Antisemitism, Islamophobia claims roil U-M Board of Regents race
Lingering tensions over the University of Michigan’s handling of pro-Palestinian campus protests have roiled the race for the Board of Regents, leading to accusations of smear campaigns, antisemitism and Islamophobia.
Governing board races are often low-profile, but this year’s contest has exploded for the seats held by Democratic Regents Jordan Acker and Paul Brown, whose first terms expire Jan. 1. Both are seeking endorsement from Democratic Party on Saturday, along with newcomer Amir Makled, a Dearborn civil rights attorney who represented pro-Palestinian U-M students and alumni who faced charges filed in 2024 by Attorney General Dana Nessel that were later dropped.
The three-way race comes two years after protests over the Israel-Gaza conflict erupted on the U-M campus in Ann Arbor and widened divisions among Jewish and Muslim students.
Acker, who is Jewish, was targeted by vandals who damaged his home, office and a vehicle. Makled, a Lebanese American, told the U-M student newspaper that he jumped into the race after he was detained at the airport and questioned by federal officials about his U-M pro-Palestinian student clients.
Last week, a report emerged alleging that Makled retweeted numerous posts last year that included ones that used the word “Jew” as a slur, supported Hezbollah, the Lebanese extremist group and referred to its late leader Hassan Nasrallah as a “martyr.” The retweets have since been deleted.
https://bridgemi.com/talent-education/antisemitism-islamophobia-claims-roil-u-m-board-of-regents-race/