Palestinian group advertised NYC rally to defend ‘heroic’ resistance day of Hamas attack

A Palestinian-led activist group advertised a New York City rally for Gaza to “defend the heroic Palestinian resistance” and “honor the martyrs” the same day Hamas invaded Israel and killed hundreds of innocent civilians.

Within Our Lifetime organized an “emergency rally” for the Gaza Strip on Oct. 9, just two days after the terrorist groups’ deadly rampage in Israel. On the day of the attack, they called for protestors to “take the streets.”

“All out Monday … as we take to the streets to defend the heroic Palestinian resistance rewriting history before our eyes, uplift our people in Gaza and honor the martyrs of Palestine,” the organization wrote in a social media post sharing the details of the event.

Some commented on the post to question the group’s word choice.

“What about today was heroic?” one person replied under the post.

“Is kidnapping children heroic resistance?” another questioned.

Nerdeen Kiswani, the chair and co-founder of Within Our Lifetime, has repeatedly argued that Palestinians have the right to defend and liberate Palestine “by any means necessary.”

Although the organization does not specifically mention Hamas, Kiswani called the Oct. 7 attack “a heroic campaign” as well as “a psychological and tactical victory for the Palestinian resistance.”

She seemingly defended the militants’ slaughter of more than 1,400 people and their kidnapping of another 200 by claiming that Israel does the same to Palestinians.

“For those questioning the tactics of the Palestinian resistance, it’s important to keep in mind that killing and hostage seeking is a very common Israeli tactic used and not listening to me and we never hear about it in the media,” Kiswani said.

Since the Oct. 7 invasion, Israeli airstrikes have killed over 5,000 people in Gaza and displaced 1.4 million, according to United Nations and AP reports.

Kiswani, who founded Within Our Lifetime in 2015, made headlines in 2022 when she delivered a commencement speech at CUNY Law School slamming Zionists and US support for Israel.

Both the Palestinian activist and the group she founded have been condemned by the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish organization tracking antisemitism, for anti-Zionist statements.

According to the ADL, Kiswani once posted a meme to social media suggesting Israel should “be wiped off the map.”

Hundreds of pro-Palestine protestors showed up to the emergency rally organized by Within Our Lifetime that Monday.

And even more people joined a protest also organized by the group in Bay Ridge over the weekend with thousands taking over the streets.

The protestors advocated for an end to the “genocide” of Palestinian people as well as an end to Israel’s blockade and occupation.

“We will free Palestine within our lifetime!” the crowd cried, holding signs reading, “Zionism is genocide” and “Resistance is justified when people are occupied.”

Police said 19 people were arrested at the massive, pro-Palestine protest.