Erez Linn
Israel Hayom, Mar. 11, 2025
“Mahmoud Khalil, like every other ICE detainee, should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.”
Columbia University professor Shai Davidai, a vocal advocate for Israel and critic of campus pro-Palestinian activism, surprisingly came out with reservations about the attempt to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a reported leader of Columbia’s Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement who has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Despite his consistent opposition to BDS and what he describes as its Hamas propaganda, Davidai emphasized that Khalil deserves legal rights and a fair trial with media coverage, highlighting what he views as an opportunity to balance accountability with proper judicial proceedings and calling for due process and transparency.
“While I strongly disagree with Khalil’s actions, I refuse to strip him or his wife of their humanity….it is essential that we remain level-headed, embrace complexity, and avoid rushing to judgment until the facts are clear,” Shai Davidai writes on X. He then wrote in a separate tweet: “We have nothing to hide. Truth is on our side.” He added, “This might shock my haters, but having worked closely with incarcerated men, I too worry about the dangers of a state apparatus acting in haste and potentially targeting people unchecked.”
“Mahmoud Khalil, like every other ICE detainee, should be presumed innocent until proven guilty,” stated Davidai, an assistant professor who has previously worked with incarcerated populations. Davidai argued that Khalil should have the opportunity to address several allegations regarding his leadership role in Columbia BDS over the past 17 months, including claims about the organization’s relationships with other groups, such as Within Our Lifetime Palestine and the National Students for Justice in Palestine network……..SOURCE