Actress Debra Winger recently spoke about her motivation as she joined to protest the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist.
Winger stated that she feels like she has a “debt to pay” regarding aspects of her Jewish upbringing, explaining that she was “brought up with a lot of things that were untrue.”
Khalil’s bust comes amid reports that he’s the leader of the group Columbia United Apartheid Divest, which has been accused of supporting terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah.
Debra Winger Says She Has ‘Debt To Pay’ Over Jewish Upbringing
American actress Debra Winger joined protesters at Trump Tower in New York City to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, stating that there was a debt she owed and had to pay. pic.twitter.com/JGgIH4J6jG
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) March 14, 2025
Oscar-nominated actress Winger is seemingly displeased over how she was raised as a child.
Last week, Winger joined a demonstration outside President Donald Trump’s Tower in New York City protesting the arrest of anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil, where she sounded off about having a “debt to pay” for her Jewish upbringing.
Khalil, a 30-year-old Columbia University graduate, was arrested on March 8 by US Immigration officials and faces deportation over his role in anti-Israel protests that broke out in Columbia last year.
“I was brought up Jewish. I was brought up with a lot of things that were untrue,” she told Al Jazeera during the protest, per New York Post. “I was brought up with a lot of things that weren’t true. I had to unlearn them, and it’s taken me a lot of years.”
The “Shadowlands” actress then cited an example of her dissatisfaction with her early days, explaining that she disagreed with the idea that Israel is the Jewish homeland.
“I have a debt to pay. I have a debt for what I grew up with and believed on what the state of Israel has done and what they haven’t done and how they’re conflating Judaism with Zionism,” Winger said of some pro-Israel advocates.
Debra Winger Calls Mahmoud Khalil A ‘Political Prisoner’
Shortly after his arrest, Khalil was immediately transferred to an immigration detention center in Louisiana but is yet to be charged with any crime.
His arrest is what Trump called the first “of many to come” for students who engage in “pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity.”
Expressing her dissatisfaction with the situation of things, Winger accused President Trump of running a fascist regime and called Khalil a “political prisoner.”
“[Khalil] was abducted from his home with his eight-months-pregnant wife illegally and taken to an undisclosed location. Does that sound like America?” she said.
“They come for students first. They come to universities, they try to take over universities. Just read some history, every single fascist regime has done this,” Winger added. “They start with the educators and the students because that’s where the movement is strong.”
Mahmoud Khalil Has Been Accused Of Ties With Terrorist Groups
Khalil, a Syria-born green card holder, is said to be the leader of Columbia United Apartheid Divest. This group has been accused of supporting Hamas and Hezbollah and distributing their propaganda.
Although the legality of his deportation is still being contested in court, Khalil had quickly become the poster boy of President Trump’s crackdown on antisemitic college protesters.
The Columbia University activist saw hundreds of anti-Israel protesters march from Times Square to Columbus Circle in Manhattan on Saturday to demand his freedom, with many of them engaging in heated verbal standoffs with cops.
“Get the f-ck out of Palestine,” one of the protesters yelled, per the New York Post. “Does this look like America to anybody? What the f-ck is this?” an Israel supporter responded, referring to the predominantly pro-Palestine crowd.
Mahmoud Khalil’s Ex-Classmate Claims He Was Filled With Rage For Israel
Free Mahmoud Khalil. pic.twitter.com/o9AkeXaYyh
— Senate Judiciary Democrats 🇺🇸 (🦋 now on bsky) (@JudiciaryDems) March 10, 2025
Meanwhile, one of Khalil’s ex-classmates has opened up about their experience dealing with him while they both studied at Columbia University.
The former classmate, a Jewish female graduate student, told the New York Post that he was an “insidious” presence in school and was allegedly filled with rage for the Jewish state.
She explained that she had to drop a course they took together last fall at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs because he made her feel “uncomfortable.”
Although she made a formal complaint to the college, it seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.
Mahmoud Khalil’s Ex-Classmate Says It Would Have Been Easier If He Was A ‘Terrifying-Looking Man’
In her chat with the news outlet, Khalil’s former classmate spoke about his demeanor, noting that he had a non-threatening presence.
“It would almost be easier if he were some terrifying-looking man who threatened to punch people in the face, but he wasn’t,” the ex-classmate said. “He was very soft-spoken and careful with his words, which almost made him seem more insidious because it was so intentional – he was never being hyperbolic, he was very clear. He was never joking.”
“You know, he wears polos,” she continued. “It’s not like you meet him and are scared that he’s going to beat you up. To me, it was scary how he was so clearly extreme and so unshakeable in his worldview, which is a very scary worldview, in my opinion.”
