Prominent Palestinian writer and activist Mohammed El-Kurd is facing backlash for suggesting violent acts like hijacking and throwing molotov cocktails in support of Gaza.
He criticized peaceful forms of protest and expressed controversial views on self-immolation and terrorism.
“You can’t protest peacefully. You can’t boycott. You can’t hunger strike. You can’t hijack planes. You can’t block traffic. You can’t throw Molotovs. You can’t self-immolate. You can’t heckle politicians. You can’t march. You can’t riot. You can’t dissent. You just can’t be,” El-Kurd said.
You can’t protest peacefully. You can’t boycott. You can’t hunger strike. You can’t hijack planes. You can’t block traffic. You can’t throw Molotovs. You can’t self-immolate. You can’t heckle politicians. You can’t march. You can’t riot. You can’t dissent. You just can’t be.
— Mohammed El-Kurd (@m7mdkurd) February 26, 2024
El-Kurd has a history of radical rhetoric, defending terrorists and making antisemitic remarks.
He has called for the normalization of massacres and denied Israel’s right to exist, justifying violent attacks as retaliation against Israeli actions.
“If you are a soldier sacrificing yourself to protect US interest, you are a rational, noble hero. But if you sacrifice yourself to protest the genocide your country is funding, you are mentally ill,” El-Kurd wrote.
“Rest in power Aaron Bushnell,” Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein wrote.
“Let us never forget the extraordinary courage and commitment of brother Aaron Bushnell who died for truth and justice!” independent presidential candidate Cornel West wrote.
“What world do we live in where people can’t just hijack airplanes and throw Molotov cocktails peacefully?” conservative journalist Ian Miles Cheong quipped online.
“El-Kurd cried on 9/11 because many of his friends died on each of those planes. Was a terrible coincidence,” he wrote.
“What is the world coming to when you can’t even hijack a plane and crash it into a building full of innocent people for peace?” free speech activist Konstantin Kisin said.
“This is what oppression looks like,” he added.
“You can’t hijack planes. You can’t rape women. You can’t shoot babies in the face. You can’t kidnap children. You can’t cut people’s eyes out. You can’t decapitate the elderly. You can’t torture girls. You can’t do suicide bombs. You can’t drive cars into people. You can’t try to commit genocide against non-muslims,” screenwriter Lee Kern wrote. “No one knows what it is to be a Palestinian .”
“No. You can’t riot, throw bombs or hijack planes. But you could consider being more rational and less anti-Semitic,” academic Christina Hoff Sommers wrote.
“You can’t commit crimes… So sorry,” journalist Katherine Brodsky wrote.
“Actually, you can do all of the things on that list that are otherwise legal. But the fact that Mr. El-Kurd (note the ‘indigenous Palestinian’ name), a leading Palestinian anti-Israel activist, doesn’t see a distinction between hijacking planes and rioting on the one hand, and protesting peacefully on the other (no one is stopping you!) may give us a clue as to why the Palestinian cause remains deeply intertwined with appalling violence,” author David Bernstein wrote.
“POOR MOHAMMED EL-KURD Not allowed to do fun things like hijack planes and throw Molotovs,” the Australian Jewish Association wrote. “This extremist was a guest at the 2023 Adelaide Writers Festival subsidised by the State government.”
“Mohammed El Kurd is upset that you can’t just hijack a plane, his human rights must feel violated,” political commentator Chris Rose wrote.
“I think you got hacked by someone trying to make you look like a joke, you should change your password,” attorney Damin Toell wrote.
“I reckon your fantasy is to throw molotovs and self-immolate while you’re hijacking a plane. That’s the Palestinian dream,” Egyptian-British counter-terrorism researcher Khaled Hassan wrote.
