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U of Michigan apologizes after faculty chair praises pro-Palestinian students during commencement speech

JL;DR SUMMARY The University of Michigan faced controversy after a faculty member praised pro-Palestinian student activists during a commencement speech, alongside honoring the university's first Jewish professor. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Israel Palestine ConflictFree SpeechUniversity Of MichiganPro PalestinianInstitutional NeutralityCommencement SpeechDerek PetersonMoritz LeviMichigan Hillel

Places mentioned

Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
"Sing for Moritz Levi, the first Jewish professor at the University of Michigan. Appointed professor of French in 1896, he was to open the doors of this great university to generations of Jewish students who found in Ann Arbor a safe haven from the antisemitism of East Coast universities, Peterson told the crowd at Michigans football field, to applause."
Florida, United States
"On the right, Florida GOP Sen. Rick Scott has urged the federal government to stop funding the public university over the incident, writing, If this is what Americans are paying for, its time to cut them off COMPLETELY."
Michigan, United States
"Commencement ceremonies have been a frontier for tensions over Israel since Oct. 7, but it has typically been students, not faculty, raising the issue. In 2024, many college graduations featured pro-Palestinian demonstrations, including at Michigan."

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Cairo Item ID 81536
Cairo Source ID 42
Retrieved 2026-05-05 05:30:56 UTC
Curated 2026-05-05 08:31:31 UTC