<div dir="ltr">
<div class="gmail-top-anchor"></div>
<div id="gmail-toolbar" class="gmail-toolbar-container">
</div><div class="gmail-container" dir="ltr" lang="en-GB">
<div class="gmail-header gmail-reader-header gmail-reader-show-element">
<a class="gmail-domain gmail-reader-domain" href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220523-student-waves-palestinian-flag-refuses-to-shake-us-sec-of-states-hand-during-graduation/">middleeastmonitor.com</a>
<div class="gmail-domain-border"></div>
<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Student waves Palestinian flag, refuses to shake US Sec of State's hand during graduation</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">May 23, 2022</div>
</div>
<hr>
<div class="gmail-content">
<div class="gmail-moz-reader-content gmail-reader-show-element"><div id="gmail-readability-page-1" class="gmail-page"><div id="gmail-post-content">
<img src="cid:ii_l3ivifjw0" alt="image.png" width="460" height="460"><br><br><p>Palestinian student Nooran Alhamdan refused to shake hands with US
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, during her graduation ceremony from
Georgetown University in Washington. Alhamdan, who studied at the Centre
for Contemporary Arab Studies in Georgetown, raised the Palestinian
flag, and refused to shake hands with Blinken while on stage, in protest
over Washington's position on Israel and the killing of Shireen Abu
Aqleh by the Apartheid State.</p>
<p>Israel <a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220511-israel-shoots-dead-al-jazeera-journalist-during-invasion-of-jenin/">assassinated Abu Akleh</a> while
she was covering the occupation army's storming of Jenin refugee camp.
Abu Akleh was wearing a flak jacket clearly displaying the word "press"
and had a helmet on, however a sniper bullet entered her head from her
ear, killing her. Colleagues around her were also shot at when they
tried to rescue her at the scene.</p>
<p>After initially denying that it was responsible for the killing, the
Israeli military identified a soldier's rifle that it said may have been
used to kill Abu Akleh.</p>
<p><strong>READ: <a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220519-israel-will-not-investigate-killing-of-palestinian-journalist/">Israel will not investigate killing of Palestinian journalist</a></strong></p>
<p>"Myself & my classmates in Arab Studies honored the legacy of
Shireen Abu Aqleh during Anthony Blinken's commencement address" said
Alhamdan in a tweet sharing a video from the graduation ceremony. "We
demand an independent investigation & an end to American aid to
Israel now. I relayed these demands to Blinken personally & refused
to shake his hand."</p>
<p>Alhamdan revealed that at the end of commencement Blinken came up to
her personally and said "I hear you," to which the graduate research
fellow for the Middle East Institute said she "reiterated that an
independent investigation and accountability for Israel were necessary.
He [Blinken] walked away when I told him to cut all American aid to the
Israeli military."</p>
<p>Alhamdan shared photos of her peers carrying posters honouring Abu
Aqleh and sent out a defiant tweet. "They have the tanks, we have the
clocks," said Alhamdan commenting on a motto taught to her by one of her
professors at Georgetown. "I am proud to have refused your handshake
and to have reminded you of our existence".</p>
</div></div></div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div></div>
</div>
</div>