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Roya News
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
Critics slam pro-'Israel' courses now required at US universities
Northwestern University is facing growing criticism over a mandatory anti-Semitism training video that many students and faculty say conflates anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism and misrepresents the Palestinian cause. The video, produced by the Jewish United Fund (JUF), is part of a broader trend of anti-Semitism trainings being introduced at US universities following pressure from the Trump administration to address anti-Semitism on campuses, or risk losing federal funding, the Guardian reported. In one segment of the video, titled anti-Semitism Here/Now, students are asked to play a guessing game distinguishing quotes by "anti-Israel activists" from those made by David Duke, a former Ku Klux Klan (KKK) leader. One disturbing quote, 'Every time I read Hitler, I fall in love again', is revealed to be from an "anti-Israel activist." The narrator concludes, 'The fact that you can't tell the difference is terrifying,' and adds, 'for most Jews, being anti-Israel and anti-Semitic are the same.' That framing has sparked anger among student groups, especially pro-Palestinian advocates and Jewish students who do not support Zionism. Graduate student Micol Bez called the video "shocking," accusing it of vilifying Palestinians and Jews who oppose 'Israel's' actions in Gaza. 'It explicitly requires students to adopt the position that all anti-Zionism is anti-Semitic,' she said. The training was made mandatory earlier this year. Under university policy, students who fail to complete the training are barred from class registration, and graduate students risk losing their stipends. Bez, who has watched the video but refuses to submit completion, has had a hold placed on her academic records. Northwestern's training comes amid a broader federal effort: At least 60 universities have been investigated by the US Department of Education for potential violations of Title VI, which prohibits discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or religion. Northwestern is one of several institutions under investigation and has implemented the training to comply with Trump's executive order aimed at combating anti-Semitism on campuses. Despite its adoption of the training, Northwestern's relationship with the federal government has remained strained. The university saw a USD 790 million cut in research funding, and some believe more pressure is coming. 'They thought this would save them , it did not,' said Noah Cooper, a sophomore and member of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). Critics, including Jewish advocacy and free speech groups, argue that the materials are one-sided, vague, and often distort history. Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of the liberal Zionist organization J Street, warned that the misuse of anti-Semitism to serve political agendas risks fueling real anti-Semitism. 'If people see universities threatened or programs cut in the name of anti-Semitism enforcement, that will backfire,' he said. The training video leans heavily on a controversial definition of anti-Semitism promoted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), which critics argue equates criticism of 'Israel' with anti-Semitism. It also refers to 'Israel' as having been founded 'on British land,' and uses the biblical term 'Judea and Samaria' for the West Bank, terminology favored by the 'Israeli' government but rejected by international consensus. 'The content is incredibly unscholarly,' said Bez. 'It erases the pain and suffering of Palestinian people and normalizes language used to justify the occupation.' The video is part of a broader mandatory curriculum titled Building a Community of Respect and Breaking Down Bias, which also includes videos addressing anti-Arab and anti-Muslim discrimination. However, students say the training lacks balance. While the anti-Semitism module presents a detailed defense of Zionism, the segments addressing Islamophobia do not include Palestinian perspectives or historical context regarding Gaza or the Israeli Occupation. 'Instead of encouraging critical thinking, the video promotes a singular worldview,' said Cooper, who completed the training. 'It's not about dialogue, it's about compliance.' Materials reviewed from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which has partnered with other universities such as Columbia to provide similar training, reinforce the same message. ADL toolkits label flyers criticizing 'Israel's' demolition of Palestinian homes as potentially anti-Semitic. Critics argue that conflating legitimate political critique with hate speech confuses students and chills free speech. 'Scaring schools into adopting rigid speech limitations flips the values of academic freedom and free speech on their head,' said Veronica Salama of the New York Civil Liberties Union. The training also encourages students to report peers, write op-eds, and coordinate with pro-'Israel' campus organizations like Hillel to respond to perceived bias. In response to criticism, Northwestern said in a statement that students are 'not required to agree' with the video and that it reflects the views of many in the Jewish community. 'We believe it is important for our students to have an understanding of that perspective,' the statement said. But for many, the issue remains unresolved. 'I am an anti-Zionist Jew,' said Cooper. 'And the video didn't make me feel safe or protected in any way it claimed it would.'
