Photo: Alamy
Following pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil’s refusal to condemn Hamas during a recent CNN interview, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) took to social media to address his responses to the hosts’ questions.
Khalil is a former graduate student at Columbia University who coordinated and participated in multiple seemingly pro-Hamas protests following the terrorist group’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack against Israel.
During the interview, Khalil repeatedly avoided condemning the terrorist group when asked outright. During one line of questioning, he was asked whether he “specifically” condemned Hamas for its actions, to which he replied, “I condemn the killing of all civilians, full stop,” adding, “But it’s disingenuous to ask about condemning Hamas while Palestinians are the ones being starved now by Israel.”
The host pushed back and reasoned that the question was “very important to actually ask that question” during the conversation because the Trump administration had claimed he was a Hamas sympathizer.
“Yes. I simply asked and protested the war in Palestine,” Khalil avoided answering again. “That’s what I did. That’s my duty as a Palestinian, as a human being right now, is to ask for the stop of the killing in my home country. And that’s consistent with who I am. I’m a firm believer in international law and human rights and all my values come from that. … And that’s why I wouldn’t really engage in much into such questions on condemnation or not, because selective condemnation is not — wouldn’t get us anywhere.”
DHS shared the clip of Khalil’s interview and pointedly wrote on X, “Mahmoud Khalil refuses to condemn Hamas because he IS a terrorist sympathizer not because DHS ‘painted’ him as one. He ‘branded’ himself as antisemite through his own hateful behavior and rhetoric. It is a privilege to be granted a visa or green card to live and study in the United States of America. The Trump Administration acted well within its statutory and constitutional authority to detain Khalil, as it does with any alien who advocates for violence, glorifies and supports terrorists, harasses Jews, and damages property.”
Newsweek contributor Joel M. Petlin scoffed at Khalil’s responses in an X post. “The CNN anchor gave Mahmoud Khalil 3 separate chances in the interview to condemn Hamas – a federally designated terrorist organization. He won’t, because he justifies murdering, raping & kidnapping civilians. Khalil’s deportation can’t come soon enough.”
Canary Mission, a group that exposes those who promote antisemitism, commented on DHS’ post with additional video proof of Khalil’s sympathetic behavior to Hamas.
“In case DHS needs more proof: Mahmoud Khalil refers to Hamas as ‘armed resistance’ during a CUAD event — the same group that called the October 7th massacre a ‘moral, military, and political victory.’”
