by Angela Morabito
The University of Michigan Central Student Government released a scathing statement in support of Palestine and against Israel, prompted by the ongoing conflict in Jerusalem. The letter accuses Israel of “settler colonialism, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid.”
“We aim to do whatever is in our power to ensure that we remain in lockstep with [the Palestinians] and their fight against oppression,” the student government said in an open letter.
Signers of the letter include the student government’s President, Vice President, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator. The Arab Student Association and Muslim Student Association also signed the letter.
[Press Release 05.10.2021]
If you have any questions regarding the following statement or if your organization would like to sign in support please fill out this form: https://t.co/CJi3xHUUHp pic.twitter.com/wk1LrFY6uR— UMich Central Student Govt (@umcsg) May 11, 2021
“In an effort to further suppress Palestinians, Israeli police and settler militias are currently targeting Muslims during the holiest month of Ramadan at the third most divine site in Islam; Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem,” the letter states. “Israel threatens Palestinians of all religions, from those displaced in diaspora all over the globe to Palestinians in Palestine.”
The letter blames the University of Michigan for not doing enough to cut ties with Israel.
“The University of Michigan remains complicit by choosing not to divest from Israeli companies profiting off of the settler state’s occupation.”
The student government also laments its own organization’s “prior complicity with Israel’s violence through participation in events such as yearly trips to Israel that supported the settler-state in its apartheid and occupation.”
The letter recommends that like-minded readers follow pro-Palestinian social media accounts, including several that support BDS.
A university spokesperson told Campus Reform, “U-M’s Central Student Government does not speak for the University of Michigan.”
“A core value of the University of Michigan is freedom of speech and respect for diverse ideas and viewpoints,” the spokesperson continued.
The Central Student Government did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.
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Angela Morabito is a Higher Education Fellow and Spokeswoman for Campus Reform. She is the former Press Secretary for the U.S. Department of Education, where she went head-to-head with the Left, the media, and the teachers’ unions on behalf of the Trump administration and former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. In that role, she communicated to the press and the American public on all facets of education policy, with emphasis on academic freedom, students’ civil rights, and the student loan debt spiral. Before her appointment as Press Secretary, Angela worked in public affairs, digital media, and higher education administration. She has authored opinion pieces for the Washington Examiner and The Federalist. Red Alert Politics named her to the “30 Under 30” conservatives to watch in 2016. Angela graduated cum laude from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service and later earned a Master’s degree, also from Georgetown, with particular focus on politics, culture, media, and ethics.
Photo “University of Michigan” by Ken Lund CC2.0.
