A Michigan Hebrew University official was the victim of pro-Palestinian vandalism at his home

A Jewish University of Michigan trustee woke up Monday to find a broken window and pro-Palestinian graffiti on his wife’s car. This is the third time he has been the victim of vandalism related to the war between Israel and Hamas.

Jordan Acker, an attorney and Democrat from Huntington Woods, Michigan, shared on Instagram that he and his family were awakened by the sounds of two heavy objects being thrown through the window of their home. Acker’s wife’s car was painted with an upside-down red triangle — a symbol Hamas uses to mark its targets in propaganda videos that have been taken over by pro-Palestinian activists — along with “DIVEST” and “FREE PALESTINE” written in red.

In his post, Acker called the vandalism “clan-based.”

“As always in this great country, when we face terrorism, I will not let fear win,” he wrote. “All of this only strengthens my resolve to continue to do the right thing for the University and the voters of Michigan who elected me. I call on members of the Michigan community to publicly reject this vile anti-Semitic intimidation and offer my full support to law enforcement in rooting out these bigots so they face the consequences of their actions.”

The university called the vandalism “a clear act of anti-Semitic intimidation.”

“The University of Michigan condemns these criminal acts in the strongest possible terms,” the school said in a statement. “They are disgusting and unfortunately just the latest in a series of incidents where people have been harassed because of their work on behalf of the university. This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. We call on our community to unite in solidarity and resolutely reject all forms of bigotry and violence.”

The vandalism happened after the new student self-government of the university threatened to stop funding all student groups until the university agreed to withdraw from Israel. The school’s regents have said they are not going to back down, and the student body president is leading the effort was impeached last month.

The campus, like the state as a whole, is home to a large Jewish and Arab American population, and has been a hotbed of activism since the October 7, 2023, attack that started the Israel-Hamas war.

The attack also marks the third time Acker, a former Obama administration official who served on the board of the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit, has been targeted by pro-Palestinian activists.

May 15 a The protester appeared at Acker’s homealso early in the morning, with a list of demands, including the withdrawal of the university from Israel. On the same day, the head of the House of Regents, Sarah Hubbard, was also targeted tents and fake dead babies placed outside her home.

June 3 Acker’s the lawyer’s office was destroyed with calls for alienation and the phrases “F— YOU ACKER” and “UM KILLS.”

Aker told the student newspaper Michigan Daily about it after Monday’s incident, he hopes that the perpetrators of the attack on his home will be charged accordingly.

“We can disagree, we can fight, we can have long disagreements about policy, but committing crimes is not acceptable,” Acker said. “This is unacceptable under any circumstances for members of our community. And I support law enforcement in their pursuit of whoever did this, and whoever did this should be held accountable to the full extent of the law, including federal law.”