The Palestine Chronicle and Hamas: Unraveling the Legal Battle (Part 1)
Is there really “insufficient evidence” to justify dismissing the case? Or are we dealing with another legal soldier?
A lawsuit against the Palestine Chronicle has exposed Hamas’s influence beyond Gaza. According to the case, originally filed by Almog Meir Jan, on July 2024, claims that Abdallah Aljamal, a Hamas member who held him and two others hostages captive in Gaza. Aljamal in addition was working for the Palestine Chronicle. According to the new claims, Aljamal told them the terror group was collaborating with allies on US college campuses and in the media.
The Palestine Chronicle operates as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit, meaning American taxpayers are subsidizing an outlet with alleged ties to terrorism. This lawsuit highlights the serious questions about nonprofit organizations supporting terrorism and why President’s Trump executive order to review all NGOs receiving US funds should be expanded to include investigating all NGOs, specially those supporting the Palestinian cause. At least, it should be a priority for the new Justice Department’s taskforce investigating antisemitism in universities.
The judge in the case, US District Judge Tiffany Cartwright, granted a motion to dismiss the case, under the claim that there was “insufficient evidence to prove the defendants were aware that Abdallah Aljamal was a Hamas operative”. However, the judge allowed Almog Meir Jan to refile an amended complaint which was filed by the National Jewish Advocacy Center.
The motion to dismiss the case came after she had already granted a motion to stay discovery, meaning she blocked the plaintiffs from getting access to key evidence that might be in possession of the defendants such as emails, text messages, etc. that might be relevant to the case. In summary, the judge first blocked the discovery of evidence to later dismiss the case under the claim of “insufficient evidence.”
The amended, filed on Friday February 21st, alleges that Abdallah Aljamal told the hostages that “Hamas was going to ensure that the United States, as well as Jews and Israelis, are hated everywhere and that Hamas in Gaza was coordinating with its allies, including its allies in the media and on college campuses, to foment hatred against Israel and Jews.”
The amended complaint also adds Shlomi Ziv and Andrey Kozlov as plaintiffs, in general, the lawsuit argues that the Palestine Chronicle provided a platform for Abdallah Aljamal to spread Hamas propaganda, thereby offering material support to a US-designated terrorist organization.
Is there really “insufficient evidence” to justify dismissing the case and not giving the victims their day in court? Or are we dealing with another legal soldier and radical judge who can no longer distinguish right from wrong?
Who is the judge who dismissed the case?
Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright was appointed as a U.S. District Judge for the Western District of the State of Washington by President Joe Biden. She was nominated on January 19, 2022, and confirmed by the Senate on July 12, 2023, at the age of 38. Tiffany M. Cartwright is one of the youngest federal judges appointed by Joe Biden.
Her background before her nomination was on civil rights, including high-profile lawsuits against law enforcement agencies, working for MacDonald Hoague & Bayless. Her nomination was supported by Conference on Civil and Human Rights, they advocated for her confirmation, among others, calling Biden’s nominations, “Building an Equal Justice Judiciary During the Biden Administration.”
Another notable supporter of her nomination was The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of more than 230 left-wing national organizations lobbying congress for all sorts of radical left-wing causes. The Leadership Conference coalition was founded in the 1950s as the federal lobbying arm of the civil rights movement. Some of their focus is on judicial reform, immigrant and voting rights.
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (LCCHR) is funded by several prominent left-wing foundations and organizations. Between 2000 and 2018, LCCHR has received over $30.4 million from: MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and from various other left-wing foundations and organizations.
Additionally, LCCHR hosts fundraising events, it largest one is the annual Hubert H. Humphrey Civil and Human Rights dinner, which raised nearly $1 million in one year alone. LCCHR is associated with The Leadership Conference Education Fund, its affiliated 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which also receives substantial donations from similar sources, including the Tides Foundation. According to their 2021 tax forms, their reported revenue was above $35 million dollars. In 2018, the largest single expenditure was for a voting rights campaign called All Voting Is Local, where they spent $2.2 million on that campaign.
