Anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil, arrested for leading anti-Israel campus protests, has argued that Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel was a desperate attempt to make the world aware of Palestinian suffering. In a New York Times interview, Khalil described the attack, which killed over 1,200 Israelis, as a ‘desperate attempt’ to ensure the global community recognizes the plight of Gazans. He acknowledged the attack was wrong and that targeting civilians was unacceptable, but he saw it as necessary given the lack of political progress.
Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student, faced deportation following a U.S. government decision to link his campus activism to foreign policy concerns. Immigration authorities arrested him in March for being a ringleader of anti-Israel protests. An immigration judge ruled that Khalil, who was in the U.S. on a student visa, could be deported after Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote a memo stating that his protests were contrary to U.S. foreign policy interests. Rubio declared that the U.S. could revoke anyone’s visa if they support Hamas or promote chaos on college campuses. Despite these efforts, a federal judge recently ordered Khalil to be released on bail while his immigration and civil cases proceed through the courts.
During the interview, Khalil expressed empathy for Gazans’ anger toward Israel, acknowledging the decades of suffering and oppression. He highlighted the ongoing human rights issues faced by Palestinians, including checkpoints in the West Bank, settler violence, and the long-term siege on Gaza. Khalil’s statements reflect the complex and often polarizing perspectives on the Israel-Palestine conflict, illustrating the deep divisions and the broader implications of such activism within U.S. society.