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Ex-Columbia Student Defends Hamas Amid Rising Anti-Semitism

7/31/2025

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Summary

Story summary

In a gripping CNN interview, former Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil stood firm, refusing to denounce Hamas, even as the Department of Homeland Security branded him a terrorist sympathizer. Recently freed from ICE detention, he vows to intensify his anti-Israel activism. Meanwhile, Columbia grapples with escalating anti-Semitism on campus, pledging to take action while seeking federal funding restoration.

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Story summary

In a gripping CNN interview, former Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil stood firm, refusing to denounce Hamas, even as the Department of Homeland Security branded him a terrorist sympathizer. Recently freed from ICE detention, he vows to intensify his anti-Israel activism. Meanwhile, Columbia grapples with escalating anti-Semitism on campus, pledging to take action while seeking federal funding restoration.