Lawsuit alleges anti-Israel group leaders are 'Hamas' foot soldiers in New York City'

A suit filed successful the Southern District of New York past period claims the leaders of respective extremist anti-Israel groups progressive successful 18 months of disruptive, convulsive and antisemitic protests connected campuses and successful the streets of New York City are "accountable for aiding and abetting Hamas’ continuing acts of planetary terrorism."

In purported usurpation of the Antiterrorism Act and the Alien Tort Statue, the defendants are said to person "acted arsenic Hamas’ ft soldiers successful New York City," and whitethorn person had foreknowledge of the designated overseas panic organization’s devastating Oct. 7 attacks.

Defendants successful the lawsuit are Within Our Lifetime and its laminitis Nerdeen Kiswani, Columbia Students for Justice successful Palestine (SJP) and its typical Maryam Alwan, Columbia-Barnard Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and its typical Cameron Jones, and Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) and its typical Mahmoud Khalil, who is presently successful custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The suit asserts that the associational defendants person "distribute[d] Hamas-created and affiliated propaganda, incite[d] fearfulness and violence, and attack[ed] captious academic, economic, and infrastructure centers successful New York City," arsenic good arsenic having "repeatedly terrorized and assaulted Jews crossed New York City and connected Columbia University’s campus, physically assaulted Columbia University employees, and illegally seized and damaged nationalist and backstage property."

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Nerdeen Kiswani, co-founder and person of Within Our Lifetime, speaks astatine a objection adjacent Columbia University connected Feb. 2, 2024, successful New York City. (Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

The details of the allegations are thorough. To show however the defendants "resoundingly and knowingly answered Hamas’ telephone to action" connected and aft Oct. 7, the suit cites however the defendants knowingly "obtain[ed] and disseminat[ed]" a Hamas propaganda document, which contained directions created by the Hamas Media Office for spinning the communicative of their deadly attacks. By "painstakingly follow[ing]" the document, the suit alleges defendants "directly responded to, and followed orders from, Hamas." 

The suit besides supplies respective indicators that defendants whitethorn person had foreknowledge of the heinous Oct. 7 attack, to see "a highly suggestive societal media station published moments earlier the October 7 onslaught began" successful which Columbia SJP posted connected Instagram "We are back!!" aft a months-long hiatus. 

On Oct. 7, Kiswani utilized selling materials that "would not beryllium released until the adjacent day" successful a National Students for Justice successful Palestine (NSJP) "Toolkit" demonstrating however SJP organizations crossed the state could enactment the Gazan "resistance." 

Emaciated Israeli hostages, from left, Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi and Or Levy are taken by terrorists to a signifier earlier being handed implicit to the Red Cross successful Deir al-Balah successful the cardinal Gaza Strip connected Feb. 8, 2025. (AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Following Oct. 7, Within Our Lifetime promoted a "Day of Rage" successful New York City portion Columbia SJP and Columbia JVP promoted their ain "Day of Resistance." The specified announcements of these events forced closures of Jewish schools and institutions, and "even forced Columbia University – a non-Jewish instauration – to adjacent its field arsenic a information precaution," portion Jewish students "were advised to fastener their doors and stay wrong for their ain safety," according to the lawsuit. 

The suit names Khalil arsenic the purported person of Columbia SJP’s Day of Resistance.

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In November 2023, the suit describes however a "’Shut it Down for Palestine’ lawsuit descended into – arsenic planned – anti-Jewish and vitriolic hatred and threats," with speakers shouting "Death to Jews!" and "encourage[ing] Hamas and… comrades crossed Columbia’s field to hunt down and battle pro-Israel students." 

The adjacent day, Columbia University suspended Columbia SJP and Columbia JVP, astatine which clip "Khalil and erstwhile members and/or organizers of Columbia SJP became leaders of CUAD." As a result, CUAD "became the superior organizer of the convulsive and antisemitic protests that would foment terror, sow discord, and disrupt field beingness astatine Columbia for implicit a year." 

Hamas terrorists kidnap a bloodied Israeli pistillate into the Gaza Strip. (Hamas-Telegram)

Khalil would aboriginal go the pb negotiator of the Columbia encampment, which the suit notes was "well-supplied with identical tents, toiletries, food, and nonrecreational signage." Based connected a connection from Shlomi Ziv, a plaintiff successful the suit who was held captive by Hamas for 246 days pursuing his kidnapping astatine the Nova Music Festival, "Hamas and [American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)]/NSJP provided financial, organizational, and different support… for the Encampment."

Ziv alleges that his "Hamas captors bragged astir having Hamas operatives connected American assemblage campuses," and adjacent "showed him Al-Jazeera stories and photographs of protests astatine Columbia University that were organized by Associational Defendants."

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Anti-Israel demonstrators be a protestation astatine Columbia University successful New York City, conscionable days aft the Hamas slaughter successful confederate Israel, Oct. 12, 2023. (Julia Bonavita/Fox News Digital)

Given the "legal chasm betwixt autarkic governmental advocacy and coordinating with a overseas violent enactment to effect pro-terror propaganda passim America’s largest city," the suit alleges the defendants’ "actions interruption the Antiterrorism Act and the instrumentality of nations."

According to the Jerusalem Post, the National Jewish Advocacy Center, Greenberg Traurig LLP, the Schoen Law Firm, and the Holtzman Vogel Law Firm filed the suit connected behalf of plaintiffs who see Ziv, respective Columbia University students who person served with the Israel Defense Forces, and a fig of American and Israeli citizens whose household members, astir of whom are believed dead, stay successful Hamas captivity. 

People protestation the banning of Students for Justice successful Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace astatine Columbia University connected Nov. 20, 2023 successful New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

The suit particularly states that Khalil, "on accusation and belief, straight coordinates with Hamas, AMP/NSJP and/or different agents and affiliates of Hamas and related violent organizations." The filers authorities that his detention by ICE successful March whitethorn person been "based connected galore of his actions described successful this Complaint."

Khalil’s engagement successful the Columbia protests was cited arsenic a rationale for his removal during his April 11 hearing, erstwhile Judge Jamee Comans ruled that Khalil whitethorn beryllium deported. Khalil besides withheld past employment with the Syrian bureau successful the Beirut British Embassy and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees successful the Near East (UNRWA) arsenic good arsenic his rank successful the CUAD erstwhile applying for a greenish card.

This withholding of information, according to national officials, made Khalil "inadmissible astatine the clip of his adjustment."

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Disruptive events successful New York City amusement nary signs of abating. In March, students stormed a schoolroom astatine Columbia University and took implicit a gathering successful affiliated Barnard College, wherever they assaulted an employee. A Within Our Lifetime protestation connected April 7 "took over" the main concourse of Grand Central Station.

Fox News Digital reached retired to CUAD, Columbia SJP, Within Our Lifetime, and Columbia-Barnard JVP for remark astir the allegations contained wrong the lawsuit, but received nary response.