A lawsuit filed by victims of the October 7 Hamas attack claims that Hamas operatives told rescued hostage Shlomi Ziv that the group had operatives on American campuses. According to The Jerusalem Post, Hamas captors showed Ziv images and news articles about protests at Columbia University.
The case, filed in the New York Southern District Court, targets Within Our Lifetime (WOL) and its leader Nerdeen Kiswani, Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and representative Maryam Alwan, Columbia-Barnard Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and representative Cameron Jones, and Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) lead negotiator Mahmoud Khalil.
Allegations in the Lawsuit
🔹 Shlomi Ziv, a security guard at the Nova Music Festival, fought off terrorists and helped evacuate civilians before being taken hostage in Gaza. He was held captive for 246 days and later rescued in an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) operation.
🔹 The lawsuit claims that Columbia SJP reactivated its Instagram account three minutes before the Hamas attack on October 7. It also alleges that National SJP shared propaganda material before or during the attack.
🔹 According to the case, Hamas has provided financial and organizational support to these groups through entities such as the Palestine Committee, which was allegedly founded by Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood in 1988.
🔹 The lawsuit claims that American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), which sponsors National SJP (NSJP), has direct ties to Hamas-affiliated groups.
Statements in the Lawsuit
📌 The lawsuit states: “Upon information and belief, and based upon statements made to Plaintiff Shlomi Ziv by his Hamas captor, Hamas and AMP/NSJP provided financial, organizational, and other support to CUAD and the Columbia AMP/NSJP Affiliates for the Encampment.”
📌 Mahmoud Khalil, a representative of CUAD, is reportedly under U.S. federal scrutiny for potential deportation due to pro-Hamas activities.
📌 CUAD, WOL, and Columbia SJP are accused of supporting armed political violence and collaborating with groups such as Samidoun, which is associated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization.
Pro-Hamas Advocacy on Campuses
🔸 In March 2024, CUAD, NSJP, and WOL hosted Charlotte Kates and Khaled Barakat for a lecture called “Resistance 101”. Barakat, an alleged senior PFLP official, reportedly stated that Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and PFLP members “care more about support from American students than what the U.S. president does.”
🔸 Charlotte Kates stated: “There is nothing wrong with being a member of Hamas, being a leader of Hamas, being a fighter in Hamas, these are the people that are on the front lines defending Palestine and fighting for its liberation.”
🔸 The lawsuit references an NSJP toolkit (October 8, 2023), which described SJP chapters as “part of a unity intifada movement”, stating: “We as Palestinian students are part of this movement, not in solidarity with this movement.”
The case raises serious concerns about foreign influence and radicalization on U.S. campuses, with allegations of direct ties between student groups and Hamas-linked organizations.