The Language of Violence: How Anti-Israel Student Groups Mask Extremism as Activism
Following the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, anti-Israel groups have intensified their calls for a “student intifada,” contradicting claims of being committed to advocacy
Anti-Israel student groups across U.S. campuses are increasingly using violent rhetoric while claiming to engage in activism. Recent events, including the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of pro-Hamas encampment protests at Columbia University, have fueled radical demonstrations that glorify terrorism rather than advocate for legitimate discourse.
Groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) have called to "Globalize the Student Intifada," a term historically linked to waves of terror attacks against Israeli civilians.
Calls to "Globalize the Student Intifada"
At George Washington University, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) announced a "Palestine Liberation Week" from March 17-21, declaring, "the student intifada continues." This phrase does not signal peaceful activism—it echoes past intifadas that saw suicide bombings, stabbings, and rocket attacks targeting innocent Israeli civilians. The flyer promoting the event features an image of a masked rioter shooting a sling shot and Palestinian terrorists being released from prison.
National Students for Justice in Palestine, for its part, urged supporters to "Globalize the Student Intifada."
The US Palestinian Community Network also amplified this type of rhetoric following Khalil’s arrest, referring to his detainment as a "kidnapping by DHS" and declaring, "We have always and will always stand in full solidarity with the student intifada."
The "Battle of Hind’s Hall": Storming Columbia University
In 2024, the radical group Unity of Fields escalated tensions at Columbia University by aggressively storming Hamilton Hall, which they rebranded as "Hind’s Hall." In March 2025, Unity of Fields shared a video documenting their actions, referring to the event as the "battle of Hind’s Hall," a militaristic phrase more fitting for an armed insurgency than a student protest.
This group did not stop at invoking "student intifada." They also quoted Ghassan Kanafani, a former spokesman of the U.S.-designated terror group the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). By declaring, "Let us not dialogue with our persecutors... we must reject the 'conversation between the sword and the neck,'" Unity of Fields openly rejected peaceful engagement in favor of confrontation and violence.
This embrace of violent rhetoric reflects a broader ideological shift within certain activist circles, where opposition to Israel is increasingly linked to a wholesale rejection of U.S. institutions and values. As these movements escalate, the Trump administration has intensified efforts to crack down on extremist and anti-Semitic rhetoric on college campuses, signaling a shift in how the government addresses radicalization within student organizations.