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Palestinian Feminist Collective (PFC)

Website:

palestinianfeministcollective.org/
Type:

Palestinian Advocacy Group
Formation:

2020

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The Palestinian Feminist Collective (PFC) is a U.S.-based anti-Israel group that praised the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians. 1 It is fiscally sponsored by the WESPAC Foundation, which supports other pro-Palestinian groups and left-of-center non-profits. 2

PFC claims that supporting a Palestinian state is a feminist issue because of alleged colonialism, white supremacy, and other issues it says are used to justify what it describes as Israel’s masculinist and militarized siege of Palestinian land and life. It also claims that most of the U.S. feminist movement tacitly supports Israel. 3 It claims public support from departments, programs, and other organizations affiliated with over 100 colleges and universities. 4

On October 7, 2023, following the Hamas terror attacks against Israel, PFC made a post on their X/Twitter page seemingly praising the attacks, claiming that, ““…we affirm the right to resist settler-colonial dispossession, militarization, and occupation.” 5

Background

Palestinian Feminist Collective was founded in 2020 and claims to be located at the “Turtle Islands, the unceded lands known as North America.” 6 “Turtle Island” is a reference to Native American mythology which described North America and the world as being the back of a turtle. 7

It claims to be made up of Palestinian and Arab women and focused on both ending Israel “decolonization” and U.S. support for Israel. 8 It supports transgender issues and its various letters and calls to action have support from left-of-center groups such as Transgender Law Center, Thank God For Abortion, Walk for Palestine, and Center for Constitutional Rights. 9

Co-founder Maisa Morrar has said that PFC’s founding was inspired by a similar group’s call to action in 2020. 10 The call to action came from Tal’at after a Palestinian woman was murdered by her Muslim family in a so-called “honor killing,” which Tal’at blamed on Israeli cultural and other disruptions of Palestinian life. 11

PFC claims to trace its history to feminist movements within the Palestinian region during the late 19th century. 12

Following the October 7 terror attacks against Israel by terrorist group Hamas, the same day PFC made a post on their X/Twitter profile seemingly praising the attacks while claiming, “…we affirm the right to resist settler-colonial dispossession, militarization, and occupation.” 13

Initiatives

Palestinian Feminist Collective engages in several major initiatives, mostly focused on creating alliances with left-leaning academic and activist organizations:

Letters

PFC regularly signs onto letters urging U.S. officials to stop supporting Israel and to support Palestinians. A letter it signed in 2021 to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was also signed by Human Rights Watch, the Center for Constitutional Rights, race activists, and many pro-Palestinian groups. 14 It authored a similar letter that was signed by many of the same groups as the Blinken letter and that urged a ceasefire during the 2023-2024 Israel-Hamas war. 15

Academia

PFC claims to have support across U.S. academia, including from individual professors who are members from universities, which host events supporting PFC and publicly endorse its its digital toolkit. The toolkit includes reading material, messaging advice, chants which include at least one call to eliminate Israel’s existence, and more. 16 It is publicly endorsed by the Global Asian Studies department at the University of Illinois-Chicago. 17

Over 100 departments, programs, and other affiliated organizations at about 130 higher education institutions endorsed a PFC letter. 18

Notre Dame University published an essay by PFC founding member and College of the Holy Cross professor Sarah Ihmoud. 19 Along with fellow PFC co-founder Arizona State University professor Lila Sharif, Ihmoud participated in a panel sponsored by two Harvard University centers in 2024 which included other pro-Palestinian speakers. 20

The Portland, Oregon Association of Teachers uses PFC content in pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel presentations to children in public schools, including in Kindergarten. 21

Conference Organization

The Anti-Defamation League reported that Palestinian Feminist Collective co-organized a May 2024 pro-Palestinian conference with terrorist-linked groups like National Students for Justice in Palestine. During the conference, PFC organizer Tara Alami praised Ibrahim al-Nabulsi, a terrorist and former senior commander of U.S.-designated terror group Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades before dying in 2022 during a firefight with IDF units. 22

