Zohran Mamdani's Father Sits on Advisory Council with Designated Hamas Operative
Mahmood Mamdani sits on the Gaza Tribunal's advisory council with Ramy Abdu, an Israel-designated Hamas operative. Their recent conference featured terror-tied speakers from Islamic Jihad and the PFLP
An investigation by Jewish Onliner uncovered that NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s father, Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani, serves on the advisory council of the Gaza Tribunal alongside Ramy Abdu, whom Israel designated in 2013 as one of Hamas’ main operatives in Europe.
The investigation further uncovered that the Gaza Tribunal’s recent Istanbul conference, held October 23-26, 2025, featured multiple speakers and attendees with documented ties to U.S.-designated terror groups, while former UN officials hold leadership positions within the organization.
Terror-Tied Speakers, Participants, & Advisory Council Members
Sami Al-Arian
Sami Al-Arian, who was convicted in 2006 for conspiracy to provide services to Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, and subsequently deported from the United States, served as a “juror” at the Gaza Tribunal. Al-Arian signed his name on a final statement published by the tribunal at the conclusion of the Istanbul conference.
Sahar Francis
Sahar Francis serves as general director of Addameer, a Palestinian NGO that was designated by the U.S. Treasury in June 2025 as a supporter and affiliate of another designated terror group, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Israel previously designated Addameer as a terrorist organization in October 2021.
Ramy Abdu
Ramy Abdu, who sits alongside Mahmood Mamdani on the Gaza Tribunal’s advisory council, serves as chairman of EuroMed, a Geneva-based NGO. In 2013, Israel designated Abdu as one of Hamas’ main operatives in Europe
Abdu has admitted to having close family ties to Hamas operatives. In March 2025, Abdu inadvertently disclosed that he is the brother-in-law of the deceased senior Hamas official Muhammad Daoud Ismail al-Jamassi. Moreover, Abdu publicly divulged that he is childhood friends with Assad Abu Sharia, the founder and leader of the Mujahideen Brigades—a Hamas-affiliated terrorist group that played a key role in the kidnapping of the Bibas children during the October 7th massacre.
In May 2025, Abdu claimed his cousin, Nour Al-Din Matar Abdu, was a journalist who was killed in an Israeli airstrike. However, a Jewish Onliner investigation revealed social media posts showing what appears to be Nour as a child holding an AK-47 and wearing Hamas paraphernalia. Nour was also pictured alongside former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Raji Sourani
Raji Sourani, founder and director of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, served three years in Israeli prison (1979-1982) for membership in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. At a 2014 PFLP ceremony, Sourani stated: “I was in the ranks of the Popular Front... We don’t apologize and don’t regret our past, we are proud that once we were members of this organization and we fought in its ranks.”
Sourani has also maintained connections with Hamas leadership, including meetings with Hamas Political Bureau officials Musa Abu Marzouk and Khaled Mashal in 2011 to discuss forming a “national unity government” in Gaza. In 2014, he led a “human rights delegation” that met with former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Ahmed Alnaouq
Ahmed Alnaouq, co-founder of the We Are Not Numbers project (WANN), serves as EuroMed Monitor’s Outreach and Advocacy Officer. Alnaouq has familial connections to Hamas. As documented by investigative outlet GnasherJew, Alnaouq’s brother, Ayman Alnaouq, was an active member of Hamas’s military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, and was eliminated in an Israeli airstrike in 2014.
Alnaouq’s social media posts have included comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany and explicit calls for the dismantlement of Zionism.
Ramzy Baroud
Ramzy Baroud serves as editor of U.S. 501(c)(3), the Palestine Chronicle, whose outlet employed Hamas operative Abdallah Aljamal, who held Israeli civilians captive in Gaza.
Baroud is also a senior fellow at The Turkish Center for Islam and Global Affairs, led by Sami Al-Arian. Public social media posts by Baroud include him celebrating Hamas October 7 massacre and images glorifying members of the PFLP.
Involvement of UN Officials & Western Academics
Despite the presence of individuals with documented terror ties, the Gaza Tribunal features several former UN officials in prominent positions within the organization. The Istanbul conference included speakers such as Richard Falk, former UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian Territories, Craig Mokhiber, former Director of the New York Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Western academics including David Whyte, Ussama Makdisi, and Wadie Said.
The organization’s steering committee includes Hilal Elver, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food (2014-2020), and Michael Lynk, former UN Special Rapporteur.
The Gaza Tribunal’s advisory council, features several individuals with UN backgrounds. Mouin Rabbani served as Principal Political Affairs Officer with the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Syria. Christine Chinkin was appointed by the President of the Human Rights Council to serve on UN fact-finding missions. Georges Abi-Saab served as consultant to the UN Secretary-General on human rights in armed conflict. Aslı Bali worked for the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Additionally, Karim Makdisi serves as an elected member of the Board of Directors at The Academic Council on the United Nations System.