Harvard Jewish groups urge universities to condemn detention of Palestinian activist

Nearly 80 Jewish affiliates at Harvard University, including over 30 faculty members, signed a statement Sunday urging universities to condemn the arrest of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil.

The statement, which has been signed by nearly 3,000 faculty members, staff, and students from universities across the US, was issued in response to the detention of Khalil — a green card holder and recent Columbia University graduate who helped organize campus protests last year.

“We are united in denouncing, without equivocation, anyone who invokes our name — and cynical claims of antisemitism — to harass, expel, arrest, or deport members of our campus communities,” the statement said.

It also urged universities to “reject the dangerous narrative” that links pro-Palestine activism with antisemitism.

The statement called on university leaders to take several actions, including ending cooperation with federal immigration authorities, allocating “institutional resources” to secure Khalil's release, and protecting affiliates from retaliation by the Donald Trump administration for expressing their views.

Harvard University President Alan M. Garber criticized the Trump administration's decision to cut federal research funding but has largely remained silent on other measures, including Khalil's arrest, the $400 million funding cut to Columbia University over campus protests, and the $175 million penalty imposed on the University of Pennsylvania over its policies regarding transgender athletes.

Khalil was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on March 8 at his university-owned apartment after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered the revocation of his student visa and green card.

The Trump administration has accused Khalil, who played a leading role in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia last year, of engaging in “activities aligned with Hamas,” though no evidence has been publicly provided.