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Why Some Progressives, Jews, and Others Support Mahmoud Khalil
A pro-Palestine protester holds a sign that reads: “Faculty for justice in Palestine” during a protest urging Columbia University to cut ties with Israel. November 15, 2023 in New York City. Photo: Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
The First Amendment to the US Constitution protects free speech. But misusing the First Amendment as a defense weapon for propaganda and activities supporting illegal endeavors enabled pro-Palestinian protesters to ignite disruptive, and at times violent, protests on many university campuses, most notably on the Columbia/Barnard campus.
Progressive and left-wing activists, including some liberal Jews, expressed little or no concern for threats against Jews, and the protestors’ support for Hamas, which committed the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. These voices were also silent when confronted with the fact that Hamas aims to kill every single Jew in Israel.
Yet many of those same voices were outraged when Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of these protests, was arrested on Saturday, March 8, 2025.
His lawyer said that Khalil was “identified, targeted and detained” because of his advocacy for Palestinian rights, which he says constitutes protected free speech.
But Khalil is not just advocating for “Palestinian rights.” He is active in Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), an organization that supports Hamas and Hezbollah. He organized an event where literature that said it was produced by the “Hamas Media Office” was distributed, according to The New York Times.
The New York Civil Liberties Union, ACLU, and New York Attorney Letitia James, just to name some of Khalil’s defenders, denounced the arrest of Khalil as a serious attack on free speech — but none of them had any concerns about antisemitism, the chilling effect on free speech by disruption of certain classes and events at Columbia, and the intimidation and harassment of Jewish students and faculty. All of this constitutes the denial of civil rights to Jewish students and faculty.
It should be obvious to anybody that aiding terrorist organizations is illegal. CUAD’s participation in attacks on Jews, the occupation of university buildings, and the destruction of property — along with its clear support of Hamas — makes it clear that aid is being given to Hamas. Whether or not that falls under the legal code’s definition of aid, Khalil’s CUAD leadership should be a sufficient reason for deportation.
Why Columbia tolerates CUAD’s presence and activities on its campus is inexplicable. Engulfed in chaos since October 7, Columbia had done almost nothing to stop it until Federal grants and funding were suspended.
What is perhaps even more mysterious is why Khalil is able to arouse sympathy and support among liberal and leftist activists, including Jews. Some are perhaps not aware what free speech means within the First Amendment framework. Some may support him because of strong antipathy towards Trump. It gets murkier when it comes to Jewish supporters, but many of those are Jews who have no real connection to their faith, but use it as a means to justify their (and others’) hatred of Israel.
While thinking about why Khalil’s case aroused so much support and sympathy, I reminded myself of Luigi Mangione, the alleged murderer of the UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione commanded and is still commanding huge support.
There are some commonalities between these groups: some supporters claim to be peaceful, but support violence (against health care CEOs or Jews); many in both camps are anti-American, at least to some degree; and many are just getting caught up in social media trends and mass hysteria.
Perhaps the case of Khalil is not so strange; perhaps some members of our tribe are strange. The “peaceful” Jewish camp for Khalil is gaining steam. A child of Holocaust survivors wrote in The Forward that she is terrified for Khalil, and is reminded of life in Romania where she grew up. I myself grew up in a communist country and I think her fears and concerns are not substantiated. Many in the media are blaming Jews for “targeting Khalil” before his arrest.
Are we back in the ghetto where we wait to be slaughtered – is it OK to be killed rather than to defend ourselves, letting Hamas to murder and rape, and Khalil and company to rave? Or is it possible that the same people, who are convinced that peace at any price should be maintained, yearn for battle ready heroes/antiheroes, be it Luigi Mangione or Mahmoud Khalil?
Dr. Jaroslava Halper has been a professor of pathology at The University of Georgia in Athens, GA for many years. She escaped from communist Prague because of antisemitism, and lack of freedom and free speech. The gradual increase of antisemitism and anti-Zionism in certain circles in her second homeland, and the devastating October 7 massacre by Hamas, led her to realize that more active engagement is necessary to combat antisemitism, including anti-Zionism.
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Brooklyn Nets Select Israeli Basketball Players Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf in NBA Draft
The opening tip between the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards, at Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, New York, Dec. 13, 2020. Photo: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
In a landmark night for Israeli basketball, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf were selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets, marking the first time two Israeli players have been drafted in the same year.
Saraf, a 19-year-old guard known for his explosive athleticism and creative playmaking, was taken with the 26th pick. A standout with Maccabi Rishon LeZion and a rising star on Israel’s youth national teams, Saraf gained international attention with his electrifying scoring and commanding court presence.
