The Second Annual People's Conference for Palestine to Feature PFLP Member—Again
PYM's 2025 Conference to Feature PFLP Member Wisam Rafeedie and Mohammed Nabulsi, Who Praised Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis
The Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) has announced its upcoming second annual People’s Conference for Palestine, continuing its tradition of platforming terror-linked speakers and antisemitic rhetoric. The 2025 conference will take place in Huntington Place, Detroit, and feature several controversial figures who also spoke at the 2024 Detroit event, including Wisam Rafeedie, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP); Mohammed Nabulsi of PYM Houston; and Sana’ Daqqa, widow of deceased PFLP terrorist Walid Daqqa, who will serve as the keynote speaker for the 2025 event.
All three previously used the Detroit stage to glorify terrorism, praise violent resistance, and promote anti-Israel and anti-American sentiments. The upcoming conference, like its predecessor, aims to unite activists under the banner “Gaza is our compass,” further cementing PYM’s commitment to extremist ideologies.
“Our goal is to unite in support of Palestinian liberation, contribute to rebuilding efforts, and uphold the steadfastness of the Palestinian people to remain on their land,” PYM declared on Instagram.
The 2024 Conference: A Rallying Point for Terrorism Apologists
The 2024 Detroit conference served as a breeding ground for anti-Israel and anti-American rhetoric. Organized by China-linked The People’s Forum and National Students for Justice in Palestine, both known for their extremist views, the event drew thousands of participants.
The PFLP’s Wisam Rafeedie addressed the Detroit conference remotely after being denied a U.S. visa. In his speech, Rafeedie defended Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel, describing it as part of the broader Palestinian resistance against “settler colonialism and ethnic cleansing.” He openly rejected the two-state solution, stating, “There is no longer a place for a two-state solution for any Palestinian. The only solution is one democratic Palestinian land which will end the Zionist project in Palestine.”
Rafeedie, whose speech vilified Israel and called for its dismantlement, is slated to return as a speaker at the 2025 conference, reaffirming PYM’s alignment with designated terrorist groups.
Salah Salah, another founding member of the PFLP, endorsed the 2024 Detroit conference. Salah stated: “I call on the members of the Arab community and supporter of our cause to participate in the People’s Conference”, and equated Zionism to Nazism.
Another key figure from the 2024 conference, Mohammed Nabulsi of PYM Houston, will return for the 2025 event. In Detroit, Nabulsi praised Hamas’s use of terror tunnels beneath Gaza and led chants supporting Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels—both U.S.-designated terrorist organizations. Nabulsi’s upcoming appearance further underscores PYM’s ongoing commitment to promoting violent resistance.
Sana’ Daqqa, the widow of PFLP terrorist Walid Daqqa, who was convicted for the brutal kidnapping and murder of Israeli soldier Moshe Tamam in 1984, will headline the 2025 conference as its keynote speaker. At the 2024 event, Daqqa was honored with the naming of the main hall as “Walid Daqqa Hall,” and Sana’ Daqqa was celebrated as a symbol of Palestinian resistance. Her elevated role in the 2025 conference highlights PYM’s continued glorification of convicted terrorists.
Rashida Tlaib’s Controversial Participation and Political Fallout
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) made a surprise appearance at the 2024 Detroit conference, further inflaming tensions. Tlaib accused Israel of committing genocide and condemned President Joe Biden for supporting the Jewish state, calling on voters to withhold support for him in the upcoming election.
“It is disgraceful that the Biden administration and my colleagues in Congress continue to smear [anti-Israel students on college campuses] for protesting to save lives—no matter their faith or ethnicity,” Tlaib said. “But we’re not going to forget in November, are we?”
Tlaib’s participation effectively conferred legitimacy on a conference that openly celebrated terrorism and propagated extremist ideologies.
Glorifying Violence and Calling for Global Resistance
Speakers at the 2024 Detroit conference openly praised Hamas’ October 7 massacre and defended the construction of terror tunnels beneath Gazan infrastructure. Mohammed Nabulsi praised the terrorist that used the tunnels, calling them “our brave and noble resistance that defends our people from beneath the ground.”
Mustafa Barghouti, former Palestinian information minister, further amplified calls for violent resistance, stating, “In all its forms, resistance is our right and our way.” Barghouti’s words echoed the conference’s overall message: that violent struggle is the only path to Palestinian liberation.
Palestinian writer Abdaljawad Omar praised past terrorist attacks and lauded the October 7 massacre as part of the broader liberation effort. “Without the first and second intifadas, Israel would not have withdrawn from Gaza… and Oct. 7 and the promise of liberation it holds would not have manifested in our conference today,” Omar stated.
Anti-American Rhetoric and the Push to “Bring the War Home”
Canary Mission, an antisemitism watchdog, released a report documenting how the event served as a breeding ground for anti-American extremism. Statements like: “Israel is the first line of resistance, the first line of defense, for the American empire”,, and “bring the war home”, were echoed throughout the event.
Activists at the conference frequently linked the Palestinian struggle to a broader anti-U.S. agenda, portraying the U.S. as an imperialist power complicit in genocide. Graffiti bearing Hamas’s red triangle—a symbol used to mark military targets—was reported at protests across the U.S., signaling the spread of this extremist rhetoric beyond the conference.
National Security Concerns and What Lies Ahead
The inclusion of speakers such as PFLP member Wisam Rafeedie and others who endorsed violence, signals that the 2025 conference will likely mirror the extremist agenda of its predecessor—if not exceed it. The conference is poised to further polarize the conversation around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, heightening concerns over domestic radicalization and the promotion of terrorist ideologies within the U.S.
When is it? The Huntington Place events calendar doesn't have it listed.