Inside the case against the ‘Michigan 8’: Palestine activism recast as antisemitic terror

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/49128160

June 19, 2026

The main actions described in the indictment boil down to property damage, directed against the offices or homes of University of Michigan officials, the facilities of Rolls-Royce (which makes parts for Israeli army tanks) and Maersk (which ships military equipment to Israel), and the building of the Jewish Federation of Detroit (a major pro-Israel organization, as we will see). No person has been physically harmed by these actions.

Yet the indictment paints these actions as a form of antisemitic terrorism, drawing on the FBI’s extensive digital surveillance of the defendants. This narrative was crafted by the masters of deception – Trump’s Justice Department – and it does not stand up to scrutiny. While we do not know who was behind the actions (the defendants have pleaded not guilty), it is clear the actions have nothing to do with anti-Jewish racism or terrorism.