Egg On Their Face: U. of Michigan Apologizes for E-Mail Calling for ‘Advancement’ of ‘Anti-Semitism’

The University of Michigan (UMich) has apologized for sending an email to the campus community calling for “the advancement” of “anti-Semitism.”

“If we are to become a more diverse, equitable and inclusive University, we must continue our journey and renew our commitment to this work, which includes the advancement of anti-racism, anti-ableism, anti-Semitism, gender equity and building a climate resistant to sexual misconduct,” the email read, in part.

If you ever make the mistake of thinking DEI bureaucrats know what they’re doing, just know that @UMich sent an email to students today committing to the advancement of anti-Semitism pic.twitter.com/FwtZmZWvzt

— Charles Hilu (@charleshilu73) March 10, 2022

The university told Breitbart News that the school has apologized for the email, and a second email was sent out the campus community, which added the word “dismantling” in front of “anti-Semitism:”

If we are to become a more diverse, equitable and inclusive University, we must continue our journey and renew our commitment to this work, which includes the advancement of anti-racism, anti-ableism, gender equity, dismantling anti-Semitism, and building a climate resistant to sexual misconduct.

“Earlier today an e-mail was sent to our campus community outlining our commitment to the next phase of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at the University of Michigan,” UMich Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion Robert Sellers explained in a follow-up email.

“In our effort to communicate our commitment to advancing numerous DEI [Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion] efforts, and the dismantling of anti-Semitism efforts, we clearly misstated our intentions and inadvertently suggested that we support anti-Semitism,” the email continued.

“That is the exact opposite of our intent,” Sellers added. “The University of Michigan remains vigilant and actively engaged in dismantling anti-Semitism through our new and ongoing commitments to our DEI work.”

Sellers went on to say, “On a personal level, I would like to apologize to all members of our community for this error and for the harm it has caused.”

“As Vice Provost and Chief Diversity Officer at the University of Michigan, my personal and professional commitments to the dismantling of oppression and discrimination in all forms including anti-Semitism are at the core of who I strive to be,” he added.

While some might write the initial email off as a simple error, others might wonder if the email’s original verbiage was a Freudian slip, given that the university’s campus is no stranger to antisemitism.

Last year, UMich’s student government accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing” in reaction to the country’s response to Palestinian terrorists launching dozens of rockets at Israel from Gaza.

In 2017, the university’s student government voted in favor of a resolution that would see the university investigate divestment from companies that do business in Israel. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement seeks to systematically destroy the world’s only Jewish state through financial means, by boycotting companies that do business with Israel.

In 2018, the university hosted speaker Emory Douglas — as part of a mandatory lecture series — who compared Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler, and labeled both “guilty of genocide,” in a presentation that students called antisemitic.

That same year, a UMich professor refused to write a letter of recommendation to a student who was planning to study abroad in Israel.

You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.