Israeli Influence: Part of a Major Threat to Shut Down Dissent in the United States

 

By David Starr

 

Repression has become evident in the United States when it comes to criticism against Israel. The recent abduction of Mahmoud Khalil – a graduate of Columbia who lead protests against the Israel genocide in Gaza in 2024 in the encampments at the university – has become a sign that threatens dissent in the United States.

 

Freedom of speech? Not when it comes to holding Israel accountable as a rogue nation committing mass murder. The right-wing government and its supporters in and out Israel, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, try to impose religious supremacy as part of a scheme to force Palestinians out of Gaza, the West Bank and elsewhere with destructive bombing campaigns and other military actions. 

 

The Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) behaved in a fascistic way with Khalil’s abduction in an example of political repression. This sounds Stalinesque, with more abductions to come. 

 

Adding to Israeli influence against political dissent in the USA, there has been a professor at Columbia who probably played a major role in Khalili’s abduction. Keren Yarhi-Milo was a former Israel intelligence official, according to MintPress. She was also an official at Israel’s Mission to the United Nations. So, the obvious connections are there.

 

Lee Camp of Redacted Tonight explained the situation and position of Yarhi-Milo.

 

Yarhi-Milo, also according to MintPress, “played a significant role in drumming up public concern about a supposed wave of anti-Semitism sweeping over the campus, thereby laying the groundwork for the extensive crackdown on civil liberties that has followed the protests.” While the historical oppression of Jews is well-known, could it be that Yarhi-Milo is playing the anti-Semitic card? Given the repeated use of it in relation to Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank, yes.

 

Yarhi-Milo plied her intelligence trade for the Israeli Defense Forces. She played the role of surveilling the Arab population because of her fluency in Arabic. And she hasn’t let go of connections to international security, having expertise in it.

 

Rather than express concern for Khalil and his abduction by ICE, Yarhi-Milo was silent on the matter. Further, she invited former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett to speak at Columbia. This was condemned by Palestinian supporters, but the university power structure accused them of harassing Yarhi-Milo. The condemnation by the Palestinian supporters was justified given Yarhi-Milo playing a role in Israeli intelligence.

 

When the protests at Columbia grew to being a major event, the university’s president called in the police to “restore order.” This cumulated in the rise of political repression against those who oppose Israel’s attempted genocide in Gaza, and the West Bank. 

 

Donald Trump was, and is, all for the repression. He rhetorically stated that, “ICE proudly apprehended and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a radical foreign pro-Hamas student on the campus of Columbia University. This is the first arrest of many to come.”

 

The “radical foreign pro-Hamas” accusation has become virtually a cliché, with neoconservatives and neoliberals alike spouting off at any criticism of Israel. The “pro-Hamas” label has especially been a favorite among them. There are also the other labels. Assistant professor of Business Management Shai Davidai used two, saying, that the protesters were “Nazis” and “terrorists.” How ironic since Israel has been conducting a Nazi-like military campaign against Palestinians. The word terrorism can also be used to describe the extent of Israel’s war crimes.

 

Yarhi-Milo isn’t the only Israeli spy who took up an occupation within the United States. There are individuals who work for big tech and social media companies like Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Amazon, according to MintPress. And Israeli bias is present in many walks of life in the USA. The bias is almost fanatical, with Israelis and non-Israelis alike.

 

Mahmoud Khalil is married to a U.S. citizen who is expected to give birth soon. Khalil may not be able to be present for the event. He has been detained in a detention center in Louisiana. Lawyers like Ramzi Kassem are working on having the authorities release Khalil. He has not been able to have the attorney-client privilege that is usually allowed. Nowadays that may be hard to have, at least for Palestinian supporters and protesters.

 

AP reports that “Kahlil’s arrest has sparked protests in New York and other U.S. cities. Actor Susan Sarandon told reporters that ‘no matter where you stand on genocide, freedom of speech…is a right we all have. And this is a turning point in the history and freedom of this country.’”

 

In regards to freedom of speech, there is a degree of democracy in the U.S. but it’s not enough. Further, it’s now being threatened by fascists in the country such as Donald Trump. 

 

There was a hearing which Sarandon and other protesters to Khalil’s arrest were present. After emerging from the courthouse, Kassem spoke to the protesters, saying, “As we tried to make clear in court today, what happened to Mahmoud Khalil is nothing sort of extraordinary and shocking and outrageous.” Kassem added that the reasons for Khalil’s abduction were “vague” and “rarely used.” Further, he said that the real reasons for the arrest were “retaliation and punishment for the exercise of free speech.” 

 

Trump is trying to take advantage of the current political situation in the USA by using an antiquated law called the Alien Enemies Act, enacted in 1798. It has been rarely used, but Trump and his regime would try to apply it to forms of dissent that characterize opposition to Israel’s invasion, among other opponents who happen to be on the Left/Progressive side. 

 

Actually, repression has always existed within the USA, depending on who you talk to. The enslavement of those of African descent and the genocide against Native Americans are two examples. And the Trump regime must be stopped from abusing power when it comes to many Mahmoud Khalilis and supporters of various issues that challenge the establishment. The repression is taking shape.