Palestinian CUNY Law Student Viciously Harassed

Issues: False Accusations, Doxing, Free Speech

City University of New York School of Law (CUNY Law) student Nerdeen Kiswani is a well-known activist for Palestinian freedom. She chairs Within Our Lifetime–United for Palestine, a Palestinian-led community organization that builds support for Palestine in New York City. 

As a vocal and visibly Muslim advocate for Palestinian liberation, Nerdeen is regularly targeted by Zionist groups who have smear campaigns and false accusations of antisemitism to vilify her.

Since Nerdeen started CUNY Law in Fall 2019, anti-Palestinian students and groups, like StopAntisemitism and BDSReport, have targeted Nerdeen, often by using cyberbullying tactics.

In September 2020, Nerdeen faced a character assassination campaign after she posted an old video of herself waving a lighter while criticizing a friend for wearing a T-shirt promoting the Israeli military.

A vilification campaign based on this incident followed, and was bolstered by an Israeli-government affiliated app, which rewarded hundreds of users if they sent pre-scripted emails to the CUNY administration that falsely claimed Nerdeen had threatened a Zionist “fellow student” and called for her to be punished.

Nerdeen’s friend was neither a Zionist nor a CUNY student.

CUNY Law initially released statements condemning Nerdeen (which were later deleted) exposing her to further racist and violent vitriol.

StopAntisemitism and the Zionist Organization of America have filed a Title VI complaint against CUNY in September 2020 based on false allegations against Nerdeen.

In June 2021, after months of student pressure, CUNY Law issued a statement in support of Nerdeen, stating: “the Law School supports the free speech rights of Nerdeen Kiswani, other Palestinian students, and their Jewish and non-Jewish allies, who have been vilified for their activism.” 

Outspoken Palestinian women like Nerdeen often face the fiercest attacks in Zionist harassment campaigns – ones that are fueled by violence, misogyny and racism.

CUNY campuses also have a history of censoring criticism of Israel. Israel advocacy groups commonly make false accusations of antisemitism against students and faculty solely for speech in support of Palestinian rights, prompting investigations that have ultimately cleared Palestine advocates of wrongdoing. 

The Law Office of Lamis Deek is representing Nerdeen in conjunction with Palestine Legal.

Palestine Legal has proudly supported Nerdeen since she was co-president of Students for Justice in Palestine at CUNY-Staten Island in 2014.

Timeline >>

Sept. 21, 2020: StopAntisemitism surfaces a three-year old video of CUNY Law student Nerdeen Kiswani and misrepresents it to incite a vicious smear campaign against Nerdeen for her well-known Palestine activism around New York City. Organizations devoted to vilifying Palestinians falsely assert that Nerdeen had violently a pro-Israel “fellow student.” The video actually portrayed Nerdeen criticizing a friend who was neither Zionist nor a CUNY student. CUNY Law receives a flood of pre-scripted emails drafted by Act.il, a mobile phone app with deep ties to Israeli intelligence and military, calling for the law school to punish Nerdeen.

Sept. 22, 2020: After assuring Nerdeen in private conversation that CUNY Law will not make public statements on the matter, CUNY Law posts multiple messages lending credibility to the smear campaign. The law school later deletes these statements.

Sept. 24, 2020: Nerdeen receives numerous racist, Islamophobic and violent threats towards her and her family as a result of the smears. Students and anti-racist groups start the #WeStandWithNerdeen campaign.

Sept. 25, 2020: Then-CUNY Law Dean Mary Lu Bilek sends an email to all students apologizing for publishing statements about Nerdeen, and for targeting Nerdeen’s protected expression supporting Palestinian rights.

Nov. 2020: StopAntisemitism further escalates the harassment campaign against Nerdeen by offering monetary incentives to disseminate its false accusations, including Amazon gift cards for participants who cast votes in its “Antisemite of the Year” contest.

Dec. 2020: CUNY Law, Nerdeen and her counsel discuss how CUNY Law can better support Palestinians and Palestine rights activists to avoid creating further harm on campus.

Jan. 2021: On January 26, CUNY Law hosts ‘Community Day,’ a school-wide event, and dedicates the plenary to a discussion on Israel’s human rights abuses and freedom for Palestinians. CUNY Law invites Nerdeen, human rights attorney Lamis Deek and Palestine Legal’s Michael Ratner Justice Fellow Amira Mattar to discuss justice for Palestinians and efforts to repress Palestinians and their supporters.

Jan. - May 2021: Students organize a campaign calling on CUNY Law to address the lack of institutional support for students of color. The campaign also calls on CUNY Law to publicly support Nerdeen after furthering racist and targeted attacks against her.

April 2021: Student organizers defeat efforts to introduce a distorted definition of antisemitism targeting Palestine rights advocacy at CUNY. StopAntisemitism and the Zionist Organization of America announce they filed a Title VI civil rights complaint against CUNY Law based on the September 2020 video incident.

May 2021: Nerdeen faces renewed attacks after she organizes massive Palestine solidarity marches across New York City as chair of Within Our Lifetime – United for Palestine. The protests – which occur in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens – take place as Israel bombs Gaza and targets Palestinians in Jerusalem with forced evictions.

June 30, 2021: CUNY Law issues a statement in support of Nerdeen and reaffirms support for Palestine rights activists disparaged for their activism. It is believed to be the first statement from a U.S.-based university condemning censorship of students supporting Palestinian rights. Student organizers celebrate the importance of the statement but call on the university to do more towards Palestinian freedom.

Documents >>

CUNY Law Statement on Palestinian Activism (June 30, 2021)

Samidoun’s #WeStandWithNerdeen Statement (September 24, 2020)

National Lawyers Guild at CUNY Law Statement (September 24, 2020)

CUNY Law Jewish Law Students Association Statement (September 22, 2020)

Media >>

Protesters march from Bay Ridge to Barclays Center for a free Palestine, Meaghan McGoldrick, The Brooklyn Paper, (July 2, 2020)

CUNY Law Compromises Palestinian Student’s Safety, Caves to Zionist Pressure, Palestine Legal, (December 20, 2020)

What Zoom Does to Campus Conflicts Over Israel and Free Speech, John Leland, The New York Times, (January 22, 2021)

‘It was a disaster’: Inside a fierce battle over antisemitism at CUNY, Arno Rosenfeld, The Forward, (April 15, 2021)

Large Pro-Palestinian Rally to Take Place in Sunnyside Saturday, Allie Griffin, Astoria Post, (May 21, 2021)

CUNY Law Issues Historic Statement Condemning Harassment of Palestine Advocates on Campus, Palestine Legal, (July 15, 2021)

Learn more >>

Nerdeen is one of many Palestinian student leaders who have been targeted and attacked because of their advocacy. Read about more cases in our 2020 annual report.