Chicago Tribune
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Letters: I am disturbed by what happened on Oct. 7 and what's happening in Gaza
The events of Oct. 7, 2023, shook me to my core, and its aftermath has turned my world upside down, leaving me questioning everything I was taught to believe in. I have done a great deal of soul-searching and am trying to better educate myself about the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. That a well-planned pogrom could have laid siege on Israeli citizens under the watchful eye of the Israeli government was a shock. But in the ensuing months and now years, I am deeply disturbed by the evisceration of the Gazan people through bombs, starvation, lack of medical care and a litany of other horrors. On both sides of the conflict, the death tolls are gut-wrenching, but comparing them seems flawed. There are still Israeli hostages being held in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to relentlessly attack the region, and to what end, leaves me shuddering. While participating recently in a Run For Their Lives walk, which advocates for the hostages held by Hamas, I was waging an internal battle about the multifaceted tragedy of the conflict. The perhaps dozen or so of us on this walk were dogged by a driver shouting pro-Palestinian phrases at us and at one point spitting on one of the participants. I did not think that individual was antisemitic so much as misinformed, angry and seeking a voice. In the current and deafening climate of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, immigration protests and military intervention, how is it possible to hear one another? Interestingly, I was given a 'Run for Their Lives' sign to carry during the walk. Scrawled on the other side was, 'Bibi it's time to resign.' Several of us on the Run For Their Lives walk could not agree the op-ed 'The phrase 'Free Palestine' is freeing no one, but it is killing some of us' (June 10): The phrase 'Free Palestine' is killing nobody. If we don't live in a world where basic human rights are valued pertaining to religious affiliation, ethnicity or color of skin, the phrase 'Free Palestine' shouldn't need pondering, since we all know what is freedom, especially when we are deprived of it, such as what is happening to the Palestinians. Therefore, the phrase 'Free Palestine' is not a 'license to kill' Jews or Zionists, as Jay Tcath, president of the Jewish United Fund, writes. However, Israelis and Americans have said these things: 'We are fighting human animals' (Defense Minister Yoav Gallant); 'There are no innocent civilians' in Gaza (hostage Mia Schem); 'We nuked the Japanese twice. … That needs to be the same here' (U.S. Rep. Randy Fine). Tcath doesn't condemn those words but tries to criminalize the 'Free Palestine' call for freedom. For those of us who are not Palestinian, 'Free Palestine' is a demand to end the apartheid in the only democracy in Middle East. 'Free Palestine' is our plea for forgiveness from the innocent kids of Gaza who have been killed, maimed or starved to death with the use of U.S. taxpayer money. 'Free Palestine' begs the divine for mercy; we beg to be set free from the burden we can't continue to carry watching the demise of humanity in Gaza. Free, free Palestine!Regarding the op-ed 'You can't separate anti-Zionism from antisemitism. Stop pretending you can' (June 12): In condemning violence against innocent Jewish people, my alderman, Brendan Reilly, equates anti-Zionism with antisemitism. In the same Tribune issue, I read the article 'Health officials: Palestinian death toll in war tops 55,000.' Surely, there is a disconnect here. The violence against innocent people, whether Jews or Palestinians, whether in this nation or the Middle East, surely needs to cease. To protest the oppressive and alienating policies of the present administration of Israel is to stand with many of my Jewish friends and neighbors, not to mention the Jewish members of my family. For a path forward, I'm convinced that anti-Zionism, in its totalitarian and exclusionist form, must be distinguished from antisemitism and be held to Shaw's op-ed should be required reading for all Chicagoans as well as the politicians he calls out ('Public officials must cut the fat before begging for taxpayer bailouts,' June 6). Shaw rightly calls out the bad players and their complete lack of integrity when dealing with their unsustainable bloated budgets. Shaw should also include the majority of roughly 7,000 governmental bodies in Illinois; the state has unfathomable pension debt. Additionally, we need an investigation into how much the lawsuits Illinois and Chicago are filing against the federal government are costing taxpayers. Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson's complete lack of accountability and their smug statements regarding their broken budgets are just more disregard for their constituents. They need to stop pointing the finger at others and start governing; state lawmakers and aldermen need to do that as well. All Illinoisans must wake up. Nothing is free, and we will all pay if drastic action is not taken now. Can we all write in Shaw for governor or mayor?Andy Shaw's opinion piece could not be more on point. Our mayor and governor try to scapegoat the president's policies for the financial disasters that decades of fiscal incompetence and mismanagement on the part of City Hall and Springfield have placed in the lap of taxpayers. Elected officials in City Hall and Springfield have no compunction about spending the hard-earned wages of the citizenry however they see fit. But they don't need to worry; their personal financial futures are secured by the bloated pension system they have awarded themselves. As in Washington, pork, waste, mismanagement, abuse and even outright fraud are too much a way of life that our elected officials have either created or turned a blind eye to. Too many are more interested in personal wealth and status than of actually serving the interests of the voting public. Less than 20% of Chicago voters approve of Mayor Brandon Johnson, yet he is spending Chicagoans into an abyss that we may never escape from. Gov. JB Pritzker is increasingly politically divisive in a divided state where the interests of Chicago too often trump those of the rest of Illinois. It's time for the electorate wake up. Voters should force the state and the city to enact term limits and recall measures to enable us to throw the bums out. That likely will never happen since those elected officials control the agenda, not the voters whom they should be serving.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jewish groups say local leaders must ‘stop tolerating hate' after embassy shooting in DC
CHICAGO — Jewish organization leaders and allies on Friday called for local elected officials and civic heads to 'stop tolerating hate in the guise of activism' following the fatal shooting this week of two Israeli Embassy employees, allegedly at the hands of a Chicago man. Flanked by officials from the American Jewish committee's Chicago office, the Jewish United Fund, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and several aldermen, the Anti-Defamation League's David Goldenberg said 'this is a major problem here in Chicago, and too many of our elected and civic leaders have not only been silent on the issue, but some continue to fan the flames of hate and antisemitism.' Although Goldenberg, who is the ADL's Midwest regional director, did not specifically call out anyone by name for their rhetoric, he was critical of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson for 'elevating people who have a history of being hostile to members (of) the Jewish community.' The alleged shooter, Chicagoan Elias Rodriguez, was charged Thursday in U.S. District Court with murder after shooting two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington on Wednesday night as they were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum. The two were identified as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. Authorities said Rodriguez 'spontaneously stated on scene to (police) 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,'' and a social media account attributed to the suspect shared a manifesto condemning the deaths of tens of thousands in Gaza and how civil protests had fallen short in stopping the war. Ald. Deborah Silverstein, 50th, the lone Jewish member of the Chicago City Council, said that 'the unpermitted protests that have overtaken our streets, the unsanctioned encampments on college campuses, the orchestrated walkouts in CPS schools … are not expression of free speech. These are breeding grounds for dangerous ideologies.' 'When our elected leaders enable and praise this behavior, it creates an atmosphere that encourages people to go out and harm Jews,' she said. 'We need our leaders to work to lower the temperature and defuse these extremist organizations that are spreading antisemitism and hate when it comes from within our own parties and from our own political base.' Johnson has overseen a sharp split among the Chicago City Council over the war in Gaza, including a heated debate over a resolution calling for a ceasefire in which the mayor became a tiebreaker to approve it. It came on the heels of a separate resolution also condemning the October 2023 Hamas attack. Johnson has described the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas as 'genocidal,' also calling for 'the immediate releasing of hostages, the end of these acts of terror and the end to this war.' Johnson committed to lowering the temperature at a Thursday press conference where he and CPD Supt. Larry Snelling addressed the incident. 'There's been so much animus that has been directed towards the Jewish community, and it's our collective responsibility,' the mayor said before pausing and saying, 'to be far more thoughtful about how we express our politics.' In a statement, Johnson's office reiterated his 'care and support for all Jewish people in Chicago and around the world' and said the mayor 'has consistently spoken out against antisemitism in Chicago,' including after the attack on two Jewish DePaul students, incidents of antisemitic graffiti in the 44th Ward and in condemning the Hamas attacks as 'one of the worst acts of terror we've witnessed.' Ahmed Rehab, executive director of Chicago's Council on American-Islamic Relations, said he disavowed the violence, but disagreed with the idea local protests sparked it. He argued protests have 'all been peaceful' and added that local protest groups do not know Rodriguez. 'I'm seeing the re-definition of antisemitism to include legitimate criticism of the genocide in Gaza in order to give cover,' he said. 