Statement Condemning OFAC Designation of Four Palestine Solidarity Organizers

The National Lawyers Guild condemns in the strongest possible terms the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designation of four Palestinian and international organizers-Saif Abu Keshek, Mohammed Khatib, Jaldia Abubakra, and Hisham Abu Mahfouz-as being affiliated with or providing support to designated "foreign terrorist organizations" for their solidarity with Palestinian national liberation and the Palestinian people.

The sanctions unjustly imposed by OFAC come amidst an ongoing, two-and-a-half-year genocide that has killed, injured, and displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, destroyed the majority of Gaza's infrastructure and agricultural land, and marks the latest chapter in over a century of Western imperialist-backed, Zionist settler-colonial ethnic cleansing and dispossession of the Palestinian people. Against this horrific backdrop, the courage and urgency of flotilla activists cannot be overstated. They risked abduction, torture, and death in their attempt to break this illegal, genocidal siege and deliver humanitarian aid. For this act of supreme moral clarity and courage, the United States has chosen to punish them and unjustifiably label the flotilla itself as "pro-terror."

This latest round of sanctions is not an isolated act. The 2021 Israeli designation of six prominent Palestinian non-governmental organizations as foreign terrorist organizations, and the 2024 OFAC designation of the Palestinian prisoner defense organization Samidoun as a specially designated global terrorist group, were early warnings. Moreover, in January 2026, Zaher Birawi-a member of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition Steering Committee-was similarly designated by OFAC, as was the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA).

The roots of this repressive strategy run much deeper. As documented by Palestine Legal and the Center for Constitutional Rights, opposition to Palestinian rights has shaped U.S. federal anti-terrorism law from its very beginnings. The first mention of "terrorism" in a federal statute, in 1969, dealt specifically with restricting humanitarian aid to Palestinians. The first U.S. government terrorism blacklist - the 1979 Export Administration Act - was championed by Israel supporters in Congress, most notably Republican Senator Jacob Javits of New York, who named Iraq, Libya, and South Yemen (all supporters of Palestinian liberation) as likely targets for designation. The first and only time Congress has designated a group a terrorist organization was the 1987 law targeting the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Additionally, the 1995 "material support" law, now used to criminalize humanitarian action and solidarity, was crafted with Palestinians as a primary focus.

This entire legal architecture was built on a foundation of unmistakable and enduring anti-Palestinian animus, long before the post-9/11 era. Just as Samidoun was targeted for its effective defense of Palestinian prisoners, these four activists are now being criminalized for one reason alone: their effectiveness and visibility in mobilizing solidarity against the genocide and in support ofPalestinian liberation. The U.S. and Israel fear a popular movement that threatens their domination of the West Asian region - so they resort to suppression through sanctions.

These listings are designed to do more than freeze assets. They are designed to create a chilling effect across the entire Palestine solidarity movement, to criminalize solidarity and direct humanitarian action, and to demonize those who refuse to abandon Palestine. In the context of the current Trump administration and resurgent fascism, all those who oppose U.S. imperialism should be concerned. This weaponization and targeting will not stop with the movement for a liberated Palestine. Indeed, it is being honed for use against the broader anti-imperialist movement - potentially against those who stand in solidarity with Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, and the Alliance of Sahel States. Today, it is the flotilla activists. Tomorrow, it could be any of us.

The ferocity of this crackdown and its timing reveal a deeper truth. The U.S. imperial project is in decline. The forces of U.S.-Zionist imperialism have suffered a serious defeat in their war on Iran, and their resources are stretched thin. They cannot sustain their war of aggression on multiple fronts - and the Palestine solidarity movement has proven itself an effective front. The empire is lashing out to silence the movement precisely because it is winning the battle of ideas and mobilizing the streets of the world.

This repression is unfolding alongside the hijacking of Flotilla boats on the high seas. On the very day these sanctions were announced - May 19, 2026 - the Israeli navy abducted over 430 activists from more than 46 countries, including 25 U.S. citizens, in international waters. Detainees have faced torture, sexual assault, and arbitrary detention. Instead of intervening to protect its citizens and other detainees, the U.S. provided political cover to Israel, sanctioning the victims while Israeli forces fired rubber bullets on unarmed humanitarian vessels.

We call for justice for all 430+ flotilla activists who were kidnapped, then tortured and humiliated while in Israeli custody - although we know that Palestinian prisoners face far worse treatment in Israeli colonial jails..

We reject the baseless accusation that breaking the siege of Gaza constitutes support for terrorism. The siege is collective punishment - a war crime impacting 2.3 million people. It enables the ongoing genocide. Breaking it is a moral and legal obligation. As former UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn stated, "The siege is a crime. Breaking it is not."

We stand in full solidarity with Saif, Mohammed, Jaldia, Hisham and all others targeted by these designations on the basis of their principled and courageous stand in solidarity with Palestine and other colonized and oppressed peoples' liberation struggles. We demand an end to all politically-motivated terrorist lists. We reject the label of "terrorist" being used against Palestine solidarity organizers, including those sailing to break the siege on Gaza and those who call out the U.S. and Israeli governments for committing genocides, waging endless wars, and spreading death and destruction across the globe with virtually complete impunity.