Along the lines of two billboards placed earlier in the month on I-275 highway—west of Dearborn, Mich.—by the local branch of the Zionist Organization of America, a new sign was placed on US-23 near Ann Arbor on April 22, calling for the University of Michigan to “Stop Jew Hatred on Campus.”
It comes in the wake of threats, harassment, intimidation and discrimination against Jewish students at the public institution.
“The university has failed to respond to concerned students, parents and alumni who have contacted U of M, urging that it take action to stop violations of their own code of conduct and infractions of the law. We put up the billboard in hopes of getting their attention,” said Sheldon Freilich, president of ZOA-Michigan. “It’s time for enforcement—there must be serious consequences for those breaking the law and inciting antisemitism.”
Following the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, ZOA-Michigan said it has received numerous complaints from U of M students who fear for their safety. The situation has been exacerbated, it added, by pro-Hamas demonstrations on campus and in campus buildings calling for the end of Israel and the genocide of Jews, often punctuated by Nazi symbols and slogans.
In the weeks leading up to finals and graduation, antisemitic hostilities have reached a dangerous pitch.
Senior Salma Hamamy, a 22-year-old Palestinian American and the president of Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE), stated on her Instagram page on March 22: “Until my last breath, I will utter death to every single individual who supports the Zionist state. Death and more. Death and worse.”
She was arrested in November at an anti-Israel sit-in at the office of the university’s president, Santo Ono, and in February was part of a stand-off with riot police near Detroit at a campaign event for U.S. President Joe Biden. This week, she was one part of the pro-Palestinian and pro-Hamas activists that set up a tent encampment on school grounds.
In January, the University of Michigan honored Hamamy and SAFE with the 2024 Spirit of MLK Jr. Award for “exemplifying Dr. King’s leadership and extraordinary vision.”
In the last two months alone, two federal civil-rights complaints have been filed against U of M for failing to safeguard Jewish students.