'I see that as gaslighting.' Rodriguez participated in protests for progressive causes, including opposition to the war in Gaza, against Amazon's expansion locally and the police response to the death of Laquan McDonald. The spotlight on Rodriguez's politics also led to false and misleading claims circulated on social media of the alleged shooter's ties to Johnson allies, underscoring how charged the situation has become since Johnson made waves as the first big city mayor to endorse a ceasefire last year. Several viral social media posts incorrectly purporting to show Rodriguez alongside Johnson and several progressive aldermen in a political group's 'family photo' were seen by hundreds of thousands of users online. Ald. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, 33rd, who is also in the picture, confirmed the man falsely identified as the shooter was actually her former political director, Chris Poulos. Poulos confirmed to the Tribune that he was the man in the photo. 'This is exhausting and harmful. They can really put people in danger,' Ald. Rodriguez Sanchez said of the viral, incorrect posts. 'Our message has always been about peace.' Though some social media users deleted their claims about the photo when Poulos identified himself, Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, left several posts of the image up, one with the caption, 'Birds of a feather.' 'What they are inferring … is open to interpretation,' Lopez told the Tribune. He refused to say whether he meant to imply the shooter was pictured but said he would not take the photo down. Shlomo Soroka, a lobbyist for the Jewish orthodox organization Agudath Israel of Illinois, told the Tribune on Thursday that Johnson had called that morning to offer condolences and also 'conceded that perhaps he could have done better and can do better in terms of dealing with our community and the sensitivities we have.' The mayor's office did not respond to a request for comment on the conversation. Soroka said the mayor had given him permission to post about their conversation on social media. Soroka said he told the mayor 'a lot of the people he surrounds himself with and is associated with are responsible for what happened. There's a movement that has created a climate in which it's acceptable to talk in ways that facilitate violent behavior against Jewish people (that have) nothing to do with the Middle East conflict … you're going to have to be more vocal and call out people that are your friends and allies. And he said, 'You have my word and my commitment.'' But during Friday's press conference, which was also attended by Nancy Andrade, the chair of the city's Commission on Human Relations, Goldenberg and others had harsh words for the mayor. Goldenberg pointed the controversy over the mayor's previous handpicked school board president, Pastor Mitchell Johnson, who resigned last year after coming under fire, in part, for social media posts that were deemed antisemitic, misogynistic and conspiratorial. 'If you're the mayor, you stop appointing and elevating people who have a history of being hostile to members to the Jewish community. And when you find out that they have that history, you get rid of them,' Goldenberg said, adding he was speaking for the ADL. 'Think about Pastor Johnson. The antisemitism isn't what doomed him. It was the 9/11 conspiracies. The antisemitism was known for multiple days, and the mayor continued to allow him to have the job of being the head of the CPS board. It wasn't until he came out that he was in a 9/11 conspiracy theorist and said it was an 'inside job,' that he lost his gig and was forced to step down.' Johnson appointed Cydney Wallace, a leader on the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, to fill the vacant Board of Education seat. Goldenberg on Friday said state elected officials could take concrete steps to curb antisemitism, including passing a pending bill that mandates hate crime training for law enforcement, develop a statewide plan to combat antisemitism and for the state's department of education to implement digital media literacy curriculum so children could spot online hate. The hate crime training bill, Goldenberg said, was being held up by members of the General Assembly's progressive caucus. 'This legislation has now been in the House for two years, and we've had a number of conversations about it,' state Rep. Bob Morgan, the bill's sponsor, told the Tribune Thursday. Members have 'expressed concerns to make sure that whatever this training is, that it's done in a way that really is protecting all communities.' 'It's certainly on top of my mind to make sure we do this and do this quickly,' given Wednesday's shooting, Morgan said. Abdelnasser Rashid, the first Palestinian-American to serve in the Illinois General Assembly, said he 'had been engaging in good faith' efforts to amend the bill to ensure that those supporting Palestinian rights that wear or display the watermelon symbol or wear a keffiyeh, for example, aren't deemed antisemitic. Conflating 'advocacy for Palestinian rights with antisemitism … is abominable.' Leaders have an obligation to call out messaging that 'celebrates and calls for violence against Jews,' Goldenberg said. 'Saying 'Free, free Palestine, in and of itself, is not antisemitic,' he said, but signs or chants about globalizing the intifada or glorifying martyrdom should be 'shut down.' 'The irony that these young folks, 26 and 30-years-old, about to get engaged on a trip to Israel, were gunned down as they exited this (diplomatic) event after dedicating their lives towards the progress of peace is the actual illustration of what is going on on our planet right now with antisemitism,' Beth Ida Stern, the interim regional director of the American Jewish Committee Chicago office said. 'The only solution is for us to coalesce, build understanding, overcome our differences and realize that our similarities are what tie us together as human beings.' _____ Tribune reporters Jeremy Gorner and Alice Yin contributed. _____
