Mohsen Mahadawi, an anti-Israel activist at Columbia University, was arrested and subsequently released from a deportation facility this week by the decision of a judge appointed by President Obama. He’s been reported to have made a disturbing statement about enjoying “killing Jews,” contradicting the portrayal by some left-wing media as a “peaceful” protester.
Mahdawi, a 34-year-old who holds a green card and was born in Jordan, was detained in relation to a scheduled citizenship test at the Vermont Immigration Office, as noted by an agent from U.S. Immigration Customs (ICE).
Luna Drubi, a legal student from Colombia, stated that his detention outside the scope of his Palestinian identity was illegal. It’s been revealed that he has a strong support for Hamas.
Mahdawi, who was expected to enter the Columbia Graduate Program this fall, has expressed sympathy for Hamas in light of the group’s October 7 attacks and has called for the destruction of Israel. Last year, he recognized a commander from the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigade, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., for their involvement alongside Hamas.
Most recently, he co-led the Palestinian Student Union at Columbia, which included various anti-Israel student groups. This union organized protests advocating for the disassociation of Colombia from Israel, linked with actions that had escalated tensions on campus.
Despite his expressed support for Hamas, the New York Times published a piece focusing on his desire for peace, glossing over his views, titled “He wanted peace in the Middle East. ICE wants to expel him.” He was released from the deportation facility on Wednesday by Judge Jeffrey Crawford, who was a candidate for President Obama’s administration.
Crawford’s decision appears to reflect concerns raised by a gun store owner and another individual who reported Mahdawi’s alarming comments regarding violence while shopping for firearms back in 2015.
The case drew attention to incidents from the summer of 2015, where a gun store owner recounted Mahdawi expressing interest in purchasing firearms, including sniper rifles, and woefully remarked about his “experience” with various weapons. He also allegedly made a shocking comment, “I like killing Jews,” during a conversation with others at the store.
Interestingly, the New York Times and several other outlets covering Mahdawi’s story failed to mention his controversial statements about Jews.
Olivia Rondeau is a political reporter for Breitbart News, based in Washington, DC. Find her X/Twitter and Instagram.
