Nov. 23, 2024

On November 19, a group of face-masked individuals attempted to shout down a speaker invited to the University of Michigan by the Frankel Center for Judicial Studies.

Though the talk did not include a pro-Israel message nor did it involve controversial issues related to the crisis in the Middle East, the event was disrupted by individuals who shouted “You can’t hide, Zionism is a crime,” and “We don’t do dialogue with Zionists. Get off our campus.” The speaker is Jewish and was discussing the history of Jews.

Shouting down speakers for any reason is unacceptable at the University of Michigan. It violates our academic mission and our commitment to free speech and diversity of thought. Doing so in a way that, in this case, targeted a person because of their Jewish identity is particularly abhorrent and will not be tolerated.

The university condemns all forms of discrimination, racism and bias in the strongest possible terms. The actions of the individuals who interrupted this event are a clear instance of antisemitism. The university is working to identify the perpetrators so they can be held accountable.