Sun Mar 16 14:10:00 UTC 2025: ## Oscar-Nominated Actress Debra Winger Joins Protests Against Detention of Pro-Palestinian Activist
**NEW YORK, NY** – Actress Debra Winger joined protests this week in New York City demanding the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist detained by immigration authorities. Winger, a three-time Oscar nominee, told Al Jazeera that she felt compelled to participate due to her own reassessment of her Jewish upbringing and its relationship to Israeli policy.
“I was brought up with a lot of things that weren’t true, I had to unlearn them,” Winger stated, adding that she feels “a debt to pay” for previously held beliefs about Israel and Zionism. She clarified that this debt stems from what she learned about the Israeli government’s actions and its conflation of Judaism with Zionism.
Khalil, an Algerian citizen of Palestinian descent and legal permanent resident of the U.S., was arrested last week and faces deportation. A federal judge has temporarily blocked his deportation. The 30-year-old Columbia University student, who was expected to graduate this spring and is awaiting his first child with his American wife, gained prominence for his activism on campus following last October’s Hamas attacks.
Winger’s participation comes amidst a weekend of nationwide protests in support of Khalil planned for major cities including New York City, Boston, Phoenix, Charlotte, Oklahoma City, Miami and Indianapolis. The protests highlight growing concerns about Khalil’s detention and broader issues surrounding Palestinian rights and the relationship between Judaism and Zionism.
First Piper 