U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN)

USPCN (U.S. Palestinian Community Network) is a prominent and radical anti-Israel activist group founded in 2006 that has on numerous occasions expressed support for terror and promoted antisemitic tropes. The organization has chapters and members across the country, including in Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, Los Angeles and the Bay Area. They oppose normalization of any kind with Israel or” Zionists.”  Their activities range from co-hosting rallies and demonstrations, social media persuasion campaigns and boycott campaigns. USPCN often partners with a variety of other anti-Zionist organizations, including Students for Justice in Palestine, (SJP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) for events and campaigns.

USPCN’s 2023 Boycott Sadaf campaign is notable for its anti-Mizrahi tropes and antisemitism, accusing the Jewish-owned Sadaf company of “sneaky ways” and being “Zionist profiteers.” The Sadaf company, which sells Middle Eastern food products such as preserved lemons and sumac, is owned and operated by the Los Angeles based Persian Jewish Spoofer family, who emigrated to the United States from Iran in 1980s. 

Other instances of the group espousing highly concerning rhetoric include co-founder Monadel Herzallah stating during a plenary at the 2024 People’s Conference that “the Zionist movement came with a purpose. They are — they want to be — in control of all resources, you know. Congress, senators and everything like that.” At some USPCN cosponsored rallies, support for terrorism, and specifically the October 7 attack has been expressed.  USPCN also called the 10/7 attacks a “self-defense operation” in a press release posted on October 7. 

One of Chicago chapter founding members is Rasmea Odeh, who was convicted in an Israeli court in 1970 for her alleged involvement in a 1969 Jerusalem supermarket bombing that killed Israeli college students Leon Kanner and Eddie Joffe. She was deported from the U.S. in 2017 for lying about whether she had ever been arrested, charged with a crime, convicted or imprisoned her conviction on official immigration forms. 

USPCN is a due paying organization, with members paying annual dues of $50 per person, or $25 for students and low-income members.