ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – A commencement speech delivered Saturday, May 2, at the University of Michigan has ignited a growing campus controversy after professor Derek Peterson praised pro-Palestinian student protesters during his graduation remarks – comments that also prompted a public show of support from more than 2,200 students, faculty members, staff, and alumni.

Supporters of Peterson argued the speech was about defending free expression tied to the war in Gaza. Critics, however, see it as yet another example of universities giving anti-Israel activism a polished academic makeover while Jewish students increasingly report feeling isolated and targeted on campus.

Commencement controversy sparks official apology.

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The University of Michigan issued a formal apology later that same day after Peterson went off-script during the commencement ceremony, saying his remarks did not reflect the university’s official position and acknowledging that many students, families, and alumni viewed the comments as divisive during what was intended to be a celebratory event for graduates.

Thousands rally behind Peterson after speech backlash.

But not everyone was upset about Peterson’s words against Israel. The Jerusalem Post reported on two different letters signed by more than 2,200 students, staff and alumni in support of Peterson. One of the letters said, “His (Peterson) celebration of the students who engaged in those protests was clearly connected to his discussions of past efforts by students to target injustice.”

One of the letters went on to say, “Many members of our community have family members who have been killed, whose houses have been destroyed, and whose lives have been transformed by Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza. To many, protesting against the war was a central part of their University experience, and one that was an expression of the values of free speech and humanism that our institution supports when it is at its best.”

According to The Jerusalem Post, they also demanded that Domenico Grasso, university’s current interim president, withdraw his criticism of Peterson and pledge to “protect free speech, free expression, and institutional neutrality.”

On the opposite side, however, there were many who criticized Peterson’s remarks as inappropriate for a commencement ceremony, accusing him of injecting divisive anti-Israel activism into an event meant to celebrate graduates and warning that Jewish students already feel increasingly isolated on campus.

Michigan Hillel, the main Jewish student organization serving the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, wrote on Instagram, “Commencement is a celebration of every graduate. It is not a stage for political statements that alienate the Jewish community. Michigan Hillel is deeply troubled that this occasion was used in that way.”