The University of Michigan apologized after the outgoing chair of the faculty senate, who has a history of anti-Israel advocacy, delivered an unapproved jab at Israel at a commencement ceremony on Saturday. 

Derek Peterson, a tenured professor of history and African studies, praised “the 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,” during his campus-wide commencement address to loud cheering from students. 

The university’s president, Domenico Grasso, said in a statement later on Saturday that the remarks were “hurtful and insensitive to many members of our community.”

“We regret the pain this has caused on a day devoted to celebration and accomplishment. For this, the university apologizes,” Grasso continued. “The Faculty Senate Chair deviated from the remarks he had shared before the ceremony. The Chair’s comments were inappropriate and do not represent our institutional position. Nor do they represent the diversity of views across our entire faculty … The Chair’s remarks were expected to be congratulatory, not a platform for personal or political expression. Introducing such commentary in this setting was inappropriate and did not align with the purpose of the occasion.” 

Grasso said he will “work with university leadership to review and refine future commencement programming” but did not announce any disciplinary action against Peterson. 

In January 2024, Peterson authored and presented a faculty senate resolution urging the university to divest from companies with ties to Israel amid its war in Gaza. The resolution passed with a 38-17 vote. 

The University of Michigan experienced virulent campus antisemitism and anti-Israel activity since the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel, including an assault of a Jewish student and the repeated harassment of a Jewish Board of Regents member.  

Sarah Hubbard, a UMich regent, called on her board colleagues to “make lasting changes that will change the course of this conduct.”

Hubbard called Peterson’s comments “incredibly troubling and disappointing,” in a post on X. “It is very difficult to execute meaningful consequences on tenured faculty but as a leader I can help set the tone and expectations for their conduct. His conduct was unbecoming for a leader of the greatest university in the world,” she said. 

In a joint statement, Michael Schostak and Lena Epstein, the Republican candidates in the upcoming UMich regent election, also said they were “deeply troubled” by the university’s decision to select Peterson as a commencement speaker “given his divisive track record.”