University of Michigan President Santa J. Ono claims the federal government put pressure on the institution to prioritize combating antisemitism over islamophobia, according to a leaked audio recording of posted to social media on Sunday.
The recording, released by the university’s Tahrir Coalition — an activist group composed of over 90 student organizations supporting the liberation of Palestine — indicates that U-M risks losing $2 billion in federal funding if it fails to follow directives focusing on antisemitism.
“The government could call me tomorrow and say in a very unbalanced way, the university is not doing enough to combat antisemitism, and I could say it’s not doing enough to combat islamophobia, and that’s not what they want to hear, so the whole situation is not balanced,” Ono says in the audio. “There are powerful groups who may know that my peers from presidents of other universities have been in the hot seat in Congress. The question from Congress is not balanced. It’s focused almost entirely on antisemitism, which I think is an issue, but there’s also islamophobia as well.”
The leak came just a day before Oct. 7, marking a year since Hamas killed more than 1,000 people in Israel, leading to Israel’s ongoing U.S.-backed retaliation, which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians.
“This only confirms what we know to be true: the University regents and administration, in collaboration with the federal government, are stifling dissent and public pressure to divest from ‘israel’s’ genocide in Gaza under the guise of combating antisemitism,” the Tahrir Coalition said in a press release. “The weaponization of antisemitism is being tactically used to repress the pro-Palestine movement on a national scale, with protesters routinely getting brutalized and attacked by militarized police forces.”
In response to the leak, the university’s President’s Office released the following statement to Metro Times:
“The University of Michigan is steadfastly committed to ensuring our community remains a safe and supportive environment, where all students — regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or other identities — have the opportunity to learn and thrive. President Santa J. Ono has spoken out repeatedly against antisemitism and Islamophobia, and he will continue to do so, as any form of discrimination or hate is an affront to our community.”
On Monday at the university, Jewish students gathered on the Diag to create a memorial for the victims of the Hamas attack.
Meanwhile, a few hundred feet away, the Tahrir Coalition organized a walkout outside Rackham Auditorium to recognize the one-year anniversary of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The protest was peaceful until an altercation occurred between the group and U-M’s Division of Public Safety & Security, leading to an arrest and the use of pepper spray on community members.
“One person was arrested, which led to a large group of protesters surrounding police officers and their corresponding patrol car, obstructing movement,” the university police said in a statement following the incident. “It’s important to note that in some circumstances, officers may employ crowd control measures if deemed necessary to manage the situation, make arrests, or ensure the safety of individuals involved.”
In the past six months, over 3,000 students have been arrested for pro-Palestine advocacy on campuses across the country.
“At UMich, protesters have been subjected to repeated police brutality, banned from campus and places of work, and intimidated at their homes by police officers and investigators, and protestors are currently facing felony and misdemeanor charges from State AG Dana Nessel for participating in the UMich Gaza Solidarity Encampment,” the Tahrir Coalition’s press release continued. “We know that our university will use every avenue of repression possible to protect its investments in and profits from genocide but that our movement will be victorious. Santa Ono will never be able to wash himself clean of his crimes against humanity and his memory will forever stain the legacy of this university.”
