Far away from Tel Aviv, politicians in Chicago went to bat to defend Israel from a threat. What threat? A sculpture on display downtown at the Chicago Cultural Center that a Jewish member of the city council wanted removed. She swayed a majority of the city council to co-sign a call for Mayor Brandon Johnson to remove the artwork.
Did the “protest puppets” threaten Jewish people, demean Jews or mock Jews? No. They depicted the bloody hands of Israel’s prime minister and the U.S. government in the deaths of 60,000 Palestinians, according to The Lancet medical journal.
That’s in addition to reducing Gaza to rubble, driving Palestinians to starvation or the brink of starvation, displacing Gazans and leaving children to freeze to death.
“The free, public exhibit in the city-run building features bloodied caricatures of Uncle Sam and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described on a sign as ‘protest puppets.’
Writing on the wooden bases holding up the figures criticizes U.S. financial support for Israel’s war efforts in Gaza and labels the characters as ‘children killers’ and ‘murderers,’” the Chicago Tribune reported.
“The display is ‘extremely offensive’ and ‘crosses into unprotected hate speech,’ according to the letter addressed to Johnson, sent Wednesday and signed by 27 aldermen,” the Tribune reported Jan. 22.
Ald. Debra Silverstein, the city’s only Jewish council member, led the attack on the mayor and got the exhibit changed. She got the display’s title, “US-Israel War Machine,” removed, had a warning the exhibition “contains sensitive content” inserted, and removed a death count, according to the Tribune.
She called the exhibit “very anti-American, and very anti-Semitic.” She also blasted Mayor Johnson almost a year ago when Chicago called for a ceasefire in Gaza, the Tribune noted. Mayor Johnson cast the deciding vote that passed the measure.
Zionists care nothing for the truth and, unfortunately, neither do many Black politicians who kowtow to the Jewish community. They don’t care what principles are violated and don’t consider the loss of human life.
How can art that criticizes Mr. Netanyahu, an accused war criminal and leader of a government engaged in slaughter that has been internationally condemned, be anti-Semitic?
How can a puppet of Uncle Sam, representing the U.S. government sending weapons and billions since 2023 to bankroll the genocide, be anti-Semitic? It’s not.
The false cries of anti-Semitism are a tactic to bully and silence people as Israel wreaks havoc in Gaza, the West Bank and the Middle East without hindrance or criticism.
These Zionists care nothing for the righteous teachings of Moses and justify conduct that violates what he taught. They care nothing about lives they destroy in the United States.
Americans have lost their free speech rights, jobs, educational opportunities, reputations, security, contracts and even face prosecution for speaking out against the holocaust in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Blacks slammed the ADL, that many see as anti-Black, for excusing Elon Musk after what many saw as a Nazi salute when he spoke during President Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration celebration.
“This is a delicate moment. It’s a new day, and yet so many are on edge. Our politics are inflamed and social media only adds to the anxiety. It seems that Elon Musk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge in this moment.
All sides should give one another a bit of grace. Perhaps even the benefit of the doubt … . This is a new beginning. Let’s hope for healing and work toward unity in the months and years ahead,” the ADL said via X.
“If you’re brushing that off as an awkward gesture, you do it. Do it in public. Do it at work at your kid’s school. Try it at church. Do it at the ballgame. Say hi to your neighbor and do it. Yeah, that’s exactly what I thought.
The fact that some of you support the things that come with this man is disappointing af,” wrote DL Hughley, radio host and comedian, on Instagram.
There were many other comments posted on social media platforms pointing to the fact that the ADL has demanded and forced Black athletes and entertainers to apologize after accusing them of “anti-Semitism” or making “anti-Semitic” remarks.
Social media users pointed out that the ADL has gone after hip-hop artists Ye (formerly Kanye West) and 21 Savage; athletes Kyrie Irving and DeSean Jackson, actress and talk-show host Whoopi Goldberg, podcast host and commentator Candace Owens and the late, great Michael Jackson to name just a few.
Naba’a Muhammad is editor-in-chief of The Final Call newspaper. He can be reached via www.finalcall.com and [email protected]. Find him on Facebook. Follow @RMfinalcall on X and Instagram.