Mahmoud Khalil standing outside Columbia University
BY AHMED THARWAT
The recent arrest of Palestinian American Mahmoud Khalil by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has sparked outrage and protests across the country. Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and a U.S. permanent resident, was taken into custody Saturday night. What is interesting is how Media and officials have labeled him from a “pro-Palestinian activist”, to “pro-Hamas”, and a “radical foreigner.” On Monday, President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, describing Khalil as a “Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student” and warning that his arrest was “the first of many to come.”
Trump further claimed, “We know there are more students at Columbia and other universities across the country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it.”
The White House amplified this message by sharing an image of Khalil on X (formerly Twitter), captioned “SHALOM, MAHMOUD,” and accusing him of leading activities aligned with Hamas. This move, celebrated by Trump’s supporters, is a chilling reminder of the state’s power to redefine dissent as a crime. Khalil’s arrest raises critical concerns about free speech, immigration policies, and the increasing criminalization of pro-Palestinian activism in the U.S. His supporters argue that, as a permanent resident, he has the same First Amendment rights as any American citizen.
In the modern state, only full citizens can enjoy these rights. Yet, in Trump’s eyes, Khalil’s identity — as an Arab, a Muslim, and a Palestinian — automatically renders him suspect. This echoes authoritarian tactics seen in the Middle East, where leaders like Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and other Arab Zionists have systematically arrested pro-Palestinian activists for over 15 months and worked covertly with the Zionist state in its war against Hamas.
Now, it appears the U.S. is following a similar path, with dissent against Israeli policies being equated with extremism. The hypocrisy of this crackdown is evident. In America, white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and KKK-affiliated groups operate with impunity under the banner of free speech. Yet, a Palestinian American who protests U.S. policies is labeled a “radical” and faces deportation.
For decades, the U.S. has sent billions in military aid to Israel, fueling the occupation and the ongoing violence against Palestinians. Yet, those who challenge this status quo are silenced. The modern nation-state, with its rigid borders and selective enforcement of laws, has become a new kind of religion. As Polish sociologist Zygmunt Bauman explained, “The nation-state is the god of our time, and like all gods, it demands human sacrifices.” America as a nation-state legitimizes its violence while criminalizing those who resist!! Despite his strong rhetoric, Trump’s stance on Israel is transactional and self-serving. He has little interest in Netanyahu’s long-term plans, but is willing to offer rhetorical hyperbolic support as long as it benefits him politically. Now, some Jewish activists — like Jewish Voice for Peace — are waking up to this reality and protesting against the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, asking Trump to stop using anti-Semitic rhetoric as a strategy to get rid of his political opponents. His real focus is reshaping America into an oligarchy, as Trump ally, Steve Bannon described it, a “techno-feudalism” state where wealth determines citizenship and rights.
Trump doesn’t care much about the Zionist project in Palestine, to him — like Hitler before him — the chosen people are not in the Middle East. Trump, for him, the chosen people are right here in America. Meanwhile, activists like Khalil, who dare to challenge the system, are branded as threats and targeted by the state.
The arrest of Mahmoud Khalil is not just about one man — it is a warning sign. It signals a dangerous shift toward authoritarianism, where political dissent is met with state repression. The First Amendment is long gone, where money and lobbies are drafting laws and buying our politicians, it becomes little more than an illusion — a right available only to the wealthy and those who conform to the new religion, the new nation-state.
