Anti-Israel Activist Mahmoud Khalil Speaks Out After Release

Mahmoud Khalil, an activist known for his anti-Israel stance, shared his thoughts in a recent interview following his release from immigration detention. He mentioned feeling that his detention was a sort of “lure.”

“All the ‘know your rights’ flyers I’d read were, well, pretty much useless,” Khalil told a reporter from a major newspaper. He expressed that there’s really no right to be in such a situation.

Halil, who is a graduate student at Columbia University, was released on bail after a U.S. District Judge highlighted how unusual it is to detain someone with legal residency. The judge noted that he hadn’t been charged with any violent offenses and wasn’t considered a flight risk.

Earlier in March, Khalil was taken into custody while protesting on campus. An immigration judge decided he could be deported based on a memo from the Secretary of State, which suggested his protests didn’t align with U.S. foreign policy interests.

Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security revealed that Khalil hadn’t disclosed his employment with the Syrian office at the British Embassy in his green card application.

In his remarks, Khalil insisted that his protests weren’t anti-Semitic. “I wasn’t anti-Semitic. I was really just advocating for my people and calling attention to the genocide,” he explained, emphasizing that he opposed his tuition funds being used to support arms manufacturers.

He expressed confidence that his actions wouldn’t face backlash. Khalil also noted that he understood the importance of free expression, even on sensitive topics like Palestine. “I didn’t think talking about Palestine would land me in jail,” he said.

Rubio, the Secretary of State, defended the actions taken against him, stating that any visa application reflecting anti-Semitic activity would be denied. Khalil found this ironic, saying, “I literally laughed. What kind of foreign policy threat was I?”

He then touched on broader themes of justice in America, suggesting that wealth often dictates legal outcomes. “If you’re wealthy, the rule of law tends to favor you,” he stated. “If you oppose the narrow definitions of American values under this administration, you might have to fight tooth and nail for your rights.”