University of Michigan decides not to investigate rising antisemitism on its campus

The University of Michigan failed to adequately investigate 66 of 67 allegations of antisemitism on campus, the Department of Education said in a report.

Most of the incidents occurred in the context of Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip against Hamas and other terrorist groups following the Oct. 7 massacre.

Among some of the cases mentioned is one that occurred in January 2023, when pro-terrorism demonstrators called for the elimination of Jews and the State of Israel, the British media The Telegraph indicated.

Authorities at the academic institution argued that antisemitic chanting was a "protected activity" and they had no grounds for action.

They also considered the sharing of antisemitic hatred on social media by a student at the university to be "protected speech," so the matter was not addressed.

In another incident, which took place in December 2022, in which a student argued that "Jews rule the world," the university only conducted an "educational conversation" with the antisemitic student.

The university also considers the genocidal slogan of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” to fall under freedom of speech, The Telegraph added.

Also, no action has yet been taken on a series of incidents of antisemitic vandalism that occurred at the university.

Days after the Oct. 7 massacre, a group of students shouted "Nazi liberation." The university's only response was to send reports to its press office to deal with media inquiries, noted The Telegraph.

That same month, a pro-Hamas protester shouted at a female student who was supporting rape and murder. University authorities only organized "restorative circles for staff, faculty and students."

The DOE expressed concern about the lack of measures taken by the university in order to assess whether the incidents created a hostile environment for some students or members of the institution's faculty and staff.

Antisemitic attack on Jewish member of University of Michigan board of trustees

Jordan Acker, a member of the University of Michigan Board of Trustees, and his family suffered an antisemitic attack last week at their home, located in a Jewish suburb of the city of Detroit.

Vandals smashed a window in their home and spray-painted his wife's car with inscriptions reading "Divestment" and "Free Palestine."

Inside the house were fragments of a jar containing a foul-smelling liquid, and another identical jar was found outside.

Acker noted that he was attacked only because he was Jewish. He added that this is the third such incident he has experienced.

The University of Michigan condemned "these criminal acts in the strongest possible terms." It added: "They are abhorrent and, unfortunately, just the latest in a number of incidents where individuals have been harassed because of their work on behalf of the university. This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated."

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer also repudiated the attack, which she called "a criminal act of targeted hatred on an elected official’s personal property because he is Jewish," and expressed sympathy for Acker and his family.