Tiffany M. Cartwright also received notable support from Alliance for Justice (AFJ). AFJ is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization, a coalition composed of over 100 organizations dedicated to promoting judicial nominees who align with their radical “progressive values”. AFJ, which describes itself as focused on "Building Power, Transforming the Court, Securing Justice for All," played an instrumental role in advocating for her confirmation. The organization has long been working towards shaping the judicial landscape by supporting nominees it deems “committed to advancing social justice, civil rights, and progressive reforms.”
The Alliance for Justice (AFJ) is funded by a variety of foundations, labor unions, and individual donors. Some of the notable funders include the usual suspects:
Ford Foundation: Has provided significant funding, including $3.36 million.
Open Society Foundations (associated with George Soros): Contributed $1.6 million.
Atlantic Foundation: Donated $2.45 million.
Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation (associated with Warren Buffett): Also a major supporter.
California Endowment, among others
One of AFJ board members is Mark Tushnet, a left-wing Harvard Law School professor, and former clerk for Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Tushnet has written that his decisions, if he were a judge, would be explicitly political, even going as far as to say that he would make his decisions based on which result would be “likely to advance the cause of socialism.
The Alliance for Justice Action Campaign (AFJAC) is the 501(c)(4) advocacy arm of the Alliance for Justice responsible for lobbying Congress. In 2018, Alliance for Justice Action Campaign received $509,916 in contributions. Most prominent donors are unsurprising the same as AFJ, the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, the Open Society Foundations associated with George Soros, the Ford Foundation, and the California Endowment, among others.
Tiffany M. Cartwright age, inexperience and radical and politically charged background and supporters, should have raised questions about the potential impact on legal proceedings among senators in both sides of isle, but for the democratic party, she was a perfect fit. The Senate voted 50-47 to confirm her nomination, not a single Democrat voted against the nomination, with one Republican joining the “Yes” side.
Now back to the core question: is it really “insufficient evidence to prove the defendants were aware that Abdallah Aljamal was a Hamas operative”?
Ramzy Baroud, the editor-in-chief of the Palestine Chronicle and head of the People Media Project, shared a hometown with Abdallah Aljamal in Gaza, Nuseirat refugee camp, same location from where the three hostages were rescued from. They know each other since at least 2019, In 2019, Baroud co-authored an article with Aljamal for Al Jazeera.
After the hostages were rescued, the Palestine Chronicle downplayed Abdallah Aljamal’s role, changing his title from "correspondent" to "contributor" and later calling him a "freelance contributor." They even eulogized him as a "well-known journalist" while denying his involvement in holding hostages.
After their links to a Hamas member were revealed, the Palestine Chronicle published an article holding pretty much anyone who reported it liable for any harm and damages caused to them or their journalists, calling it a “coordinated hate campaign,” saying “Far right European groups and Pro-Israeli activists” were “mobilizing in sensational lies and anti-Palestinian racism,” claiming the “campaign appears to be an extension of efforts to endanger, dehumanize, and expand the circumference of violence against Palestinians and those who elevate their voices.”
Of course, people on social media and independent media reporting on the ties between a U.S.-based non-profit and a Hamas terrorist holding hostages had nothing to do with the evidence uncovered at the time! Just a “hate campaign” against the “poor Hamas journalists” keeping hostages in his home and the “innocent non-profit” that hired him.
These three facts alone should be enough for any judge to want to know more about how long Baroud knew Abdallah Aljamal, considering they grew up in the same town and they had published an article together in 2019. More importantly, if found guilty of providing material support to Hamas, it should lead to criminal charged for erasing evidence from their website, in regards to their relationship with Abdallah Aljamal.
But lets look into it further, is there enough evidence to prove Ramzy Baroud and the Palestine Chronicle knew they hire Hamas operatives to allow the case to be move forward?
