NYC Event to Host Speaker Who Posted That Jews Deserve "Bullet to the Head"
On April 27, anti-Israel groups will host an event in New York featuring Laith Marouf, founder of the terror propaganda outlet Free Palestine TV, and Abdolhamid Shahrabi, a pro-Iranian regime figure
On April 27, several organizations including the Bronx Anti-War Coalition are hosting a panel event in Manhattan, New York, titled “Palestine and the Axis of Resistance.” The event, which will be held in person and streamed via Zoom, features speakers Laith Marouf and Abdolhamid Shahrabi.
Marouf is a Canadian media consultant whose government contract was canceled in 2022 following the exposure of his antisemitic and racist tweets, and who has since promoted Hezbollah and Hamas-linked content through his Lebanese-based media channel. Shahrabi is a director of an Iranian-based NGO, and a prominent advocate of the Iranian regime. He also spoke at an event alongside a sanctioned Iranian propagandist.
Laith Marouf’s Concerning Posts and Alleged Terror Ties
Laith Marouf is a senior consultant for the Montreal-based non-profit Community Media Advocacy Centre (CMAC), which previously held a $122,000 contract with the Canadian government to develop an anti-racism strategy for the broadcasting sector. The contract was terminated and funding was cut after Marouf posted multiple antisemitic and racist tweets, including comments about killing Jews and referring to them as “white supremacists” and “bags of human feces.”
Following the October 7 Hamas attacks, Marouf launched an online media channel called Free Palestine Television (FPTV), based in Lebanon. According to Taylor Dawson from the National Post, the platform features footage of Hamas assaults on Israeli soldiers and activities by affiliated groups like the Mujahideen Brigades and Al-Qassam Brigades. It also shares speeches—translated live into English—from Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and press releases attributed to groups such as Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella for Iran-backed militias. Marouf has published footage of himself attending Hamas and Hezbollah events in Lebanon.
Marouf has also made appearances on Sputnik News and Russia Today, both state-run Russian media networks known for their propaganda content.
Marouf’s Alleged Ties to Al-Tajammu, a Pro-Iranian Extremist Group
In October 2023, Marouf participated in an event titled “The Flood of Al-Aqsa,” referencing the name Hamas gave to its October 7 attack. The event was organized by “al-Tajammu,” known in English as “The Arab and Islamic Union Supporting the Resistance Option.” According to Michael Barak, a researcher at the Institute for Counter-Terrorism at Israel’s Reichmann University, al-Tajammu is “a pro-Iranian Lebanese organization that maintains close contacts with Hezbollah and Shiite militias in Yemen and Iraq.” At the event, Marouf spoke alongside representatives from designated terrorist organizations including Hezbollah, Hamas, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). He was photographed at the event with Ali Baraka, Hamas' Head of National Relations Abroad, and Ihsan Attaya, a PIJ leader in Lebanon.
In November 2022, al-Tajammu published an article titled “The Gathering Contributes Financially and Mobilizes Morally and Internationally to Support the Campaign of Activist Laith Marouf Against the Zionist Lobby in Canada.” The article included a speech from Dr. Yahya Ghaddar, al-Tajammu’s secretary general, in which he stated that Marouf had joined the Canadian branch of the organization. It concluded with Marouf’s personal appeal for donations to his organization CMAC. Despite this, Marouf has downplayed his connections to al-Tajammu and denied having any “financial or board connections to them.”
Abdolhamid Shahrabi’s Apparent Support for the Iranian Regime
The second speaker, Abdolhamid Shahrabi, serves as Director of Research and Planning for the Iranian-based NGO, House of Latin America (HOLA), which appears to be involved with developing relations between Iran and Latin American countries. In 2021, the Embassy of Cuba in the Islamic Republic of Iran presented him with a high distinction award by the Council of State and referred to him as an “Iranian solidarity leader.”
In 2016, Shahrabi spoke at a tribute to Fidel Castro, which also featured Hassan Rahimpour Azghadi, a member of the Supreme Council of the Iranian Cultural Revolution and a key figure in Iranian propaganda efforts to push anti-Western and anti-Israel narratives. Azghadi is sanctioned by the Canadian government for his role in actions threatening international peace and committing gross human rights violations.
Shahrabi’s social media includes posts commemorating former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Qassem Soleimani and praising the IRGC. He also published an article in support of Helyeh Doutaghi, who was dismissed from Yale Law School due to her membership in Samidoun, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization.
Event Statement Raises Legal Questions
The Bronx Anti-War Coalition’s tweets describing the event stated, “This panel will also explore what material solidarity with Palestine and the Axis of Resistance looks like.” Given the affiliations of the panelists, this statement raises concerns that the event may be in potential violation of U.S. laws regarding material support for designated terror organizations.