At SXSW, Columbia Protest Organizer Rejects Calls to Denounce Hamas, Says Antisemitism Claims Are Weaponized

Overview

• Mahmoud Khalil told a South by Southwest audience that allegations of antisemitism are being used to silence criticism of U.S. support for Israel.
• Pressed on past interviews, he refused to issue a brief denunciation of Hamas, calling the demand a racist double standard and saying such questions are disingenuous.
• Khalil also said antisemitism is real in the United States and stated that violence against civilians cannot be justified.
• SXSW programming executive Greg Rosenbaum said hosting the discussion did not equal endorsement, while American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch argued the platform amplified harmful views.
• Khalil remains in deportation proceedings after a 2025 detention and visa and green‑card revocation, with a federal appeals court ruling in January that he could be rearrested; his leadership of Columbia’s 2024 encampment has drawn scrutiny over reported antisemitic incidents.