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jewish groups in Chicago say local leaders must ‘stop tolerating hate' after Washington, DC fatal shootings
Jewish organization leaders and allies on Friday called for local elected officials and civic heads to 'stop tolerating hate in the guise of activism' following the fatal shooting this week of two Israeli embassy employees, allegedly at the hands of a Chicago man. Flanked by officials from the American Jewish committee's Chicago office, the Jewish United Fund, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and several aldermen, the Anti-Defamation League's David Goldenberg said 'this is a major problem here in Chicago, and too many of our elected and civic leaders have not only been silent on the issue, but some continue to fan the flames of hate and antisemitism.' Although Goldenberg, who is the ADL's Midwest regional director, did not specifically call out anyone by name for their rhetoric, he was critical of Mayor Brandon Johnson for 'elevating people who have a history of being hostile to members (of) the Jewish community.' The alleged shooter, Chicagoan Elias Rodriguez, was charged Thursday in U.S. District Court with murder after shooting two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington on Wednesday night as they were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum. The two were identified as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. Authorities said Rodriguez 'spontaneously stated on scene to (police) 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,' and a social media account attributed to the suspect shared a manifesto condemning the deaths of tens of thousands in Gaza and how civil protests had fallen short in stopping the war. Ald. Deborah Silverstein, 50th, the lone Jewish member of the Chicago City Council, said that 'the unpermitted protests that have overtaken our streets, the unsanctioned encampments on college campuses, the orchestrated walkouts in CPS schools … are not expression of free speech. These are breeding grounds for dangerous ideologies.' 'When our elected leaders enable and praise this behavior, it creates an atmosphere that encourages people to go out and harm Jews,' she said. 'We need our leaders to work to lower the temperature and defuse these extremist organizations that are spreading antisemitism and hate when it comes from within our own parties and from our own political base.' Johnson has overseen a sharp split among the Chicago City Council over the war in Gaza, including a heated debate over a resolution calling for a ceasefire in which the mayor became a tiebreaker to approve it. It came on the heels of a separate resolution also condemning the October 2023 Hamas attack. Johnson has described the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas as 'genocidal,' also calling for 'the immediate releasing of hostages, the end of these acts of terror and the end to this war.' Johnson committed to lowering the temperature at a Thursday press conference where he and CPD Supt. Larry Snelling addressed the incident. 'There's been so much animus that has been directed towards the Jewish community, and it's our collective responsibility,' the mayor said before pausing and saying, 'to be far more thoughtful about how we express our politics.' In a statement, Johnson's office reiterated his 'care and support for all Jewish people in Chicago and around the world' and said the mayor 'has consistently spoken out against antisemitism in Chicago,' including after the attack on two Jewish DePaul students, incidents of antisemitic graffiti in the 44th Ward and in condemning the Hamas attacks as 'one of the worst acts of terror we've witnessed.' Ahmed Rehab, executive director of Chicago's Council on American-Islamic Relations, said he disavowed the violence, but disagreed with the idea local protests sparked it. He argued protests have 'all been peaceful' and added that local protest groups do not know Rodriguez. 'I'm seeing the re-definition of antisemitism to include legitimate criticism of the genocide in Gaza in order to give cover,' he said. 'I see that as gaslighting.' Rodriguez participated in protests for progressive causes, including opposition to the war in Gaza, against Amazon's expansion locally and the police response to the death of Laquan McDonald. The spotlight on Rodriguez's politics also led to false and misleading claims circulated on social media of the alleged shooter's ties to Johnson allies, underscoring how charged the situation has become since Johnson made waves as the first big city mayor to endorse a ceasefire last year. Several viral social media posts incorrectly purporting to show Rodriguez alongside Johnson and several progressive aldermen in a political group's 'family photo' were seen by hundreds of thousands of users online. Ald. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, 33rd, who is also in the picture, confirmed the man falsely identified as the shooter was actually her former political director, Chris Poulos. Poulos confirmed to the Tribune that he was the man in the photo. 'This is exhausting and harmful. They can really put people in danger,' Ald. Rodriguez Sanchez said of the viral, incorrect posts. 'Our message has always been about peace.' Though some social media users deleted their claims about the photo when Poulos identified himself, Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, left several posts of the image up, one with the caption, 'Birds of a feather.' 'What they are inferring … is open to interpretation,' Lopez told the Tribune. He refused to say whether he meant to imply the shooter was pictured but said he would not take the photo down. Shlomo Soroka, a lobbyist for the Jewish orthodox organization Agudath Israel of Illinois, told the Tribune on Thursday that Johnson had called that morning to offer condolences and also 'conceded that perhaps he could have done better and can do better in terms of dealing with our community and the sensitivities we have.' The mayor's office did not respond to a request for comment on the conversation. Soroka said the mayor had given him permission to post about their conversation on social media. Soroka said he told the mayor 'a lot of the people he surrounds himself with and is associated with are responsible for what happened. There's a movement that has created a climate in which it's acceptable to talk in ways that facilitate violent behavior against Jewish people (that have) nothing to do with the Middle East conflict … you're going to have to be more vocal and call out people that are your friends and allies. And he said, 'You have my word and my commitment.'' But during Friday's press conference, which was also attended by Nancy Andrade, the chair of the city's Commission on Human Relations, Goldenberg and others had harsh words for the mayor. Goldenberg pointed the controversy over the mayor's previous handpicked school board president, Pastor Mitchell Johnson, who resigned last year after coming under fire, in part, for social media posts that were deemed antisemitic, misogynistic and conspiratorial. 'If you're the mayor, you stop appointing and elevating people who have a history of being hostile to members to the Jewish community. And when you find out that they have that history, you get rid of them,' Goldenberg said, adding he was speaking for the ADL. 'Think about Pastor Johnson. The antisemitism isn't what doomed him. It was the 9/11 conspiracies. The antisemitism was known for multiple days, and the mayor continued to allow him to have the job of being the head of the CPS board. It wasn't until he came out that he was in a 9/11 conspiracy theorist and said it was an 'inside job,' that he lost his gig and was forced to step down.' Johnson appointed Cydney Wallace, a leader on the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, to fill the vacant Board of Education seat. Goldenberg on Friday said state elected officials could take concrete steps to curb antisemitism, including passing a pending bill that mandates hate crime training for law enforcement, develop a statewide plan to combat antisemitism and for the state's department of education to implement digital media literacy curriculum so children could spot online hate. The hate crime training bill, Goldenberg said, was being held up by members of the General Assembly's progressive caucus. 'This legislation has now been in the House for two years, and we've had a number of conversations about it,' state Rep. Bob Morgan, the bill's sponsor, told the Tribune Thursday. Members have 'expressed concerns to make sure that whatever this training is, that it's done in a way that really is protecting all communities.' 'It's certainly on top of my mind to make sure we do this and do this quickly,' given Wednesday's shooting, Morgan said. Abdelnasser Rashid, the first Palestinian-American to serve in the Illinois General Assembly, said he 'had been engaging in good faith' efforts to amend the bill to ensure that those supporting Palestinian rights that wear or display the watermelon symbol or wear a keffiyeh, for example, aren't deemed antisemitic. Conflating 'advocacy for Palestinian rights with antisemitism … is abominable.' Leaders have an obligation to call out messaging that 'celebrates and calls for violence against Jews,' Goldenberg said. 'Saying 'Free, free Palestine, in and of itself, is not antisemitic,' he said, but signs or chants about globalizing the intifada or glorifying martyrdom should be 'shut down.' 'The irony that these young folks, 26 and 30-years-old, about to get engaged on a trip to Israel, were gunned down as they exited this (diplomatic) event after dedicating their lives towards the progress of peace is the actual illustration of what is going on on our planet right now with antisemitism,' Beth Ida Stern, the interim regional director of the American Jewish Committee Chicago office said. 'The only solution is for us to coalesce, build understanding, overcome our differences and realize that our similarities are what tie us together as human beings.' Tribune reporters Jeremy Gorner and Alice Yin contributed.