With the 27th pick, the Nets selected 7-foot center Danny Wolf out of the University of Michigan. Wolf, who holds dual US-Israeli citizenship and represented Israel at the U-20 level, brings a versatile skill set, including sharp passing, perimeter shooting, and a strong feel for the game. After his name was called, Wolf grew emotional in an on-air interview, crediting his family for helping him reach the moment.
“I have the two greatest brothers in the world; I have an unbelievable sister who I love,” Wolf said. “They all helped me get to where I am today, and they’re going to help me get to where I am going to go in this league.”
The historic double-pick adds to the growing wave of Israeli presence on the NBA stage, led by Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, who just completed a breakout 2024–25 season. After being traded to Portland last summer, Avdija thrived as a starter, averaging 16.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. In March alone, he posted 23.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game, including two triple-doubles.
“I don’t think I’ve played like this before … I knew I had it in me. But I’m not really thinking about it. I’m just playing. I’m just free,” Avdija told reporters in March
With Saraf and Wolf joining Avdija, Israel’s basketball pipeline has reached unprecedented visibility. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the moment “a national celebration for sports and youth,” and Israeli sports commentators widely hailed the night as “historic.”
Both Saraf and Wolf are expected to suit up for the Nets’ Summer League team in July. As the two rookies begin their NBA journey, they join a growing generation of Israeli athletes proving that their game belongs on basketball’s biggest stage.
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Iran Denies Any Meeting With US Next Week, Foreign Minister Says
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference following a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 18, 2025. Photo: Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool via REUTERS
Iran currently has no plan to meet with the United States, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday in an interview on state TV, contradicting US President Donald Trump’s statement that Washington planned to have talks with Iran next week.
The Iranian foreign minister said Tehran was assessing whether talks with the US were in its interest, following five previous rounds of negotiations that were cut short by Israel and the US attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The US and Israel said the strikes were meant to curb Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons, while Iran says its nuclear program is solely geared toward civilian use.
Araqchi said the damages to nuclear sites “were not little” and that relevant authorities were figuring out the new realities of Iran’s nuclear program, which he said would inform Iran’s future diplomatic stance.
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Ireland Becomes First European Nation to Advance Ban on Trade With Israeli Settlements
A pro-Hamas demonstration in Ireland led by nationalist party Sinn Fein. Photo: Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne
Ireland has become the first European nation to push forward legislation banning trade with Israeli communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem — an effort officials say is meant “to address the horrifying situation” in the Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday, Irish Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Simon Harris announced that the legislation has already been approved by the government and will now move to the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade for pre-legislative scrutiny.
“Ireland is speaking up and speaking out against the genocidal activity in Gaza,” Harris said during a press conference.
The Irish diplomat also told reporters he hopes the “real benefit” of the legislation will be to encourage other countries to follow suit, “because it is important that every country uses every lever at its disposal.”
Today Ireland becomes the first country in Europe to bring forward legislation to ban trade with the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Ireland is speaking up and speaking out against the genocidal activity in Gaza.
Every country must pull every lever at its disposal. pic.twitter.com/Z4RTjqntEY— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) June 24, 2025
Joining a growing number of EU member states aiming to curb Israel’s defensive campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, Ireland’s decision comes after a 2024 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel’s presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem illegal.
The ICJ ruled that third countries must avoid trade or investment that supports “the illegal situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
Once implemented, the law will criminalize the importation of goods from Israeli settlements into Ireland, empowering customs officials to inspect, seize, and confiscate any such shipments.
“The situation in Palestine remains a matter of deep public concern,” Harris said. “I have made it consistently clear that this government will use all levers at its disposal to address the horrifying situation on the ground and to contribute to long-term efforts to achieve a sustainable peace on the basis of the two-state solution.”
“Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are illegal and threaten the viability of the two-state solution,” the Irish diplomat continued. “This is the longstanding position of the European Union and our international partners. Furthermore, this is the clear position under international law.”
Harris also urged the EU to comply with the ICJ’s ruling by taking a more decisive and “adequate response” regarding imports from Israeli settlements.
“This is an issue that I will continue to press at EU level, and I reiterated my call for concrete proposals from the European Commission at the Foreign Affairs Council this week,” he said.
Last week, Ireland and eight other EU member states — Finland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden — called on the European Commission to draft proposals for how EU countries can halt trade and imports with Israeli settlements, in line with obligations set out by the ICJ.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the latest move by European countries, calling it “shameful” and a misguided attempt to undermine Israel while it faces “existential” threats from Iran and its proxies, including Hamas.
“It is regrettable that even when Israel is fighting an existential threat which is in Europe’s vital interest — there are those who can’t resist their anti-Israeli obsession,” the top Israeli diplomat said in a post on X.
It is regrettable that even when Israel fighting an existential threat which is in Europe vital interest – there are those who can’t resist their anti-Israeli obsession.
Shameful! https://t.co/lxm9qm8sM1— Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) June 19, 2025
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