A new federal lawsuit alleges that leaders of pro-Palestine student groups at Columbia University had advance knowledge of Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and launched a coordinated propaganda campaign to support the terror group’s message in the United States.
At the center of the claims is an alleged protest toolkit that began circulating on October 8—one day after the Hamas attack—which plaintiffs argue must have been prepared beforehand. The 79-page complaint, filed Monday in the Southern District of New York, was brought under the Antiterrorism Act and Alien Tort Statute by victims and relatives of those killed or kidnapped by Hamas.
The lawsuit accuses Columbia-based groups—including Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), and Within Our Lifetime (WOL)—of acting as part of an “American propaganda arm” for Hamas. Plaintiffs claim the groups used encrypted messages, propaganda toolkits, and pro-terror materials marked with the Hamas Media Office logo to coordinate campus actions.
Columbia has faced controversy over its handling of pro-Palestine protests, with the Trump administration recently canceling $400 million in federal grants and contracts to the university, citing its failure to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment.
Plaintiffs include survivors and relatives of victims of the Hamas attack. One hostage, Shlomi Ziv, alleges his Hamas captors told him that Hamas, along with American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) and NSJP, provided support to Columbia’s pro-Palestine groups.
Defendants, including former Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil—who was recently arrested by federal immigration authorities—have yet to respond to the lawsuit. The plaintiffs must now serve the complaint, after which defendants have 21 days to reply.
