Temple U Students Pay Tribute to Arch Terrorist and PFLP Founder

An anti-Israel student group commemorated George Habash, known as the “godfather of Middle Eastern terrorism.”

By: Lea Speyer/The Algemeiner

The Temple University chapter of the virulently anti-Israel group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) paid tribute Thursday to the late founder of a notorious terrorist group on the eighth anniversary of his death.

“Rest in power, George Habash,” the Philadelphia school’s SJP tweeted, in honor of the Palestinian Christian who established the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). “As long as you are still fighting in defense of your dignity and for your occupied land, all is well.”

Habash, described by Time magazine as the “godfather of Middle East terrorism,” was forced to resign as head of the PFLP in 2000, due to ill health. He died in 2008.

Founded in the late 1960s, the PFLP was behind a series of deadly attacks, such as the July 1968 hijacking of an El Al flight from Rome to Tel Aviv, in which 21 passengers and 11 crew members were held hostage for 39 days.

In 2014, the terror group claimed responsibility for the Jerusalem synagogue massacre, in which four Jewish worshipers and a Druze Israeli policeman were murdered — and seven others wounded — by two terrorists using knives, axes and guns to carry out the deed.

This is just the latest example of SJP support for terrorism. The New York City chapter of the organization recently endorsed a global campaign demanding the release from prison of the former secretary general of the PFLP, Ahmad Sa’adat.

Sa’adat was sentenced by Israel in 2006 to 30 years in prison for heading an “illegal terrorist organization.” NYC SJP described him as “a Palestianian [sic] political prisoner and leader of the resistance,” making no mention of his terrorist affiliations.

Temple SJP did not immediately respond to The Algemeiner’s request for comment.