Chicago Tribune
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Jewish groups in Chicago say local leaders must ‘stop tolerating hate' after Washington, DC fatal shootings
Jewish organization leaders and allies on Friday called for local elected officials and civic heads to 'stop tolerating hate in the guise of activism' following the fatal shooting this week of two Israeli embassy employees, allegedly at the hands of a Chicago man. Flanked by officials from the American Jewish committee's Chicago office, the Jewish United Fund, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and several aldermen, the Anti-Defamation League's David Goldenberg said 'this is a major problem here in Chicago, and too many of our elected and civic leaders have not only been silent on the issue, but some continue to fan the flames of hate and antisemitism.' Although Goldenberg, who is the ADL's Midwest regional director, did not specifically call out anyone by name for their rhetoric, he was critical of Mayor Brandon Johnson for 'elevating people who have a history of being hostile to members (of) the Jewish community.' The alleged shooter, Chicagoan Elias Rodriguez, was charged Thursday in U.S. District Court with murder after shooting two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington on Wednesday night as they were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum. The two were identified as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. Authorities said Rodriguez 'spontaneously stated on scene to (police) 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,' and a social media account attributed to the suspect shared a manifesto condemning the deaths of tens of thousands in Gaza and how civil protests had fallen short in stopping the war. Ald. Deborah Silverstein, 50th, the lone Jewish member of the Chicago City Council, said that 'the unpermitted protests that have overtaken our streets, the unsanctioned encampments on college campuses, the orchestrated walkouts in CPS schools … are not expression of free speech. These are breeding grounds for dangerous ideologies.' 'When our elected leaders enable and praise this behavior, it creates an atmosphere that encourages people to go out and harm Jews,' she said. 'We need our leaders to work to lower the temperature and defuse these extremist organizations that are spreading antisemitism and hate when it comes from within our own parties and from our own political base.' Johnson has overseen a sharp split among the Chicago City Council over the war in Gaza, including a heated debate over a resolution calling for a ceasefire in which the mayor became a tiebreaker to approve it. It came on the heels of a separate resolution also condemning the October 2023 Hamas attack. Johnson has described the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas as 'genocidal,' also calling for 'the immediate releasing of hostages, the end of these acts of terror and the end to this war.' Johnson committed to lowering the temperature at a Thursday press conference where he and CPD Supt. Larry Snelling addressed the incident. 'There's been so much animus that has been directed towards the Jewish community, and it's our collective responsibility,' the mayor said before pausing and saying, 'to be far more thoughtful about how we express our politics.' Ahmed Rehab, executive director of Chicago's Council on American-Islamic Relations, said he disavowed the violence, but disagreed with the idea local protests sparked it. He argued protests have 'all been peaceful' and added that local protest groups do not know Rodriguez. 'I'm seeing the re-definition of antisemitism to include legitimate criticism of the genocide in Gaza in order to give cover,' he said. 'I see that as gaslighting.' Rodriguez participated in protests for progressive causes, including opposition to the war in Gaza, against Amazon's expansion locally and the police response to the death of Laquan McDonald. The spotlight on Rodriguez's politics also led to false and misleading claims circulated on social media of the alleged shooter's ties to Johnson allies, underscoring how charged the situation has become since Johnson made waves as the first big city mayor to endorse a ceasefire last year. Several viral social media posts incorrectly purporting to show Rodriguez alongside Johnson and several progressive aldermen in a political group's 'family photo' were seen by hundreds of thousands of users online. Ald. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, 33rd, who is also in the picture, confirmed the man falsely identified as the shooter was actually her former political director, Chris Poulos. Poulos confirmed to the Tribune that he was the man in the photo. 