Nearly 80 Jewish Harvard affiliates, including over three dozen faculty members, have signed a statement condemning the arrest of Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil. They also criticized the Trump administration for what they see as using “Jews as a shield” to justify crackdowns on free speech on campus.
The statement, originally put together by the Boston chapter of Concerned Jewish Faculty & Staff and first shared on March 11, has since gathered nearly 3,000 signatures from faculty, staff, and students at universities across the U.S.
It was written in response to Khalil’s March 8 arrest. Khalil, a legal U.S. resident, now faces deportation for leading pro-Palestine activism at Columbia. The Trump administration claims the arrest is part of its efforts to combat antisemitism, but many in academia are calling it a dangerous attack on free speech especially for international students.
The signers of the statement made it clear: “We won’t stand by while our name and false accusations of antisemitism are used to harass, arrest, or deport members of our campus communities.” They also called on universities to reject the idea that supporting Palestine automatically means being antisemitic.
The statement listed several demands for university leaders, including cutting ties with federal immigration enforcement, providing resources to help free Khalil, and protecting students and faculty from retaliation by the Trump administration.
Harvard, for the most part, has stayed silent. While University President Alan Garber criticized Trump’s cuts to federal research funding, Harvard has not publicly addressed Khalil’s arrest, Trump’s decision to slash $400 million from Columbia’s funding over its handling of protests, or the $175 million fine against the University of Pennsylvania for allowing transgender women to compete in athletics.
Aaron Shakow, a Harvard Medical School lecturer who co-authored the statement with Boston University professor Jonathan Feingold, believes universities should do more to protect free speech and push back against government overreach.
“Mahmoud Khalil’s case is just one example of a broader effort to make immigrants feel unsafe and vulnerable,” Shakow said.
The statement also took aim at groups like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), accusing them of smearing students and supporting politically motivated crackdowns. The ADL, a pro-Israel organization, has praised Trump’s actions, including Khalil’s possible deportation.
Last May, Harvard President Garber met with ADL head Jonathan Greenblatt to discuss campus antisemitism, a move that sparked backlash from pro-Palestine student groups. Some labeled Greenblatt a “notable anti-Palestinian racist.”
English professor Derek Miller, one of the faculty members who signed the statement, had harsh words for the ADL, saying it has shifted from protecting Jewish people to “defending fascist authority” in the U.S. and Israel.
The letter also called on university leaders to make governance more democratic, giving faculty, staff, and students a stronger voice in how institutions respond to Trump’s policies. Some faculty have been pushing for the creation of a faculty senate, arguing that Harvard’s leadership has mishandled major issues, including its response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on Israel.
Harvard lecturer James Recht didn’t hold back in his criticism of Trump and his allies, accusing them of weaponizing antisemitism claims while showing no real concern for Jewish people.
“They don’t actually care about Jews whether in Israel or the U.S.,” Recht said. “They just use us as a talking point while pushing their own agenda.”
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Dozens of Jewish Professors at Harvard Condemn Mahmoud Khalil’s Detention
