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Professor Rabab Abdulhadi beats Israeli group's censorship lawsuit that claims Palestinians do not exist
A lawsuit was filed against Professor Rabab Abdulhadi and San Francisco Sate University (SFSU) by the Lawfare Project in June 2017 under grounds of anti-Semitism for Abdulhadi’s assertion in Palestinian rights.
Lawfare Project is a pro-Zionist group that brands itself as “the legal arm of the pro-Israel community” and seeks to target those who speak out against Israel’s violations of human rights.
In 2016, the founder of Lawfare Project, Brook Goldstein that “there is no such thing as a Palestinian person,” and questioned why the word Palestinian is even being used.
She had also proclaimed that Palestine supporters, whom she describes as “the enemy," must pay for their actions.
This is where Abdulhadi was targeted. Lawfare Project claimed the pro-Palestine sentiments on campus had created a hostile environment for Jewish students.
Both Professor Abdulhadi and SFSU argued that the suit was an attempt to pressure the university to restrict the speech of its students and faculty.
They also said the lawsuit is in violation of their First Amendment rights, which guarantees the right to freedom of speech.
After months of campaigning and defending, Judge Orrick of the US District Court announced on Wednesday that he will dismiss the complaint.
Lawfare Project still has the right to appeal and amend their lawsuit for them to return to file a more successful case.