'This is exhausting and harmful. They can really put people in danger,' Ald. Rodriguez Sanchez said of the viral, incorrect posts. 'Our message has always been about peace.' Though some social media users deleted their claims about the photo when Poulos identified himself, Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, left several posts of the image up, one with the caption, 'Birds of a feather.' 'What they are inferring … is open to interpretation,' Lopez told the Tribune. He refused to say whether he meant to imply the shooter was pictured but said he would not take the photo down. Shlomo Soroka, a lobbyist for the Jewish orthodox organization Agudath Israel of Illinois, told the Tribune on Thursday that Johnson had called that morning to offer condolences and also 'conceded that perhaps he could have done better and can do better in terms of dealing with our community and the sensitivities we have.' The mayor's office did not respond to a request for comment on the conversation. Soroka said the mayor had given him permission to post about their conversation on social media. Soroka said he told the mayor 'a lot of the people he surrounds himself with and is associated with are responsible for what happened. There's a movement that has created a climate in which it's acceptable to talk in ways that facilitate violent behavior against Jewish people (that have) nothing to do with the Middle East conflict … you're going to have to be more vocal and call out people that are your friends and allies. And he said, 'You have my word and my commitment.'' But during Friday's press conference, which was also attended by Nancy Andrade, the chair of the city's Commission on Human Relations, Goldenberg and others had harsh words for the mayor. Goldenberg pointed the controversy over the mayor's previous handpicked school board president, Pastor Mitchell Johnson, who resigned last year after coming under fire, in part, for social media posts that were deemed antisemitic, misogynistic and conspiratorial. 'If you're the mayor, you stop appointing and elevating people who have a history of being hostile to members to the Jewish community. And when you find out that they have that history, you get rid of them,' Goldenberg said, adding he was speaking for the ADL. 'Think about Pastor Johnson. The antisemitism isn't what doomed him. It was the 9/11 conspiracies. The antisemitism was known for multiple days, and the mayor continued to allow him to have the job of being the head of the CPS board. It wasn't until he came out that he was in a 9/11 conspiracy theorist and said it was an 'inside job,' that he lost his gig and was forced to step down.' Goldenberg on Friday said state elected officials could take concrete steps to curb antisemitism, including passing a pending bill that mandates hate crime training for law enforcement, develop a statewide plan to combat antisemitism and for the state's department of education to implement digital media literacy curriculum so children could spot online hate. The hate crime training bill, Goldenberg said, was being held up by members of the General Assembly's progressive caucus. 'This legislation has now been in the House for two years, and we've had a number of conversations about it,' state Rep. Bob Morgan, the bill's sponsor, told the Tribune Thursday. Members have 'expressed concerns to make sure that whatever this training is, that it's done in a way that really is protecting all communities.' 'It's certainly on top of my mind to make sure we do this and do this quickly,' given Wednesday's shooting, Morgan said. Abdelnasser Rashid, the first Palestinian-American to serve in the Illinois General Assembly, said he 'had been engaging in good faith' efforts to amend the bill to ensure that those supporting Palestinian rights that wear or display the watermelon symbol or wear a keffiyeh, for example, aren't deemed antisemitic. Conflating 'advocacy for Palestinian rights with antisemitism … is abominable.' Leaders have an obligation to call out messaging that 'celebrates and calls for violence against Jews,' Goldenberg said. 'Saying 'Free, free Palestine, in and of itself, is not antisemitic,' he said, but signs or chants about globalizing the intifada or glorifying martyrdom should be 'shut down.' 'The irony that these young folks, 26 and 30-years-old, about to get engaged on a trip to Israel, were gunned down as they exited this (diplomatic) event after dedicating their lives towards the progress of peace is the actual illustration of what is going on on our planet right now with antisemitism,' Beth Ida Stern, the interim regional director of the American Jewish Committee Chicago office said. 'The only solution is for us to coalesce, build understanding, overcome our differences and realize that our similarities are what tie us together as human beings.'
