Diana Buttu

Diana Buttu, a Palestinian-Canadian lawyer, media commentator, and current Harvard instructor, has spent her career defending terrorism, promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories, and using elite academic and media platforms to legitimize violent extremism. As a former spokesperson for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and a frequent guest on outlets like Al Jazeera and Electronic Intifada, Buttu has positioned herself as one of the most prominent apologists for Hamas and other designated terror groups. Her consistent rhetoric has emboldened antisemitism, denied the reality of terror attacks, and fueled hatred across campuses and activist movements.
From glorifying convicted terrorists to promoting campus radicalization, Buttu’s presence in academia poses a clear and growing danger to public safety, institutional credibility, and Jewish students.

Whitewashing Terrorism and Excusing Atrocities

Rather than using her platform to denounce terrorism, Buttu has gone to great lengths to minimize, rationalize, and outright deny the violent crimes committed by Hamas. Time and again, she has justified rocket attacks against civilians, dismissed documented war crimes, and recast terrorism as a legitimate form of resistance.

• 2008: On Fox News, Buttu dismissed Hamas’s rocket attacks on Israeli civilians, falsely claiming the rockets “do not have explosive heads.”
• 2014: On CNN, she suggested Israeli actions were to blame for Hamas’s barrage of rockets, denying the group’s culpability for civilian suffering.
• 2015: On Al Jazeera, she denied Hamas’s use of human shields—despite documented evidence—and shifted blame onto Israel.
• 2024: In an RFI interview, Buttu justified the October 7 Hamas massacre as a “last resort,” referring to the terror attack as a “long-standing struggle.”

These are not isolated statements—they are part of a consistent narrative that justifies antisemitic violence as political activism.

Glorifying Terrorists and Martyrs

Buttu’s admiration for convicted terrorists is not subtle. Whether in interviews, social media, or public campaigns, she regularly presents violent figures as heroes and their attacks on civilians as acts of “dignity” and “freedom.” Her efforts normalize terrorism under the guise of civil resistance.

• Defended Marwan Barghouti, a terrorist leader responsible for multiple attacks on Israeli civilians.
• Supported a 2017 Palestinian prisoner hunger strike led by Barghouti, calling the strikers “1600 Gandhis.”
• Repeatedly praised terror operatives online and encouraged their cause under the guise of “dignity” and “freedom.”

By glorifying those who engage in violence, Buttu empowers future radicals and rebrands terror as justice.

Deep Ties to Extremist Networks

Buttu is not acting alone. Her decades-long affiliations with radical organizations reveal a deliberate strategy to inject extremist narratives into the mainstream, using respected institutions to launder propaganda. She’s cultivated ties to anti-Zionist media, militant delegations, and lobbying groups that blur the line between academia and extremism.

• PLO: Former spokesperson for an organization historically responsible for hijackings, bombings, and assassinations.
• Electronic Intifada: Regular contributor to this propaganda outlet, known for spreading disinformation and antisemitic tropes.
• Al Jazeera: Regular guest and commentator on a platform notorious for legitimizing terror narratives.
• Dream Defenders: Participated in delegations with this radical group that has met with PFLP members and praises militant violence.
• Al-Shabaka: Part of a think tank that promotes anti-Zionist policy and delegitimization of the Jewish state.
• Middle East Understanding: A conduit for promoting anti-Western and antisemitic propaganda under the cover of academic analysis.

These networks enable Buttu to operate across borders—broadcasting extremist ideologies to campuses, conferences, and media outlets alike.

Inciting Hatred and Spreading Antisemitic Rhetoric

Buttu’s rhetoric extends beyond political critique into the realm of open antisemitism. Through her public statements, social media posts, and appearances, she has accused Jews of crimes they didn’t commit, rewritten history to suit her ideological goals, and fueled antisemitic conspiracy theories.

• Claimed Israel ethnically cleansed “75% of the Palestinian population.”
• Compared Israeli law to “Jim Crow and apartheid.”
• Accused Jews of being “genocide apologists” and claimed Israel engineers “starvation” in Gaza.
• Repeatedly referred to Israel as an “apartheid state” and called for its global isolation.

This kind of incitement doesn’t stay on paper—it spreads to students, protests, and public opinion, poisoning discourse and promoting hate.

Radicalizing Campus and Academic Spaces

Despite her extremist views, Buttu has found a home in some of the world’s top academic institutions. She uses her credentials not to educate, but to radicalize. From organizing conferences calling for Israel’s destruction to supporting illegal encampments, Buttu plays a central role in mainstreaming extremism in academia.

• Harvard University: Listed as a faculty member in the Division of Continuing Education as of September 2024.
• University of Toronto: Supported UofT’s illegal pro-Hamas encampment by submitting a “support selfie” with the words “DISCLOSE. DIVEST. CUT TIES.”
• Harvard 2012: Helped organize the infamous One-State Conference, promoting the end of Israel as a Jewish state.
• UofT: Serves on the advisory board of the radical “Hearing Palestine” program, which supports BDS and campus encampments.

Her presence on campuses is not merely academic—it’s ideological warfare wrapped in institutional credibility.

Promoting BDS and Delegitimizing Israel

Central to Buttu’s mission is the global Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign—a movement aimed at isolating and dismantling the Jewish state through economic and political pressure. She has used every platform available to advance this agenda, falsely comparing Israel to apartheid South Africa and portraying Zionism as racism.

• Advocated repeatedly for international sanctions on Israel.
• Claimed the UN’s silence on genocide is proof of complicity.
• Compared BDS to the anti-apartheid struggle, falsely equating Zionism with racism.
• Co-signed BDS petitions conflating feminism with anti-Zionism.

This campaign is not about peace—it is about erasure.

Recent Online Activity (May 2025)

Buttu’s radicalism has escalated online in recent weeks. Her posts amplify conspiracies, glorify terror, and vilify Jewish institutions and their allies—all under the guise of “liberation.”

• May 9: Promoted the Lemkin Institute’s claim that U.S. aid is a “tool of genocide.”
• May 12: Claimed Israeli forces murdered 15 aid workers and are “roaming hospitals armed.”
• May 26: Denied Israel’s sovereignty over Jerusalem.
• May 27: Accused Israel of “engineered starvation” using aid line images.
• Instagram: Urged world leaders to feel “ashamed” for not supporting Palestine.
• X (Twitter): Amplified false genocide accusations and called for uprising against “colonial violence.”

Her social media platforms are not tools of debate—they are engines of incitement.

A Threat to Campus Safety and Public Discourse

Diana Buttu’s record is not one of academic freedom—it is one of radical indoctrination. She has:

• Defended Hamas and other terror groups.
• Spread antisemitic propaganda.
• Glorified convicted terrorists.
• Radicalized students through campus events and encampments.
• Used her position at Harvard to amplify disinformation and extremist views.

Her continued influence at Harvard and beyond poses a threat to Jewish students, to public safety, and to the values of free and honest academic discourse.