Pro‑Palestinian protests and Israel Independence Day: Two sides in Chicago

Members of the Israeli community in Chicago celebrated the 76 anniversary of Israel's independence in Chicago. Among the speakers were families of people held hostage by Hamas. Simultaneously, Pro-Palestinian activists demonstrated on the streets of Chicago. Significantly, Chicago police reported peaceful occurrences, and no one was arrested during these events.

Members of the Jewish United Fund in Chicago raised the Iranian flag on Daley Plaza. As the participants said, the celebration was marked by hope from the past and uncertainty from the present.

In his speech, Dan Goldwin from the Jewish United Fund claimed, "We need to celebrate and come together and strike a balance. How do we remember those who were hurt and continue to be hurt on October 7th, but also celebrate the 76th anniversary of the miracle of Israel?"

Yinam Cohen, Israel's consul general in Chicago, stated, "It feels like we have very few reasons to celebrate this year." He added, "We love Israel not because it's perfect, but because it is ours—the one and only Jewish state in the entire world."

Leah Polin, grandmother of one of the hostages kept by Hamas - Hersh Goldberg Polin - promised that "We will not stop until Hersh and the other 131 hostages are free and released from their hell." The current situation of the hostages remains unknown.

Simultaneously, on the other side, the Pro-Palestinian protest was unfolding on the streets of Chicago, led by the U.S. Palestinian Community Network with around 1,000 protestors. According to Amna Savic from the Community Network, the demonstrators opted for peace for all people and recognition of the 750,000 exiled Palestinians from the territory of today's Israel, which was the result of the Israle emergence.

Hatem Abudayyeh of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network addressed that Israelis "heard us loud and clear" and that Palestinians "were here to challenge them and say racists are not welcomed here." He also questioned the moral questions behind the Israeli Independence Day celebration. "How can anybody in the world celebrate that? Especially now, I wouldn't celebrate if there wasn't a war. I could definitely not celebrate it when 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in the last seven months," he said.

This summer Chicago will hold Democratic National Convention which is supposed to be one of the most memorable and eye-catching conventions underscoring the events unfolding in Gaza. Abudayyeh expects it to be one of the most massive mobilizations in the history of Chicago.

Source: CBS News, Chicago Tribune