A prominent Michigan attorney and University of Michigan regent is speaking out after he was targeted twice by anti-Israel agitators, highlighting the issue of antisemitism on college campuses and the role of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
A prominent Michigan attorney and University of Michigan regent has spoken out against two anti-Semitic attacks he has experienced in recent weeks, which he believes are linked to his Jewish identity and support for Israel.
Jordan Acker, a partner at the Goodman Acker Law Firm in Southfield, Michigan, said his firm was vandalized early Monday morning with anti-Semitic graffiti, including "Free Palestine, divest now" and other vulgar language spray-painted on the building.
"I saw just absolutely horrendous, over-the-top, criminal behavior essentially having been left on our building," Acker told Fox News Digital. "And since then, it's just been, you know, we met with our staff to help them try to understand what's going on."
Acker said this is the second time he has been targeted by what he called hate crimes, after a masked man showed up at his home with a list of demands last month.
"I have three young kids. It's terrifying. My girls were sleeping upstairs when that happened a couple of weeks ago," Acker said. "This, you could make an argument that that activity is not antisemitic. This however, there is no mistaking this was an anti-semitic attack. In the same way that businesses in Germany were targeted for being Jewish businesses. These things happen in Third World countries. And it's unacceptable. It's unacceptable."
Acker, who is also a University of Michigan regent, added that the vandalism and the threats are a direct attack on him and his beliefs.
"So about two weeks ago, every University of Michigan regent was targeted. Didn't matter Jewish, not Jewish, Democrat, Republican. We were all targeted. Today was a completely different thing. This was just me. No other regent was targeted," Acker explained.
Acker said he believes he was targeted for two reasons: because he is Jewish and because his office is in a neighborhood with a large Orthodox Jewish population.
"I think it was meant not just to intimidate me, but to also intimidate the community that lives here," Acker said.
Acker said the attacks on him and his firm are part of a larger trend of antisemitism on college campuses.
"It comes out of some of our elite institutions. And it's unacceptable and wrong. And it's important for those of us who sit on the center left, like I do, to get up and say, not acceptable. It's un-American in this country," Acker said.
Acker said the rise in antisemitism on campuses is linked to the rise of DEI programs, which he believes have created an environment where Jews are not welcome.
"I think that part of the reason why universities are having this issue is because, over the last decade, a lot of these schools have used DEI. They've used other things to center student feelings and not actual diversity, equity and inclusion. And what has happened here is that you have a situation where Jews are not desired or Jews desire their feelings to be centered, just like every other group has seemingly over the last decade," Acker said.
Acker called on elected officials to change their approach to dealing with antisemitism on college campuses.
"We don't harass and intimidate. It's un-American, and it's unacceptable from any group – period," Acker said.
Acker said the attacks on him and his firm are a crucial moment for students in higher education to learn and understand what is actually going on in the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
"For our students, I think this is an important moment, to not just listen to your own echo chamber, to really go out and hear what the other side is thinking," Acker said. "It's what I do. I spent a lot of time today, and in the last few weeks meeting with and understanding, groups from the Arab American community right here in Southeast Michigan. And I find that we don't have that big a difference on so many different things. But when it comes to the things that we do disagree on, we have to do so in a way that's productive, it's respectful, and it's meaningful, and this is not that."
Acker said the investigation into the vandalism of his law firm is ongoing and that investigators are reviewing surveillance video from the property.
