A memorial honoring the Bibas family at the University of Michigan was desecrated with “Free Palestine” and an inverted red triangle.
The memorial was painted on “The Rock” – a large boulder regularly repainted by UMich students – in orange with the names of Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel written on it in memory of the three Bibases who were murdered in Hamas captivity. Their bodies were returned to Israel in the recent hostage-prisoner exchange deal, and they were buried last week.
The words “Am Yisrael Chai” (The Jewish people lives) and an Israeli flag also appeared on the rock.
Overnight on March 1, just days after it was made on February 24, vandals blacked out the names of the three and sprayed the words “Free Palestine” along with the inverted red triangle, a known symbol used in Hamas propaganda to denote the targeting of enemies.
Students Supporting Israel in Michigan said, “Words fail to capture the moral depravity.”
Vandalism at the University of Michigan
Antisemitic vandalism is not new to UMich. In December, the home and vehicle of a Jewish regent were damaged and vandalized by anti-Israel activists.
The regent, Jordan Acker, found his family’s vehicle graffitied with the words “Divest” and “Free Palestine.”
According to photographs published by UMich Public Affairs, a red triangle was also scrawled on the car.
In April, two incidents of antisemitic vandalism equating a Star of David to a swastika were found outside the University of Michigan Hillel.