After facing criticism for refusing to defend the state's attorney general against allegations of religious bias, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued a statement Monday condemning Rep. Rashida Tlaib's (D-Mich.) allegations of “anti-Semitism.”
“The suggestion that Attorney General Nessel bases her prosecution decisions on her religion rather than the rule of law is anti-Semitic,” Gov. Whitmer said in a statement shared by CNN host Jake Tapper. “Attorney General Nessel has always performed his job with integrity and followed the rule of law. We must all use our platforms and voices to condemn hateful rhetoric and racist tropes.”
Whitmer's statement came the day after she refused to take sides in a dispute between Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Tlaib over Nessel's prosecution of anti-Israel protesters at the University of Michigan because they are Jewish.
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Nessel, Michigan's first Jewish attorney general, filed charges against nine college students who refused to leave an anti-Israel encampment after police ordered them to do so in May, the Detroit Metro Times reported. They are charged with trespassing and resisting or obstructing a police officer. ReportedlyTwo more people were charged with attempted ethnic intimidation and aggravated destruction of private property at a separate anti-Israel protest.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Democrat of Michigan, posed for a selfie with anti-Israel protesters outside her office. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Trave, Member and vocal critic of “The Squad” Israel's attorney general called Nessel's accusations “shameful” and suggested they were religiously motivated, telling the Detroit Metro Times in an interview: “The attorney general appears to have decided that if the issue is Palestine, then she's going to treat it differently. This alone speaks to possible bias within the institution she runs.”
Nessel responded to X.“Rashida Tlaib should not use my religion to suggest that I cannot perform my duties fairly as attorney general. That is anti-Semitic and it is wrong.”
In an interview on CNN's “State of the Union” on Sunday, Tapper asked Gov. Whitmer whether she agreed with Gov. Nessel, a Democrat, that Tlaib's accusation that she spoke out against anti-Israel protesters on campus because of her personal religious bias is rooted in anti-Semitism.
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“Do you think Attorney General Nessel is not doing her job? Congresswoman Tlaib is suggesting that we shouldn't prosecute individuals that Attorney General Nessel says are breaking the law, and that she's only prosecuting them because she's Jewish and the protesters aren't,” Tapper asked. “That's a pretty egregious accusation. Do you believe it's true?”
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel speaks at a rally hosted by Michigan Democratic Representative Elissa Slotkin to encourage Michigan State University students, faculty and staff to go to the polls on October 16, 2022, in East Lansing, Michigan. (Bill Priano/Getty Images)
“I'm not going to get involved in their discussion,” Whitmer responded. “All I can say is, we want to make sure students feel safe on campus, and we recognize that everyone has the right to express how they feel about issues, the right to speak out, and I'm going to take every step I can to make sure that both of those things are true.”
Her hesitation to defend Nessel caught the attention of Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League. The governor was scolded For not supporting her Attorney General.
“@GovWhitmer, it's in the interest of public safety when the Attorney General prosecutes people for breaking the law, harassing Jewish people, and attacking police officers. It's bigotry when a congresswoman accuses the Attorney General of prosecuting protesters because she's Jewish,” he wrote to X.
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“Saying 'I want to ensure the safety of students on campus' is just empty words if you're not going to use your influence to speak out clearly about anti-Semitism and support holding people accountable for violations of laws that affect Jewish people,” he said.