Fiscal Sponsor

Palestinian Feminist Collective’s fiscal sponsor is WESPAC Foundation, a left-of-center New York organization that provides back-end legal and administration support for various organizations, including many in the pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel movements. Republican senators have requested a federal probe into the organization’s practices in light of it acting as a fiscal sponsor for National Students for Justice in Palestine. 23

WESPAC-backed organizations were at the center of multiple pro-Palestinian protests and riots that took place across the United States following the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel and the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. 24

Leadership

Palestinian Feminist Collective does not list its leadership. Two co-founders spoke on a Harvard University-sponsored panel. 25 Those co-founders are College of the Holy Cross professor Sarah Ihmoud, whose academic work has been used by the United Nations and primarily focuses on an anti-Israel perspective of the conflict between Palestinians and Israel, 26 and Lila Sharif, a professor at Arizona State University who claims to be the first Palestinian to receive a doctorate in ethnic studies. Her academic work focuses on the history of feminism in the Palestinian region. 27

A third cofounder, Maisa Morrar, is a physician’s assistant in the San Francisco, California area. She was one of about 80 people charged with performing a “die-in” protest that blocked traffic on the San Francisco Bay Bridge in November 2023. 28

Financials

Palestinian Feminist Collective does not publicize its finances, though it was reported to have received a grant from Third Wave Fund in November 2023. 29

