A group of U.S.-based anti-Israel activist organizations announced a nationwide “week of solidarity” campaign for two men still imprisoned for their roles in financing Hamas.

The campaign centers on Shukri Abu Baker and Ghassan Elashi, two former leaders of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, a Texas-based organization whose senior officials were convicted in 2008 of illegally providing material support to Hamas, which the United States designates as a terrorist organization.

Federal prosecutors said at the time that the Holy Land Foundation operated under the guise of a charitable nonprofit while funneling millions of dollars to Hamas-linked entities. Five foundation officials were convicted in total; three have since been released, while Abu Baker and Elashi remain in federal prison.

In recent years, the case has become a rallying point in some anti-Zionist and pro-Palestinian activist circles, where supporters have sought to recast the convictions as politically motivated rather than terrorism-related.

Organizers of the new campaign say the men were “wrongfully imprisoned” and claim the prosecution was driven by “Zionist pressure,” a characterization that mirrors broader rhetoric within parts of the movement accusing U.S. institutions of bias in cases involving Israel and Palestinian terrorist groups.

The solidarity effort is being promoted by activist groups including Within Our Lifetime and the Palestine Solidarity Working Group. Events are scheduled in several major cities, including Austin, Texas; Seattle, Washington; Los Angeles, California; and New York City.

Planned activities include poetry readings, screenings of an Al Jazeera documentary focused on the Holy Land Foundation case, the launch of a book by Abu Baker, and organized letter-writing campaigns to the imprisoned men.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)