Abdallah Aljamal’s Known Ties to Hamas was no Secret
Ignoring the clear support for Hamas, the evidence suggesting he had advance knowledge of the attack and glorification of the October 7th massacre, Abdallah Aljamal’s ties to Hamas are extensive and well-documented, The Wall Street Journal reported that it was “common knowledge in Nuseirat” that Aljamal’s family had close ties to Hamas. Abdallah Aljamal’s brother, Abdelrahman Aljamal, serves as a Hamas lawmaker on Gaza’s legislative council and his father was a physician in the area, who also served as imam at a local mosque, all key institutions controlled by Hamas.
His father, Ahmad Aljamal, was a 73-year-old general practitioner in a public clinic in the Nuseirat refugee camp. His father, a doctor, was keeping the hostages captive together with Abdallah Aljamal. Quite the daddy-son bonding experience!
Abdallah Aljamal himself was an active member of Hamas, serving as a spokesperson for the group’s Ministry of Labor in Gaza. His position within Hamas was also not a secret, as he appeared publicly in Arabic media in this capacity, frequently posted Hamas-related content on his personal social media accounts and even stated his job in his Facebook profile.
His work for the Ministry of Labor as a spokesperson was confirmed by Ramy Abdu, chairman of EuroMed, a well documented Hamas front “human rights organization” operating from Switzerland. Ramy Abdu himself is named as a Hamas operative by Israel and he is the nephew of Dr. Omar Saleh Farwaneh, a senior Hamas member and father in-law of Al-Qasam brigades spokesperson, Dr. Omar Saleh Farwaneh was killed by a targeted strike in late October 2023.
Abdallah Aljamal’s cousin was also a member of Hamas, he was killed in 2004, Abdallah seemed to eulogized him every year and other Hamas members in his Facebook account. Abdallah also posted about his own child participating in the Hamas terrorist training camp in the summer of 2023, months before the Hamas attack.
Abdullah Aljamal’s first journalistic report was in 2005, where he wrote about the “martyrs”, on his Facebook he stated how it all started with the “martyrs” and how he also wanted to die a “martyr,” wish granted!
Despite all this and more, Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright doesn’t think Ramzy Baroud knew that Abdallah Aljamal’s had any ties to Hamas, completely ignoring the fact that it was all public information and they come from the same town! I am sure that is why they destroyed evidence in the Palestine Chronicle’s website.
That alone should have been enough for any reasonably fair and objective judge to allow the case to move forward, but all that is not the only evidence proving that Ramzy Baroud and the Palestine Chronicle ties with Hamas.
Abdallah Aljamal Is Not the Only Hamas-Linked Journalist Working for the Palestine Chronicle
Aljamal is not the only Hamas-linked journalist connected to the Palestine Chronicle. The outlet, which is part of the People Media Project, has been linked to multiple individuals with affiliations to or support for Hamas. Eitan Fischberger did an amazing job exposing some of the ties between the Palestine Chronicle and Hamas, including the fact that Aljamal was a Hamas member himself.
Among the other journalists exposed by Eitan you have Mahmoud Ajjour, he is a “photojournalists” and correspondent for the Palestine Chronicle in Gaza, he is someone who likes posting instructional videos on how to stab humans, among other things.
In addition, you have "West Bank Correspondent," Fayha Shalash, Fayha is the wife of Hamas member Mohammed Al-Qiq. Besides writing over 30 articles for the Palestine Chronicle since 2023, Fayha is also a correspondent for the Hamas-run Voice of Al-Aqsa outlet. While the Palestine Chronicle tried to portray Fayha as just a "contributor," its director Ramzy Baroud accidently confirmed that she's its correspondent.
Then you have Robert Inlakesh, in addition to writing 57 articles and co-hosting a video series for the Palestine Chronicle since October 7th, he's simultaneously written for state run and terror-affiliated outlets such as Iran's Press TV, sanctioned by the US government, Russia's RT, Turkey's TRT, Hezbollah's Al Mayadeen and Quds News, linked to Hamas and Islamic Jihad. He also posted about “War in Gaza” on October 7th as the massacre was happening, following the same pattern of all Hamas “journalists.” Besides that, he also wouldn’t mind becoming a “martyr.”
