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 responded in real time with a coordinated propaganda campaign designed to support and amplify the terror group's message on U.S. soil.
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.
Newsweek reached out to the attorney representing the defendants, as well as the student groups named in the lawsuit, for comment.
Why It Matters
Columbia has been at the center of a number of controversies surrounding ongoing pro-Palestine protests and alleged antisemitism on campus, with the Trump administration recently cancelling some $400 million in federal grants and contracts to the New York university, citing the school's alleged failure to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment linked to pro-Palestinian activism.
In addition, Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and former Columbia graduate student, was arrested this month by federal immigration authorities despite holding legal permanent resident status. He remains in detention without specific charges filed, and the government has accused him of aligning with Hamas and concealing information on his green card application. Khalil is named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
What To Know
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 in the October 7 attacks.
It accuses Columbia-based activist groups—including Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), and Within Our Lifetime (WOL)—of being part of what it describes as the "American propaganda arm" of Hamas.
"These organizations... act behind veiled scarves and largely seek to be anonymous individually, yet seek to intimidate as a group," the lawsuit claims. "This case will pull down those scarves and unveil acts that violate this country's antiterrorism laws."
The filing outlines a broad alleged collaboration between the defendants and Hamas, citing encrypted messages, propaganda toolkits, coordinated campus actions and pro-terror materials marked with the Hamas Media Office logo. The lawsuit focuses on a document called the "NSJP Toolkit," which includes instructions and graphics promoting a "Day of Resistance."
The document began circulating on October 8, 2023, one day after Hamas militants launched a surprise siege on Israel that killed 1,200 people. Hundreds more were taken hostage.
The plaintiffs argue the toolkit was prepared before the Hamas attack and claim Columbia's chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) had advance knowledge of it.
"Three minutes before Hamas began its attack on October 7, Columbia SJP posted on Instagram 'We are back!!'" the complaint states, referring to a post on a previously inactive account.
According to the plaintiffs, the toolkit—shared by National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP), a campus-affiliated offshoot of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)—was created before the attacks and included Hamas imagery, marketing materials, and a call for global mobilization.
They also claim the toolkit was circulated before or during the massacre and that "Associational Defendants followed the NSJP Toolkit to the letter."
Plaintiffs include survivors and relatives of victims killed or kidnapped on October 7. Iris Weinstein Haggai, a U.S. citizen, filed the suit on behalf of her parents, Judy Lynne Weinstein and Gad Haggai, who were taken from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Their bodies have not been recovered.
Hostage Says Hamas Claimed Ties to Columbia Protest Organizers
Another plaintiff, Shlomi Ziv, was a security guard at the Nova Music Festival and was held hostage by Hamas for 246 days before being released. According to the lawsuit, Ziv was told by one of his Hamas captors that Hamas, along with AMP and NSJP, provided financial, organizational, and other support to Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) and Columbia-based affiliates of AMP/NSJP.
The lawsuit also describes campus protests after the attacks, which plaintiffs allege followed Hamas and Iranian-backed propaganda. These included encampments at Columbia, social media campaigns, as well as confrontations with Jewish students and staff.
Plaintiffs cite an October 7 post by Within Our Lifetime that said it supports "Palestinian resistance in all its forms. By any means necessary. With no exceptions and no fine print."
The lawsuit claims the group used Hamas-supplied materials, held events with terror-linked speakers, and promoted the "Our Narrative" manifesto produced by the Hamas Media Office.
Plaintiffs describe Khalil, the activist currently in immigration detention, as the lead negotiator during the Gaza Solidarity Encampment and accuse him of threatening to "escalate" protest actions if demands were not met. The complaint further states that "on information and belief," Khalil directly coordinated with Hamas, AMP/NSJP, and other affiliates of designated foreign terrorist organizations.
What People Are Saying
The attorneys representing the plaintiffs wrote: "The Encampment was not a spontaneous act of civil disobedience by misguided but well-meaning students. Rather, this was an effort by a [Foreign Terrorist Organization] to sponsor, plan, and organize a significant disruption of one of America's most important academic centers to support its terrorist aims."
Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine wrote on social media before the suit was filed: "Rather than stand up against fascist administration, Armstrong and CU trustees have bent over backwards to cater to zionist interests—even as the genocide in Gaza escalates once again."
The group was responding to the news that Columbia and its interim president, Katrina Armstrong, had acquiesced to demands from the Trump administration that it put new protocols in place on campus.
What Happens Next
The plaintiffs must formally serve the complaint to each named defendant, including the individual leaders and organizations. Once served, the defendants are on the clock to respond. Each defendant has 21 days to file a response.
As of publication, none of the defendants named in the suit had responded.
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About the writer
Jesus is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, his focus is reporting on politics, current ... Read more