Mon Sep 23 22:00:09 UTC 2024: ## Michigan Governor Condemns Rep. Tlaib’s Antisemitic Accusation Against Attorney General

**LANSING, MI** – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a statement Monday condemning Rep. Rashida Tlaib for her antisemitic accusations against Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.

Tlaib, a Democratic congresswoman representing Michigan, had suggested that Nessel, the state’s first Jewish attorney general, was motivated by religious bias when she brought charges against students protesting Israel on the University of Michigan campus.

“The suggestion that Attorney General Nessel would make charging decisions based on her religion as opposed to the rule of law is antisemitic,” Whitmer wrote in a statement shared by CNN host Jake Tapper. “Attorney General Nessel has always conducted her work with integrity and followed the rule of law. We must all use our platform and voices to call out hateful rhetoric and racist tropes.”

This statement comes after Whitmer faced backlash for refusing to take a side in the feud between Nessel and Tlaib during a CNN interview on Sunday. When asked about Tlaib’s accusations, Whitmer declined to comment, stating that she wanted to focus on ensuring student safety on campuses while upholding the right to free speech.

The incident sparked criticism from the Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, who chastised Whitmer for her silence, stating that her lack of support for Nessel was “just words” if she wasn’t willing to “unequivocally” condemn antisemitism and support holding individuals accountable for breaking the law.

Nessel, for her part, responded to Tlaib’s accusations on X, formerly known as Twitter, stating that it was “anti-Semitic and wrong” to use her religion to imply that she couldn’t perform her job fairly as Attorney General.

The charges against the student protestors stemmed from their refusal to vacate anti-Israel encampments at the University of Michigan in May, despite police orders to do so. They are facing charges of trespassing and resisting or obstructing a police officer.

Read More