Please, someone explain how, with these facts alone, the judge deemed the evidence “insufficient” and is dismissing the case? It simply doesn’t make sense! But again, this is not all the evidence against Ramzy Baroud and the Palestine Chronicle.
Ramzy Baroud himself has ties to Hamas, not just his “journalists.”
Putting aside Ramzy Baroud’s public statements about his support for the “resistance” and glorification of the October 7th massacre, lets dive into material evidence linking him with Hamas. Also reported by Eitan Fischberger, Baroud's ties to Hamas are not only ideological but also deeply embedded in his “journalistic” output. Since 2016, Baroud has written over 420 articles that have been published on the Palestinian Information Center (PIC), a Hamas-run media outlet. Of those 420 pieces, roughly 90 were written after the Hamas-led October 7th massacre. The most recent piece published on the site is dated February 11, 2025.
As reported by Eitan, “Al Jazeera itself acknowledges that the site is "Hamas-affiliated" and a "government agency". But it's not just them—it's common knowledge: The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center confirms it. As does the U.S.-based global intelligence company, Stratfor…. The Washington Institute for Near East Policy and the BBC similarly describe it as “Hamas-affiliated,” with the latter also referring to it as “the oldest Hamas-affiliated outlet.”
”It’s important to understand that this type of arrangement doesn’t happen by chance. It’s highly likely that one of the parties—either the Palestinian Information Center or Ramzy Baroud + the Palestine Chronicle—financially benefit from this setup. There is almost certainly a licensing, syndication, or other written agreement behind it. This would undoubtedly constitute material support for terrorism. Both parties gain from this relationship: Ramzy expands his audience, while the PIC obtains hundreds of articles from a quote-unquote “renowned Palestinian scholar. As the lawsuit against the Chronicle by a former hostage of its “journalist” progresses, it’s vital to highlight new evidence of the outlet and Ramzy Baroud’s ties to terrorism as it emerges” - Eitan Fischberger
Ramzy Baroud’s and the Palestine Chronicle Also Has Links to Iran
As reported by the Washington Free Beacon, Ramzy Baroud, the editor-in-chief of the Palestine Chronicle, has also maintained ties to Iran. He has written for Kayhan.ir, an outlet funded by Iran's supreme leader. In 2022, Ramzy Baroud published an article in Kayhan International. The article, "Zionists Prophesying Their Imminent Doom," claimed that Israeli leaders "exaggerate and manipulate facts to instill fear and rile up their political camps."
“At least six of the outlet's [Palestine Chronicle] published writers have also appeared on Iranian state-controlled propaganda sites that the U.S. government seized in 2020 for being part of an influence operation run by Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC). Government documents also show that the Palestine Liberation Organization, which has engaged in terrorism, conducted an interview with the Palestine Chronicle in 2006.”
Ramzy Baroud also has published bylines in two websites which the Justice Department seized in 2020 for being part of an influence operation run by Iran's IRGC—the American Herald Tribune and Critical Studies. The websites are claimed to have been used to publish Iranian propaganda to influence American audiences. The Washington Free Beacon also reported that “at least six other Palestine Chronicle writers and contributors also are affiliated with the Iranian propaganda sites”
Ramzy Baroud’s and the Palestine Chronicle Also Has Links to PFLP, a U.S. Designated Terrorist Organization
Lets start with his Facebook page, Ramzy Baroud's Facebook page is full of photographs of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, PFLP, a U.S.-designated terror group.
Baroud is a vocal advocate for the liberation of terrorists from prison, for example; he has praised Khalida Jarrar, a convicted terrorist who was recently released as part of the hostage exchange “deal” with Hamas. She is a leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a group designated as a terrorist organization by the US, EU, and Israel. Baroud referred to Jarrar as a "heroine," and she has been a frequent subject of his work, including in the book Our Vision for Liberation, co-authored by Baroud and Ilan Pappé.
