+34
The University of Michigan has apologized after a history professor delivering a commencement speech praised pro-Palestinian student protesters for drawing attention to the war in Gaza. Derek R. Peterson's remarks on Saturday sparked immediate criticism from pro-Israel advocates.
Alberta separatist group says it has enough signatures to trigger referendum on leaving CanadaPrimary elections in Indiana and Ohio will test Trump's power and shape midtermsTrump's retribution?
What to watch in today's elections in Indiana, Ohio and MichiganEl Atlético se muda a hotel"más barato" en Londres y avista a Álvarez en vuelta de semifinalesInside the Met Gala, an Olympic champion learns just how famous she's becomeRoomba pioneer aims to crack the household market again with an AI-powered pet robotNipper, stay! The future of a beloved dog statue on a New York warehouse is up in the airViral phenomenon in Argentina has young people identifying themselves as animalsDear Readers: Yes, pen pal programs still exist in a digital worldA PGA golfer took his shirt off and approached a gator-filled hazard.
AP's photographer was readyWhat to know about hantavirus, the illness linked to a cruise ship outbreakCDC warns of drug-resistant salmonella infections linked to backyard poultryNot ready for robots in homes? The maker of a friendly new humanoid thinks it might change your mindDear Readers: Yes, pen pal programs still exist in a digital worldDoes frequent worship lead to better mental health?
Often, but not always, experts sayEstrenos de verano: Nolan, Spider-Man y"Toy Story" iluminan los cinesRussia declares a truce in Ukraine to mark Victory Day. Kyiv says it'll cease fire two days earlierThe Afternoon WireFormer Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs is found not guilty of assaulting his private chefEl Atlético se muda a hotel"más barato" en Londres y avista a Álvarez en vuelta de semifinalesInside the Met Gala, an Olympic champion learns just how famous she's becomeRoomba pioneer aims to crack the household market again with an AI-powered pet robotNipper, stay!
The future of a beloved dog statue on a New York warehouse is up in the airViral phenomenon in Argentina has young people identifying themselves as animalsDear Readers: Yes, pen pal programs still exist in a digital worldA PGA golfer took his shirt off and approached a gator-filled hazard. AP's photographer was readyWhat to know about hantavirus, the illness linked to a cruise ship outbreakCDC warns of drug-resistant salmonella infections linked to backyard poultryNot ready for robots in homes?
The maker of a friendly new humanoid thinks it might change your mindDear Readers: Yes, pen pal programs still exist in a digital worldDoes frequent worship lead to better mental health? Often, but not always, experts sayEstrenos de verano: Nolan, Spider-Man y"Toy Story" iluminan los cinesU. S. NewsDerek Peterson, chair of the University of Michigan Faculty Senate, speaks during the University of Michigan’s spring commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. , Saturday, May 2, 2026.
Derek Peterson, chair of the University of Michigan Faculty Senate, frees the ceremonial mace from falling ribbons during the University of Michigan’s spring commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. , Saturday, May 2, 2026. Derek Peterson, chair of the University of Michigan Faculty Senate, speaks during the University of Michigan’s spring commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. , Saturday, May 2, 2026.
Derek Peterson, chair of the University of Michigan Faculty Senate, speaks during the University of Michigan’s spring commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. , Saturday, May 2, 2026. Derek Peterson, chair of the University of Michigan Faculty Senate, frees the ceremonial mace from falling ribbons during the University of Michigan’s spring commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. , Saturday, May 2, 2026.
Derek Peterson, chair of the University of Michigan Faculty Senate, frees the ceremonial mace from falling ribbons during the University of Michigan’s spring commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. , Saturday, May 2, 2026. The University of Michigan has issued a formal apology after a history professor lauded pro-Palestinian student protesters in a commencement speech over the weekend.
The remarks — and the ensuing apology — have set off cascading recriminations, with pro-Israel advocates calling to slash the school’s funding as others accuse university officials of bowing to political and donor pressure. In a speech on Saturday at the universitywide commencement ceremony, Derek R. Peterson, a professor of East African history and outgoing chair of the faculty senate, credited “pro-Palestinian student activists who have over these past two years opened our hearts to the injustice and inhumanity of Israel’s war in Gaza.
” The comments followed Peterson’s praise for Moritz Levi, the first Jewish professor at the University of Michigan, among others who he said had advanced causes of justice through the school’s history. Within hours, video of the pro-Palestinian portion of Peterson’s speech had widely circulated online, drawing condemnations from Jewish groups, who allege that campus protests against IsraelKeeping track of the status of President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for a ceasefire that would end Hamas’ rule in Gaza and rebuilding the territory after a devastating war.
The same day, the university’s president, Domenico Grasso, issued a public apology, saying the comments were “inappropriate and do not represent our institutional position. ” “We regret the pain this has caused on a day devoted to celebration and accomplishment,” Grasso said, adding that Peterson’s speech “deviated from the remarks he had shared before the ceremony. ”The swift apology did not stop some Republican officials, including Florida Sen.
Rick Scott, from calling for the school to be stripped of federal funding. A Republican member of the Board of Regents, which governs the public university, also hinted at possible discipline for the professor. The prominent Israeli-American investor Adam Milstein urged Jewish people to halt any donations to the school. Peterson said he stood by the comments, calling it “ridiculous” to expect that graduations be apolitical.
“Michigan is not a finishing school for polite young men and women,” he said in a statement. “They do not need sentimental, cloying nostalgia. They need encouragement to face a flawed and unjust world head on, using the tools we’ve given them: critical reasoning, careful research, sympathy for the oppressed. ” Peterson also accused the administration of scrubbing the speech from the internet.
A university spokesperson said it had been temporarily removed by YouTube over a music copyright issue and was back online. In a joint letter published Tuesday, a coalition of academic labor groups — including the American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers — condemned the university’s statement.
“Institutional leaders have an obligation not only to tolerate faculty speech, but to defend it — especially in the face of external political pressure,” the letter read.and other disruptions to the springtime commencement ritual. Michigan’s campus saw students form a campground and walk out from classes in protest of the war.
A handful of students at U.S. universities also faced discipline in 2025 for seeking to highlight pro-Palestinian issues at graduation ceremonies, including a graduate of New York University whose diploma was withheld forUS tries to force open the Strait of Hormuz as the UAE comes under attack in a test of Iran truce
Scratch the next story
Derek R. Peterson Domenico Grasso Michigan Israel Protests And Demonstrations Gaza Strip General News Domestic News MI State Wire Race And Ethnicity Rick Scott Education U.S. News Moritz Levi Education Funding Schools U.S. News
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Israeli sniper bullet hits Palestinian bride in Gaza, days before her weddingHala Salem Darwish fights for survival in intensive care after an Israeli sniper's bullet pierced her family home and struck her in the head.
Read more »
Israeli settlers target Palestinian water sourcesVideo shows multiple attacks by Israeli settlers on a water pumping station in Ein Samia in the occupied West Bank, a vital station that supplies around 100,000 Palestinians with water. CNN’s Laura Paddison reports on Palestinians’ battle with water scarcity in the West Bank.
Read more »
Israeli settlers target Palestinian water sourcesVideo shows multiple attacks by Israeli settlers on a water pumping station in Ein Samia in the occupied West Bank, a vital station that supplies around 100,000 Palestinians with water. CNN’s Laura Paddison reports on Palestinians’ battle with water scarcity in the West Bank.
Read more »
Palestinian man shot dead by Israeli forces in northern Gaza in latest ceasefire violationThe killing brings the total number of Palestinians killed since the October ceasefire to at least 830, as Israeli forces continue military activity across the territory.
Read more »
Cornell students accuse university president of hitting them with car after campus Israel-Palestinian eventFox News Channel offers its audiences in-depth news reporting, along with opinion and analysis encompassing the principles of free people, free markets and diversity of thought, as an alternative to the left-of-center offerings of the news marketplace.
Read more »
Palestinian children share struggle to attend school with MalalaNobel laurate Malala Yousafzai had a zoom call Sunday with Palestinian children who are protesting the installation of barbed wire by Israeli settlers the West Bank. The barbed wire has prevented the kids from attending their classes since mid-April. CNN’s Abeer Salman reports.
Read more »