The event, organized by Georgetown Law Students for Justice in Palestine, was initially postponed due to purported "inclement weather." However, it later emerged that the university had instructed the group to postpone while investigating security concerns.
The flyer for the event described Karajah as a "student activist and former political prisoner" and advertised a discussion about his "arrest, detention, and torture in the Israeli military judicial system." The Lawfare Project, a legal advocacy group, has sent a letter to Georgetown Law's dean, urging the university to cancel the event entirely. They argue that providing Karajah a platform could constitute material support for terrorism under federal law. The letter cites 18 U.S.C. § 2339A and the Supreme Court's ruling in *Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project* (2010) to support their claim.
Beyond his involvement in the bombing, Karajah's history includes imprisonment in 2017 while attending Birzeit University, a known hub for terrorist sympathizers. Activist Adar Rubin from End Jew Hatred points to Karajah's online promotion of PFLP leaders and participation in PFLP-sponsored events. The Lawfare Project is also demanding transparency from Georgetown, seeking to know whether administrators were aware of Karajah's PFLP affiliation before approving the event. As of the latest reports, the university has not responded to The Lawfare Project. During a recent visit to Washington, D.C., Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with college students, including Julia Wax Vanderwiel, founder of Georgetown Law Zionists. Vanderwiel informed Netanyahu about the planned event, eliciting a strong reaction from the Prime Minister, who expressed his concern and familiarity with the Shnerb family.
Vanderwiel expressed concerns about the safety of Jewish students at Georgetown given Karajah's presence on campus. The controversy continues to unfold, with pressure mounting on Georgetown Law to take decisive action regarding the event.
