Shai Davidai

A great deal of false, misleading, and exaggerated claims are circulating regarding the potential deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a 31-year-old @Columbia University graduate student, by the Department of Homeland Security (@DHSgov). I would like to make six important points about this. Yet, while there’s much to discuss, the most important takeaway is this: No matter how sensationalized the conversation becomes on social or traditional media, it is essential that we remain level-headed, embrace complexity, and avoid rushing to judgment until the facts are clear. #1: Lead with compassion. This likely won’t surprise anyone who has followed me over the past year and a half. While I am relieved that the federal government is beginning to address anti-Jewish, anti-Israeli, and anti-American activity on university campuses, I do not take pleasure in Khalil’s potential deportation. As someone who also arrived in the U.S. on a student visa and is now a green card holder, I can only imagine the fear of facing deportation for repeatedly violating its conditions. While I strongly disagree with Khalil’s actions, I refuse to strip him or his wife of their humanity. #2: In a properly functioning society, actions must have consequences: For over a year and a half, Mahmoud Khalil has led @ColumbiaBDS, a student coalition that spreads terrorist propaganda on campus and has been responsible for multiple violent takeovers of university buildings, two of which resulted in public safety personnel being hospitalized. Khalil has also acted as the primary negotiator between student protesters and the administration, both during a campus encampment that featured spaces honoring U.S.-designated terrorists and the more recent building occupations at @BarnardCollege. As a married, 31-year-old graduate student who has repeatedly violated the conditions of his green card, Khalil’s potential deportation is the direct consequence of the choices he has made. #3: The right to a fair trial is essential to the functioning of a democratic society. No matter what you think—or know—about Mahmoud Khalil and his actions, it is crucial that we all withhold judgment until he has received the fair legal process guaranteed to every U.S. legal resident. As someone who has both protested for democracy in Israel and volunteered as a graduate student teaching incarcerated men in maximum- and medium-security correctional facilities in upstate New York, I am deeply committed to the principles of due process, fair legal representation, and equal treatment under the law. Khalil, like anyone else, is entitled to fair and unbiased treatment under the law, whether from individuals, groups, or the government. I trust that the U.S. legal system will ensure his legal proceedings are carried out as intended. #4: Don’t fall for fake news. Over the past 48 hours, a smear campaign has spread false claims by Layla Saliba and Maryam Iqbal—two @Columbia student leaders who, alongside Khalil, have fueled anti-Jewish, anti-Israeli, and anti-American activity on campus— accusing me of working with the administration to deport Khalil. Let me be absolutely clear: I have never had a direct line to the administration. Even if I did, I would never use such influence to target an individual. This is not who I am or what I stand for. Like many, I’ve called out Khalil’s repeated legal violations and demanded accountability. But as I always remind my students, just because one event follows another doesn’t mean it caused it. Correlation does not imply causation. #5: This is not about free speech As I’ve stated many times, I am a strong advocate of free speech. People must have the right to voice their opinions, even when they are deeply offensive, reprehensible, or ignorant. However, it must be emphasized that Khalil was not apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security for exercising his First Amendment rights. He was apprehended for violating the conditions of his green card, namely for his activities aligned to a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. This isn’t about free speech—it’s about respecting and upholding the rule of law. #6: Khalil is not the story. The story is not about Mahmoud Khalil. He is neither a hero nor a villain, but rather a foreign national who has been radicalized by his professors and peers on Columbia’s campus. The real story here is about the fight against anti-democratic U.S.-designated terrorist organizations that have held 59 hostages in underground tunnels for more than 500 days, including Edan Alexander—a 20-year-old U.S. citizen from Tenafly, New Jersey. If you haven’t seen it yet, I strongly encourage you to watch the 1-hour interview with Eli Sharabi, an Israeli citizen who was held hostage for 491 days, only to learn upon his release that his wife and two daughters were murdered by Hamas terrorists during the October 7 Massacre. Don’t let the moral outrage of social media algorithms distract you from what is at stake. Bring Them Home. ** One small ask – If you have read thus far, please help me spread this message. With all the ‘fake news’ going around, it is important o share the truth.