Facing backlash from Jewish groups over protest deal, UW-Milwaukee chancellor apologizes

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Chancellor Mark Mone has apologized amid backlash from the Jewish community over a deal he brokered with pro-Palestinian protesters to take down an encampment.

"It is clear to me that UWM should not have weighed in on deeply complex geopolitical and historical issues," Mone said in a Tuesday message to the campus community. "And for that, I apologize. I acknowledge that it is an increasingly difficult time for many Jewish students at UWM and across America. I’ve also heard that some students have not felt comfortable reporting their concerns or experiences. This distresses me. The expressions of grief and frustration over the conflict in the Middle East must not destabilize our shared sense of humanity or be twisted into a platform to spread hatred."

Jewish groups blasted UWM's agreement struck with pro-Palestinian students on May 12, saying it contained misinformation.

The deal called for a ceasefire in Gaza. It cited a United Nations expert and the International Court of Justice, noting that both have called Israel's actions a “plausible genocide.”

Some critics also took issue with UWM referring to Palestinian people detained in Israel as "hostages." They also rejected UWM's characterization of the Palestinian death toll. The agreement said the UN reported more than 34,000 innocent Palestinians had been killed, about 60% of whom were women, children and the elderly. But the Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths. It has said about two-thirds of deaths were women and children.

Jewish groups also said the deal failed to address ongoing antisemitic harassment on campus. Mone's latest statement condemned both antisemitism and Islamophobia, saying UWM should be welcoming to all.

UWM said the terms of the deal remained intact.

"We are focused on moving forward," the university said in a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, adding: "We are acknowledging the pain this caused for our Jewish community and that we should have been more explicit in our support for this community."

Groups respond to apology

The Milwaukee Jewish Federation and Hillel Milwaukee said in a statement Wednesday that they were glad Mone acknowledged that antisemitism is an "institutional problem at UWM that needs to be addressed."

But the two groups said they also remained "disappointed that the pro-Hamas propaganda included in the university’s original statement was not retracted." A university should not be a place where administrators "appease lawlessness by spreading misinformation," the groups said.

Meanwhile, an unsigned statement from Jewish students aligned with pro-Palestinian protesters said the apology was "cowardly" and that it was "antisemitic to assume that all Jewish students are made 'uncomfortable' by pro-Palestine rhetoric."

And pro-Palestinian groups said the Jewish groups' criticism of the deal amounted to a "new McCarthyism on campus," arguing they are invoking "false allegations of antisemitism to shut down the legitimate claims and gains of Palestine solidarity activism on campus."

The agreement initially drew the ire of UW System President Jay Rothman who, in a rare rebuke, issued a statement expressing disappointment in UW-Milwaukee. He said public universities need to focus on their education mission and remain neutral about controversial topics.

In response to Mone's apology, Rothman said he appreciated that the chancellor had "reassessed his approach."

"Chancellor Mone has dedicated his career to UWM, and I know he is committed to ensuring that all students feel equally welcome, safe, and supported as members of one UWM campus community," he said on social media.

Contact Kelly Meyerhofer at [email protected] or 414-223-5168. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @KellyMeyerhofer.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Facing backlash over protest deal, UW-Milwaukee chancellor apologizes