New Report: Northwestern Hires Professor Linked to Terror-Tied NGOs and Violent Rhetoric
Washington Free Beacon reports that Northwestern hired Professor Mkhaimar Abusada, who has ties to terror-linked NGOs and a track record of supporting violence against Israeli civilians.
Northwestern University hired Professor Mkhaimar Abusada as part of a deal struck with radical anti-Israel student groups, according to reporting by Jessica Costescu at the Washington Free Beacon. Abusada, currently teaching a class on the "Palestinian National Movement," has a record of affiliations with organizations tied to terrorism and rhetoric that praises violence against civilians as “resistance.” The agreement was made to end a 2024 encampment protest by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and similar groups. It included hiring two Palestinian professors and providing scholarships to five students from Gaza. Abusada’s appointment comes as Northwestern faces a federal probe for alleged anti-Semitism and a freeze on $790 million in federal funding.
Abusada’s Role at Northwestern
Abusada was hired last fall as the first of the two Palestinian faculty members promised in Northwestern’s deal with SJP and allied groups. He teaches a weekly undergraduate course focused on the Palestinian national movement, fulfilling a key demand from protesters who occupied the campus in 2024.
Deep Ties to Terror-Linked NGOs
Abusada serves as deputy chairman of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) and sits on the board of the Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR). Both organizations have longstanding links to groups like Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). ICHR was founded by former PLO chairman Yasser Arafat and has held meetings with Hamas leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh. PCHR’s founder, Raji Sourani, is a former PFLP member who was imprisoned in Israel for his role in terrorism.
Endorsement of Violent & Engagement with Terrorists
Abusada’s own statements reveal a pattern of support for violence against Israeli civilians. In interviews and social media posts, he has consistently called Hamas terrorism “resistance” and justified attacks on civilians. Following the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, Abusada described him as a “source of pride” for Hamas and Palestinians. In January 2023, after a gunbattle between IDF forces and armed terrorists in Jenin, Abusada was interviewed by Al-Araby TV news and called the terrorists “the brave Palestinian resistance in the West Bank.”
According to the Hamas-run Ministry of Interior, in 2016, as part of an "effort to engage with the societal elite and strengthen the Ministry of Interior’s relationship with all sectors of the local community," the Ministry visited Abu Sada, as well as other prominent individuals.
Abusada has appeared multiple times on Al Mayadeen TV, a Hezbollah-affiliated station. On one of these occasions, Abusada appeared alongside the Director-General of the Hamas-run Health Ministry, Munir al-Boursh. In 2014 and 2019, Abusada participated at Masarat conferences that also featured senior officials from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the PFLP.
The Risks of Caving to Radical Demands
Northwestern’s decision to hire Abusada, made in exchange for ending an anti-Israel student encampment, demonstrates the issue of agreeing to the demands of radical groups that seek to legitimize extremist narratives and undermine academic integrity. By prioritizing appeasement over thorough vetting, the university has created a situation that could endanger students and tarnish its own reputation.
That is INSANITY. Giving in to a propagator of virulent hatred who will poison the minds of students. Has the Board of Trustees been formally made aware of this? If they are all in with this, then they are beyond help.