Pro-Israel Rally Denied, Anti-Israel March Approved During DNC in Chicago

The city of Chicago, known as former President Barack Obama’s adopted hometown, has granted permission for an anti-Israel protest to take place near the Democratic National Convention (DNC), while simultaneously denying a request for a pro-Israel rally in the same vicinity. This decision has sparked controversy and accusations of bias from the Israeli-American community.

The Israeli American Council (IAC), a nonprofit organization that represents Israeli-Americans and aims to strengthen ties between the United States and Israel, submitted two applications to Chicago’s Department of Transportation at the beginning of July, according to Aya Schechter, the group’s chief programming officer. However, with less than two weeks remaining before the convention, the IAC has not received a response from the city, despite numerous follow-ups via phone and email, as reported by Jewish Insider.

In contrast, the administration of Chicago’s Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson granted permission last month for a coalition of anti-Israel demonstrators to march near the United Center, the venue for the DNC, as part of their “March on the DNC.” Hatem Abudayyeh, a coalition spokesperson, expressed satisfaction with the decision, stating, “It’s a win. But it’s not the win. Organizing works. You put a little pressure on the powers that be, and you can move them.”

The IAC initially submitted an application in June for a demonstration within "sight and sound" of the United Center. The city rejected this application, citing concerns that it “would be a direct interference with a previously planned permitted activity or public assembly and would create public safety issues.” The city offered to allow a stationary rally on the convention’s final night, but it would have to be held in a park far from the venue. Schechter expressed dissatisfaction with the arrangement, saying, “It seems like we don’t have equitable access to whatever the other group was approved for. We didn’t get any offer to do a march, not even in an alternative location.”

Meanwhile, anti-Israel groups were still not satisfied with the concessions they received and petitioned U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood to permit them to march even closer to the convention.

Hatem Abudayyeh, a vocal advocate for the anti-Israel coalition, has reportedly supported the terrorist group Hamas for years. According to Canary Mission, Abudayyeh stated in a July 22, 2006, interview, “The U.S. and Israel will continue to describe Hamas, Hezbollah, and the other Palestinian and Lebanese resistance organizations as ‘terrorists,’ but the real terrorists are the governments and military forces of the U.S. and Israel … the Lebanese and Palestinian resistance must be supported.” Canary Mission also noted that in a March 20, 2017, interview, Abudayyeh praised Hamas for taking “the most leading role in the military resistance against Israel” and referred to Palestinian terror groups as “resistance forces.”

The city’s decision to grant permits to anti-Israel groups while stalling on a pro-Israel rally has raised questions about fairness and the right to free expression. As the Democratic National Convention approaches, these issues highlight the complex and often contentious landscape of public demonstrations and political expression in America.

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