Drop Site News Mahmoud Khalil: From Palestine to Columbia, and the Cost of Speaking Out
Jul 29, 2025
Mahmoud Khalil, a former Palestinian student at Columbia University and lead negotiator for protests, shares his compelling journey. He discusses the alarming humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the critical role of activism. Khalil reflects on the challenges of advocating for Palestinians amidst media scrutiny and the complexities of political advocacy. He also recounts his harrowing experience of being detained by ICE. The conversation emphasizes the necessity of resilience in the face of authoritarian tactics and the evolving political dialogue surrounding Palestine.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Flawed Focus on October 7 Condemnations
- Questions focusing solely on October 7 or Hamas ignore ongoing Palestinian suffering. - This framing discredits Palestinian voices and overlooks Israel's broader campaign against Palestinians.
University's Speech Conditionality Exposed
- Columbia University enforces speech conditionality reflecting an Israeli perspective. - Mahmoud centers Palestinian rights to confront university hypocrisy and contest the Palestine exception.
Navigating Student Movement Negotiations
- Mahmoud was selected as lead student negotiator due to his Palestinian identity and diplomacy experience. - He navigated horizontal movement dynamics, relaying assembly decisions back to the administration.
