DETROIT HOSTS PALESTINIAN TERRORISTS

Detroit should not roll out the red carpet for convicted terrorists

Several program speakers associated with the People’s Conference for Palestine have blood on their hands. They are not “peace activists.” 

 

By Sheldon L. Freilich and Kobi Erez

 

JNS

Aug 28, 2025

 

 

Huntington Place (formerly, the Cobo Center), the major convention center in Detroit

 

The government-owned Huntington Place convention center is set to host extremists, terror-linked groups and antisemitic agitators. Michigan leaders must act now.

The Zionist Organization of America-Michigan Region writes with deep alarm and disappointment over the decision to host the upcoming People’s Conference for Palestine in Detroit (Aug. 29-31).

This conference is not a benign cultural gathering. It has consistently provided a platform for convicted terrorists, extremist ideologues and groups tied to U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations.

This year’s speaker list includes Hussam Shaheen, who was convicted in 2004 for leading a terror cell in Jerusalem, recruiting and arming operatives, and attempting deadly attacks against civilians. Released this February in a hostage deal with Hamas, he is now invited as a “guest speaker.” Also on the docket is Omar Assaf, a longtime official of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), a U.S.-designated terrorist group responsible for civilian killings. Assaf has openly justified attacks against Israelis.

Last year’s conference featured Wisam Rafeedie, a member of the terrorist group Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)—infamous for airplane hijackings—and Sana Daqqa, the widow of Walid Daqqa, a PFLP commander convicted of murdering an Israeli soldier. PFLP terrorists also committed the 2014 synagogue massacre in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Nof, where four worshippers, including three Americans, were hacked to death and a Druze police officer killed.

These are not “peace activists.” They are individuals tied directly to groups the U.S. government formally labels as terrorists.

The danger of hosting such figures is clear. The U.S. State Department and U.S. Department of Homeland Security have placed individuals like Shaheen and Assaf on “lookout” status, with visas under scrutiny or denial. Even the Trump administration publicly pledged to block such entries.

While federal authorities work to keep terrorists out, Detroit’s publicly owned convention center prepares to welcome them.

The 2025 program, like 2024’s, glorifies “resistance”—a euphemism for terrorism. Last year, speakers praised Hamas, lauded the “heroic” Oct. 7 massacres and called for the downfall of the United States. This year’s lineup includes Lama Ghosheh, convicted of praising terrorism; Hatem Bazian, UC Berkeley professor and founder of Muslim Brotherhood-linked Students for Justice in Palestine; Linda Sarsour, notorious for antisemitic rhetoric; and Mahmoud Khalil, tied to violent campus uprisings.

Sharing the stage will be Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), whose record includes antisemitic extremism and opposition to Israel’s existence. Tlaib draped herself in the Palestinian Authority flag during her primary victory speech. The P.A. dictatorship, infamous for paying stipends to convicted terrorists, glorifying murderers in schools and mosques and inciting violence, remains central to this ideology.

The conference is convened by groups including the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), Al-Awda and the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights. These groups have ties to the PFLP, supported boycotts of Israel and called for embargoes after U.S.-designated terrorist attacks.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) has called on the IRS to investigate PYM for possible violations of U.S. tax law, citing its antisemitic stances, pro-Hamas protests, and public support for terrorist groups.

By allowing this event, Michigan and Detroit leaders are legitimizing terrorism and extremism while disrespecting the state’s large Jewish community. Detroit, a city still rebuilding its reputation, should not provide legitimacy to those who glorify murder and excuse violence against innocents.

ZOA-Michigan calls on Michigan Gov. Whitmer, the City of Detroit, the Detroit Regional Convention Authority, and the counties of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb to condemn the inclusion of terror-linked speakers and make it clear that Michigan rejects providing extremists a stage; review the approval process for events at government-owned venues to ensure that national security and terrorism concerns are considered; and reaffirm a commitment to rejecting terrorism and extremism in all forms.

Detroit should host innovators, builders and peacemakers, not convicted terrorists. Michigan must stand for dignity, security and integrity, and not become a safe haven for those who once plotted civilian murders.

We urge state and city leaders to act with urgency and moral clarity. The world is watching. Silence in the face of extremism is complicity.