References

  1. Palestinian Feminist Collective (@PalFeminist). “In the morning hours of October 7, 2023, commander-in-chief of the Martyr Izz El-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif, announced the launch of military operation, Al-Aqsa Flood. Within 20 minutes, nearly 5000 rockets were launched.” Twitter. October 7, 2023. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://x.com/PalFeminist/status/1710776907950694756
  2. Donate. Palestinian Feminist Collective. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://palestinianfeministcollective.org/donate-to-the-pfc/
  3. Batarseh, A. “Pledge that Palestine is a Feminist Issue.” Action Network. 2021. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/pledge-declaring-palestine-is-a-feminist-issue
  4. Palestinian Feminist Collective Letter – Universities. Scribd. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.scribd.com/document/682649093/Palestinian-Feminist-Collective-Letter-Universities
  5. Palestinian Feminist Collective (@PalFeminist). “In the morning hours of October 7, 2023, commander-in-chief of the Martyr Izz El-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif, announced the launch of military operation, Al-Aqsa Flood. Within 20 minutes, nearly 5000 rockets were launched.” Twitter. October 7, 2023. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://x.com/PalFeminist/status/1710776907950694756
  6. Chronology of Palestinian Women’s & Feminist Organizing: 1893-2020. Palestinian Collective. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://palestinianfeministcollective.org/calendar/chronology/
  7. Robinson, Amanda. “Turtle Island.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. November 6, 2018. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/turtle-island
  8. Palestine is a Feminist Issue Pledge. Palestinian Feminist Collective. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://palestinianfeministcollective.org/palestine-is-a-feminist-issue-pledge/
  9. “Palestine is a Feminist Struggle: U.S. Feminist Organizations Call for Permanent Ceasefire Now.” Palestinian Feminist Collective. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://palestinianfeministcollective.org/us-feminist-organizations-call-for-permanent-ceasefire-now/
  10. “Did you eat yet? March 2023 – PFC with Maisa Morrar.” 18 Millions Rising. March 25, 2024. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.18millionrising.org/2024/03/dyey-mar2024/
  11. Marshood, Hala and Alsanah, Riya. “Tal’at: a feminist movement that is redefining liberation and reimagining Palestine.” Mondoweiss. February 25, 2020. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://mondoweiss.net/2020/02/talat-a-feminist-movement-that-is-redefining-liberation-and-reimagining-palestine/
  12. Chronology of Palestinian Women’s & Feminist Organizing: 1893-2020. Palestinian Collective. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://palestinianfeministcollective.org/calendar/chronology/
  13. Palestinian Feminist Collective (@PalFeminist). “In the morning hours of October 7, 2023, commander-in-chief of the Martyr Izz El-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif, announced the launch of military operation, Al-Aqsa Flood. Within 20 minutes, nearly 5000 rockets were launched.” Twitter. October 7, 2023. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://x.com/PalFeminist/status/1710776907950694756
  14. “Letter to Secretary Blinken from US Organizations and Leaders in Solidarity with Palestinian Civil Society.” Human Rights Watch. October 29, 2021. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/10/29/letter-secretary-blinken-us-organizations-and-leaders-solidarity-palestinian-civil
  15. “Palestine is a Feminist Struggle: U.S. Feminist Organizations Call for Permanent Ceasefire Now.” Palestinian Feminist Collective. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://palestinianfeministcollective.org/us-feminist-organizations-call-for-permanent-ceasefire-now/
  16. All Out for Palestine. Palestinian Feminist Collective. October 2023. Accessed June 20, 2024. https://actionnetwork.org/user_files/user_files/000/098/772/original/All_Out_Palestine_Toolkit_3.0.pdf
  17. Palestinian Feminist Collective’s Digital Action Toolkit. University of Illinois Chicago. October 31, 2023. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://glas.uic.edu/news-stories/palestinian-feminist-collectives-digital-action-toolkit/
  18. Gender Studies Departments In Solidarity With Palestinian Feminist Collective. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://genderstudiespalestinesolidarity.weebly.com/
  19. Ihmoud, Sarah. “Decolonizing “Peace”: Notes Towards a Palestinian Feminist Critique.” University of Notre Dame. May 25, 2022. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://peacepolicy.nd.edu/2022/05/25/decolonizing-peace-notes-towards-a-palestinian-feminist-critique/
  20. Palestinian Women in Gaza: War, Health, and Feminist Solidarity. FXB Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University. March 6, 2024. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://fxb.harvard.edu/event/palestinian-women-in-gaza-war-health-and-feminist-solidarity/
  21. Rufo, Christopher. “In Portland, the Intifada Begins in Kindergarten.” City Jounral. June 5, 2024. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.city-journal.org/article/in-portland-the-intifada-begins-in-kindergarten
  22. “Fight Until Victory’: Speakers & Guests Declare Full Support for Terrorism at ‘People’s Conference for Palestine’.” Anti-Defamation League. May 31, 2024. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.adl.org/resources/blog/fight-until-victory-speakers-guests-declare-full-support-terrorism-peoples
  23. Tress, Luke. “16 Republican senators demand IRS investigate fiscal sponsor of Students for Justice in Palestine.” The Jerusalem Post. March 14, 2024. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-801085
  24. “Donations to major pro-Palestinian groups go through this Jewish-chaired NY nonprofit.” The Times of Israel. February 2, 2024. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.timesofisrael.com/donations-to-major-pro-palestinian-groups-go-through-this-jewish-chaired-ny-nonprofit/
  25.  Palestinian Women in Gaza: War, Health, and Feminist Solidarity. FXB Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University. March 6, 2024. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://fxb.harvard.edu/event/palestinian-women-in-gaza-war-health-and-feminist-solidarity/
  26. Sarah Ihmoud. College of the Holy Cross. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.holycross.edu/academics/programs/sociology-and-anthropology/faculty/sarah_ihmoud
  27. Lila Sharif. Arizona State University. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://search.asu.edu/profile/4514882
  28. Kelly, George. “San Francisco court swarmed by Bay Bridge cease-fire protesters.” December 18, 2023. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://sfstandard.com/2023/12/18/san-francisco-court-swarmed-by-bay-bridge-cease-fire-protesters/
  29. “Meet our March 2024 and November 2023 Mobilize Power Fund Grantees.” Third Wave Fund. April 25, 2024. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.thirdwavefund.org/blog/meet-our-november-2023-mobilize-power-fund-grantees
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