Oscar-nominee says she has 'debt to pay' over Jewish upbringing
What's the story
Oscar-nominated actor Debra Winger recently spoke about the falsehoods of her Jewish upbringing while protesting at Trump Tower.
It was the arrest of anti-Israel activist, Mahmoud Khalil, that prompted the protest. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Winger admitted she was raised with many "untrue" beliefs about Israel being the Jewish homeland.
"I have a debt to pay...for what I grew up with and believed in what the state of Israel has done," she said.
Protest details
Winger criticized the conflation of Judaism with Zionism
Winger, who starred in Terms of Endearment and Shadowlands, also slammed the mixing of Judaism with Zionism by some pro-Israel advocates.
She termed Khalil, who faces deportation for protesting against Israel at Columbia University, a "political prisoner."
The 69-year-old even blamed former President Donald Trump for running a "fascist regime."
Khalil was arrested on March 8 and remains detained in Louisiana with no charges against him.
Arrest details
Khalil's arrest has ignited nationwide protests
Khalil, a 30-year-old Columbia University graduate and green card holder born in Syria, was arrested from his city apartment and taken to an immigration detention center.
He has not been charged with any crime yet, but his arrest is what Trump called the first "of many to come" for students engaging in "pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity."
His deportation is being contested in court, sparking protests across the country.
Protests
'Does that sound like America?'
About Khalil's arrest, Winger said, "He was abducted from his home with his eight-month pregnant wife illegally and taken to an undisclosed location. Does that sound like America?"
"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," she added.
"They start with the educators and the students because that's where the movement is strong."