One of the posts referred to slain Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah as a “martyr.” By Corey Walker, The AlgemeinerThe Michigan Democratic Party on Sunday nominated attorney Amir Makled over incumbent Jordan Acker for the University of Michigan Board of Regents, drawing fresh scrutiny over Makled’s anti-Israel posture and defense of international terrorist organizations.Makled, a Dearborn-based civil rights attorney who has been outspoken in support of divestment from Israel, won the party’s nomination for one of two regent seats up for election this year, defeating Acker, who is Jewish and had become a frequent target of anti-Israel activists over his opposition to the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel on campus.The contest has drawn national attention because of the unusually broad authority held by University of Michigan regents, who are elected statewide and oversee the university’s finances, investments, executive leadership, and major institutional policy decisions.The eight-member board plays a central role in decisions ranging from presidential oversight to responses to campus protest movements and demands for divestment.For months, anti-Israel student activists and progressive organizers had pressed for changes to the board, arguing the university should divest from companies tied to Israel amid the war in Gaza.Acker, one of the board’s most vocal opponents of divestment, became a particular focus of that pressure campaign.In December 2024, pro-Hamas activists targeted Acker’s home with violent demonstrations, breaking his windows and spray-painting his car with the message “Divest Free Palestine.”The vandals also spray-painted an inverted red triangle on Acker’s car, a symbol used to indicate support for the Hamas terrorist group.Makled, who represented a student arrested during the university’s 2024 anti-Israel encampment protests, had argued publicly that the university should reconsider its investment policies regarding Israel.His nomination, however, also drew scrutiny over resurfaced and later-deleted social media posts in which he appeared to praise the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah and shared antisemitic content.The Michigan chapter of the Service Employees International Union reportedly withdrew its endorsement following the controversy.An investigation by The Detroit News revealed that Makled was found to have deleted social media posts praising leaders of Hezbollah.One of the posts referred to slain Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah as a “martyr.”He also reposted antisemitic messages from far-right commentator Candace Owens which referred to Israelis as “demons” who “lie, cheat, murder, and blackmail.”Supporters of Acker have argued the outcome reflects a broader deterioration in support for Israel and tolerance of antisemitism within Democratic politics, particularly among younger and more progressive voters.Some also noted that Paul Brown, Acker’s non-Jewish running mate who had similarly opposed divestment efforts, was renominated while Acker was not, making the result especially symbolic for many Jewish Democrats.The race underscores how university governance battles have become a new front in national political fights over Israel.While university divestment decisions are often constrained by legal and fiduciary obligations, regents can shape investment policy, institutional messaging, and the university’s overall posture toward such campaigns.With eight regents serving staggered terms and only two seats on the ballot this cycle, a single election does not determine the university’s investment policy outright.But activists on both sides increasingly view these races as critical long-term contests over whether public universities will resist or embrace institutional divestment from Israel.As the general election approaches, the regent race is likely to remain a closely watched test of how far the Democratic Party’s internal debate over Israel is reshaping not only national politics but also the leadership of major American universities.Recent polls indicate that Democratic constituents have rapidly shifted away from supporting Israel.The post Michigan Democrats nominate lawyer who praised Hezbollah for top university post appeared first on World Israel News.