HUNTINGTON WOODS, Mich. (WXYZ) — University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker said his home and his car were vandalized overnight.
Acker posted photos on social media showing his wife's car vandalized with graffiti that says "Divest" and "Free Palestine" and said that two bricks were thrown through the windows of their home.
"This is a threat, okay, and this is a threat that Hamas does when they're going to kill people," Acker said.
See doorbell footage from a neighbor in the video below
"Kowing what this is yourself, what's that like when you see that on your vehicle at your home?" 7 News Detroit Reporter Carli Petrus asked.
"It tells you exactly what I've been saying for months about this group is that they're targeting me because I'm Jewish," he said.
The University of Michigan Office of Public Affairs released a statement on Monday that said in part, "The University of Michigan condemns these criminal acts in the strongest possible terms. They are abhorrent and, unfortunately, just the latest in a number of incidents where individuals have been harassed because of their work on behalf of the university. This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated."
Huntington Woods police said they are investigating the case, and are asking anyone with information to call them. They are also asking residents to check any surveillance video or doorbell cameras and report any findings.
"As a parent, it's the first thing you think about. The first thing I thought about was, oh my god, what are my girls, do they hear this. Do they know what's going on? This is an attack on my family," Acker told 7 News Detroit on Monday.
Acker's neighbor, Jeff Horner, said he found out about the attack on Monday morning.
"It's very dangerous, it's a huge violation of trust when your property is vandalized and the windows are broken and I certainly hope that some form of justice is served," Horner said.
Acker is now calling on the Michigan Attorney General and the FBI to arrest those responsible.
"People who engage in behavior like this should go to jail regardless of whether you agree with them on the underlying issues or not," he said.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer released a statement on Monday afternoon that says, "The antisemitic vandalism of University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker’s home and car is unacceptable. This was a criminal act of targeted hatred on an elected official’s personal property because he is Jewish. We cannot allow hateful acts to further fan the flames of division. We must come together and rise above."
In June, the law office of Goodman Acker was vandalized. More from that story below
It appears the spray-painted messages on the law office in June were targeting Acker.
"FREE PALESTINE," "DIVEST NOW," and "UM KILLS" were among the messages scrawled across the front of the building and the sidewalk on Ten Mile Road in Southfield. An obscenity directed at Acker was also included in the vandalism.
“Make no mistake, that targeting individual Jewish elected officials is anti-semitism. This has nothing to do with Palestine or the war in Gaza or anything else — this is done as a message to scare Jews," Acker said back in June.
VIDEO: Watch the full press conference with leaders and Acker from June in the player below:
Acker said, “This kind of hate action is not acceptable, targeting of individual Jews is not acceptable. Period."