Ramzy Baroud’s Speaking Engagements for Samidoun, a U.S. Designated Terrorist Organization
Ramzy Baroud has spoken at events organized by Samidoun, a Canadian based “NGO”, recently designated as a terrorist organization by both the US and Canada. Samidoun’s ties to terrorism are widely documented since its inception, especially by NGOMonitor. Khaled Barakat, a member of PFLP and his wife, Charlotte Kates, lead the organization.
Since at least 2018, and as recent as October 2024, Ramzy Baroud has participated in Samidoun events, this is just one more example of his continued links to organizations linked to terrorism.
Possible Tax Fraud by the Palestine Chronicle
Besides its links to terrorism, there are serious questions about the Palestine Chronicle's in regards to possible tax fraud. Also reported by Eitan Fischberger, the People Media Project (the entity behind the Palestine Chronicle) has reportedly filed documents with the IRS not matching the filings with the State of Washington. To the IRS it claim it has gross receipts of under $50,000, allowing it to avoid filing the more detailed Form 990. However, in filings with the State of Washington, the organization reported much higher gross receipts.
This discrepancy raised questions about potential tax fraud. and on July 9, 2024, In a strongly worded letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, GOP lawmakers have urged the U.S. Department of Justice and the IRS to investigate the Palestine Chronicle and its parent organization, People Media Project, for multiple potential legal violations. These potential legal violations include providing material support to Hamas, violating tax laws, and filing false tax returns. The lawmakers called for a full investigation into these serious allegations, urging both the DOJ and the IRS to take immediate action. The letter was signed by Jason Smith, Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, James Comer, Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Virginia Foxx, Chairwoman for the Committee on Education and the Workforce.
House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith Calls for Investigation of Terror-Linked Nonprofits
On October 29th, 2024, Rep. Jason Smith, Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, called on six state attorneys general to investigate terror-linked nonprofits and consider revoking their charitable status. These nonprofits are alleged to have ties to terrorism, tax fraud, or have been identified as being largely behind organizing the antisemitic protests in universities. One of these nonprofits includes the Palestine Chronicle.
Washington AG’s Silence on Investigation
But the Judge trying to dismiss the case is not the only problem with the case, Ari Hoffman reported, in an exclusive, that despite requests from Israel’s Consul General in the Pacific Northwest for an investigation into the Palestine Chronicle, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson remained silent and ignored the request and on the dozens of antisemitic incidents targeting Washington’s Jewish Community since October 7th, 2023.
A copy of the letter, was obtained exclusively by Hoffman. It reads:
“I am writing to you following recent publications according to which Abdallah Aljamal, who was involved in terrorist activity in Gaza, also had ties with the ‘Palestine Chronicle,’ a Washington-based 501C3.”
"As you recall, on October 7, 2023, the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas launched an unprovoked brutal attack against Israel committing countless atrocities including the rape, mutilation, decapitation, and burning of hundreds of innocent Israeli civilians."
"Hamas also abducted 251 Israelis including babies, children, young girls, and the elderly. 120 of them, including eight Americans, are still being held in Gaza experiencing unimaginable horrors at the hands of their terrorist captors. I call on your office to look into this matter in order to ensure that American public funds do not end up in the hands of individuals involved in terrorist activity and in the hands of those who employ them."
Ferguson’s silence on the numerous antisemitic attacks and targeting of Jewish institutions in Washington since October 7 raises serious questions, in particular about his political ambitions. As he seeks to become the next governor of Washington, his failure to address these incidents may be tied to the fact that his political base has shown support for Hamas. By remaining quiet, he likely fears alienating these supporters who align with radical groups.
Furthermore, Ferguson’s connections to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), shows his own links to individuals and groups with ties to terrorism. Ferguson worked with CAIR in his 2022 "Domestic Terrorism Study" even though the group has ties to terrorist organizations like Hamas.
All this leads to a simple question; Why is the Palestine Chronicle getting so much protection? Why no one taking their links to terrorism seriously and with urgency? And how is it possible that none of this evidence is considered “sufficient evidence” to allow the case to move forward by Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright?