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Governor Whitmer refuses to assist Michigan's attorney general in prosecuting anti-Israel protesters

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is declining to support Attorney General Dana Nessel, a fellow Democrat who was attacked by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) over Nessel's decision to block anti-Israel campus protesters at the University of Michigan charged with assault police and ethnic intimidation, among other alleged crimes.

Tlaib has also suggested that Nessel is only accusing the protesters because she is Jewish. Nessel has publicly condemned the congresswoman's characterization as anti-Semitic and false.

When asked by CNN's Jake Tapper whether Whitmer agreed with Tlaib's argument that Nessel is accusing the protesters only because she is Jewish, the Michigan governor declined to comment.

“I'm not going to get in the middle of this argument that they're having,” Whitmer said on CNN's “State of the Union” Sunday morning.

“All I can say is this: You know, we want to make sure that students on our campus are safe, and we recognize that every person has the right to express their opinion on an issue, the right to speak out . And I will use every lever I can to make sure both are true.”

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, sharply criticized Whitmer for not speaking out more aggressively against anti-Semitism. “Governor Whitmer, when your attorney general prosecutes people for violating the law, harassing Jews, and attacking police officers, it is in the interest of public safety. When a congresswoman accuses the attorney general of prosecuting protesters simply because she is Jewish, that is biased.” Greenblatt said on X.

“Saying that you want to 'ensure that students on our campus are safe' are mere words unless you are willing to use your bully pulpit to speak out unequivocally against anti-Semitism and advocate for people to be punished for breaking the law, if they affect Jews, to hold them accountable.”

Whitmer spokeswoman Stacey LaRouche later released a follow-up statement in which she defended Nessel more clearly, without explicitly defending the Michigan attorney general's prosecution of anti-Israel protesters. The statement did not mention Tlaib.

“Governor Whitmer has been vocal in his condemnation of all anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, racist and sexist statements directed at communities in our state. “The hateful rhetoric and racist platitudes thrown at people simply because of who they are and what beliefs they practice are unacceptable,” LaRouche said in a statement. “Attorney General Nessel has spent her career defending Michiganders’ right to live freely and safely in our state. Your office has placed an emphasis on impartiality and fairness in every decision to equally uphold the rule of law.”

Earlier this month, Nessel filed charges against nine anti-Israel protesters — and two counter-protesters — involved in incidents at the University of Michigan related to the school's anti-Israel protest camp.

Nessel's office charged seven protesters with assaulting or resisting police, a crime punishable by up to two years in prison. Two of them were charged with trespassing, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 days in jail. A university graduate is also charged with disturbing the peace and attempted ethnic intimidation.

Nessel said she prosecutes crimes against those who “physically directed their hands or bodies toward police” or “physically hindered an arrest.”

Tlaib publicly criticized Nessel for her decision to charge the protesters Detroit Metro Times: “It appears that the attorney general has decided that if the issue concerns Palestine, she would treat it differently, and that alone speaks volumes about possible bias within the agency she leads.”

Tlaib continued: “This is a move that will set a precedent, and it is unfortunate that a Democrat has taken this step.” You would expect that from a Republican, but not from a Democrat, and that is truly unfortunate. “

Nessel responded sharply to Tlaib on Friday, suggesting that the congresswoman had made anti-Semitic comments and that the attorney general could not do her job fairly. Her comments came in a tweet in which she criticized a Detroit News Cartoon showing Tlaib next to an exploding pager, something most Democrats in Michigan have publicly condemned.

But Nessel took the opportunity in her public comments to speak out against both the cartoon and Tlaib's behavior, which she described as anti-Semitic.

Nessel first spoke out against Tlaib last November after the congresswoman defended protesters' use of the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” as an aspirational demand for freedom.

At that time, Nessel wrote to Tlaib on But this is so hurtful to so many. Please retract this cruel and hateful comment.”

Tlaib did not respond.

This story was updated at 2 p.m. on September 22 to include comments from Gov. Whitmer's office and the Anti-Defamation League.

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