'steadfast'—see sumud for the cultural context of this term), officially Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, is an international pro-Palestinian advocacy group, founded in 2011.

[3] Samidoun has been accused by states of raising funds for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a political and militant group that the US, European Union, and several other countries proscribe as a terrorist organization.

Kates is a New Jersey native and Rutgers University graduate, married to Samidoun founder, Khaled Barakat, who was born near Jerusalem.

[11] Kates was arrested in April 2024 after she allegedly praised the 7 October attacks and referred to a number of designated terrorist organizations as heroes at a demonstration in Vancouver.

[13][14] In 2021, Israel's Defense Ministry designated the association as a terrorist organization, based on recommendations from the Shin Bet and the National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing.

[17] On the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks, a speaker at a rally in Vancouver organized by Samidoun identified themselves with Hezbollah and Hamas and called for death to the United States, Canada, and Israel.