Columbia Activist's Lawyer Defends Hamas, Compares Them to WWII Resistance

Attorney Jonathan Wallace has represented several pro-Palestinian students and faculty, including Khymani James, the Columbia organizer who fantasized about "murdering Zionists".

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Khymani James, the Columbia University encampment organizer who fantasized about "murdering Zionists," has responded defiantly to his suspension from the Ivy League school, filing lawsuits against Columbia and his critics in Congress. Spearheading the legal action is an activist attorney, Jonathan Wallace, who has repeatedly defended Hamas terrorists, including by comparing them to World War II-era "French Resistance" fighters.

Why it matters

This case highlights the growing legal apparatus working to defend radical anti-Israel activists on college campuses, even those who have expressed support for terrorist groups like Hamas. Wallace's defense of James and other pro-Palestinian students and faculty raises concerns about the normalization of extremist views on university campuses.

The details

Wallace, a Harvard Law School graduate, cofounded the Parachute Project to represent "pro-Palestine students, faculty, & staff at campuses nationwide" after the 2023 Hamas terror attack. He has published blog posts comparing Hamas terrorists to the French Resistance in WWII and accusing Israel of "indiscriminately murdering Palestinians like dogs." Wallace has represented several other pro-Palestinian activists, including a Cornell student who called for the destruction of the U.S. and a Columbia professor who said he was "with Hamas."

  • In October 2023, Hamas carried out a terror attack that prompted Wallace to found the Parachute Project.
  • In January 2026, Wallace wrote that Israeli soccer fans hunted down by anti-Semitic mobs in Amsterdam had "started the violence."

The players

Khymani James

The Columbia University encampment organizer who fantasized about "murdering Zionists" and is suing the school for suspending him.

Jonathan Wallace

The Harvard Law School graduate and activist attorney representing James and other pro-Palestinian students and faculty, who has compared Hamas terrorists to the French Resistance in WWII.

Rep. Virginia Foxx

The former House Education Committee chair who revealed that Columbia promised to expel James but never did so, and is now being sued by James.

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What they’re saying

“As a thought experiment, remember the iconic violent resistance fighters we collectively adore, the French resistance: they too sheltered among the civilian population, looking just like them, then surging out to kill Nazis and blow stuff up.”

— Jonathan Wallace, Attorney (The Ethical Spectacle)

“We laud their cleverness in hiding in plain sight until the opportune moment, but hate Hamas for doing the same.”

— Jonathan Wallace, Attorney (The Ethical Spectacle)

What’s next

The lawsuits filed by James against Columbia and Rep. Foxx remain active, with the last court appearances in July 2025. The outcomes of these cases will determine whether radical anti-Israel activists like James can continue to be defended in the legal system.

The takeaway

This case highlights the growing influence of activist attorneys like Jonathan Wallace, who are working to normalize extremist views on college campuses by defending students and faculty who express support for terrorist groups like Hamas. The normalization of such views raises serious concerns about the future of academic freedom and discourse on university campuses.