Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, has called on the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate a leader of the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) for allegedly inciting actions that could threaten U.S. national security. In a letter addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel, Cotton cited statements made by PYM leader Aisha Nizar during a recent event in Michigan.
According to Senator Cotton, Nizar spoke at the People’s Conference for Palestine and urged supporters to disrupt the U.S. F-35 supply chain as part of broader efforts to hinder American military support for Israel. During her remarks, Nizar reportedly said, “If one specific node of the F-35 supply chain is intervened in, it has a huge impact.” She added, “We need to be surgical. We need to be strategic…Because there are many different points of these supply chains of death that we can intervene in and we must intervene in.”
Cotton wrote: “Nizar’s statements constitute direct incitement of violence against U.S. national security interests by advocating for actions against the men and women who build the F-35 and seeking to imperil the delivery of one of the nation’s most strategic assets. I urge the Federal Bureau of Investigation to immediately examine Nizar’s actions and take any necessary actions to mitigate the threat.”
In his letter, Cotton also referenced previous concerns about PYM’s activities and fundraising practices, as well as past protests involving group members.
The full text of Senator Cotton’s letter is available online.
