Washington DC – Responding to the latest political arrest of a Palestinian student, J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami released the following statement:
“J Street is outraged by the Trump Administration’s continued anti-democratic crackdown on Palestinian and pro-Palestinian students in the United States, and its cynical exploitation of genuine fears of antisemitism as its pretext for doing so. As Jewish Americans, it is truly chilling to see the rights of immigrants and minorities being violated so outrageously by state authorities in our name.
We were appalled to see the latest example occur this Monday as Mohsen Mahdawi, a lawful permanent resident who has held a green card for 10 years, was arrested by masked, hooded agents when he showed up for what he was told was his citizenship interview. Mr. Mahdawi has not been accused of any crime and appears to have been targeted for organizing pro-Palestinian student protests.
There is no need for students who present no threat to continue to be arrested and detained in such an authoritarian manner, with the clear goal of stoking intimidation and fear.
These dystopian arrests are corrosive to all that has made this country a secure home for Jewish Americans for generations – from the opportunities of higher education to the embrace of immigration to the core protections guaranteed by our Constitution. None of this is easing tensions on college campuses or making Jewish students any safer.
We also note that in public comments, Mr. Mahdawi has specifically spoken out against antisemitism at college protests. “To be antisemitic is unjust,” he told 60 Minutes in 2023. “The fight for the freedom of Palestine and the fight against antisemitism go hand in hand, because injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
We agree. As we have seen again and again throughout history, violations of the civil rights of any one person are a threat to the rights of all of us. Our history and our values compel us to speak out. We call on the leaders of all major American Jewish institutions to join us as well.
We cannot allow our Constitution, our freedoms and our democracy to be trampled in this way, and certainly not in our community’s name. We have a special obligation to speak out.”