Santa Ono, the president of the University of Michigan, had his home vandalized on Monday, with anti-Israel messages spray-painted on the property.
According to the Associated Press, Ono’s residence in West Bloomfield, Michigan, was marked with the words “intifada” and “coward.” While West Bloomfield police did not disclose the owner of the home, the university confirmed that Ono is the owner, which is separate from his campus residence.
The vandalism comes as Ono and the university’s governing board face backlash from pro-Palestinian protesters on campus for not severing investments linked to Israel. The university has stated that it does not have direct investments in Israel. The university explained that it has less than $15 million in funds that might include companies based in Israel, which would be less than 0.1 percent of the university’s total endowment, according to the AP.
Mark Bernstein, a member of the Board of Regents, condemned the vandalism as “yet another assaultive act of intimidation by the antisemitic mob.”
Earlier this year, protesters wearing masks set up tents outside Ono’s home and staged a disturbing protest by placing bloody corpses nearby. In May, police cleared a pro-Palestinian camp on campus, resulting in several individuals being charged with trespassing or resisting arrest.
This incident is part of the continued wave of protests by pro-Palestinian activists across the United States over the last year, particularly on college campuses. The report come one year after Hamas launched a terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of over 250 hostages, including Americans, some of whom have since been released, while others remain in captivity or have been killed.
