Gaza Conflict: Campus Protesters Distribute Materials from Hamas and Hezbollah

Campus Activists Spreading Terrorist Propaganda, ADL Study Finds

Anti-Israel campus activists across the United States have been actively distributing propaganda from Hamas and other designated terrorist organizations, according to a comprehensive study released by the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism.

The report documents how protesters are not merely expressing support for these groups but are deliberately sharing their official communications, videos, and other materials on mainstream social media platforms like Telegram, X, and Instagram since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.

“Those who share [Foreign Terrorist Organization] propaganda are aware of its violent nature and origins yet exhibit no concern about pushing materials from groups responsible for killing scores of civilians,” the study states. Researchers concluded this behavior reflects “an acceptance of violence against civilians as a legitimate viewpoint.”

This troubling trend coincides with record levels of antisemitic incidents nationwide and what the ADL describes as an “unprecedentedly high threat landscape” for American Jews. The organization’s findings are based on extensive evidence gathered from both campus protests and social media activity.

At Columbia University in January 2025, protesters wearing keffiyehs disrupted a classroom and distributed flyers that glorified Hamas. The materials depicted a crushed Star of David and contained threatening messages including “THE ENEMY WILL NOT SEE TOMORROW.” The imagery on these flyers closely resembled symbols used by Hamas in their communications.

Northwestern University experienced similar incidents in April when vandals used red paint to write “Death to Israel” and draw Hamas triangles on a university building that houses the school’s Holocaust center. The timing was particularly disturbing as Jewish students were observing Passover, one of Judaism’s most important religious holidays.

At George Mason University, the local Students for Justice in Palestine chapter released a recruitment video in August set to music praising former Hamas commander Mohammed Deif. This occurred after police had already seized terrorist propaganda and weapons linked to the organization’s leader, raising serious security concerns on campus.

The proliferation of terrorist content on college campuses represents a significant shift in activist tactics. According to the ADL report, this behavior is accelerating what researchers describe as the “normalization of rhetoric and messaging from terror organizations that overtly encourage acts of violence against Israel and Jewish people.”

The study warns that this propaganda spread “blurs the line between legitimate political protest and explicit endorsement of terrorism and antisemitic violence.” It effectively normalizes the eliminationist goals and terrorist tactics espoused by groups like Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine within certain activist circles in the United States.

In response to these findings, the ADL has urged social media companies to enforce their existing bans on content from foreign terrorist organizations. The organization has also called on Congress to advance legislation that would crack down on extremist material circulating online.

This report comes amid heightened tensions on college campuses nationwide, where protests related to the Israel-Hamas conflict have sometimes descended into antisemitic rhetoric and actions. University administrators across the country have struggled to balance free speech principles with maintaining safe environments for Jewish students.

The spread of terrorist propaganda represents a troubling escalation in campus activism that goes beyond protected political speech. As universities prepare for a new academic year, many are reviewing their policies on demonstrations and hate speech in light of these developments.