Jul 10

Jul 10 AIPAC

Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Performance, Protest

3:00 PM? That is an odd time for a weekday demonstration. Noon makes sense, as does 5:00 PM or 6:00 PM, but 3:00 PM? At the appointed time, members of Justice in Palestine Chicago and several other student groups gathered outside the Midwest regional office of the American Israel Public Affairs’ (AIPAC) offices located at 230 West Monroe Street for a demonstration against the Israeli War in Gaza.

Midway through the demonstration, I undertook a quick headcount, which always produces a somewhat suspect count because it often difficult to differentiate the demonstrators from bystanders and other photographers. Today, 25 demonstrators, give or take four or five.

Despite being small in number, the demonstrators and those who spoke were both enthusiastic and vocal. More importantly, the speakers were articulate, making a solid case against Israel’s aggression in Gaza. I particularly liked one young woman’s remarks about the role of Christian fundamentalism plays in supporting Israel. The more substantive the remarks, the better. One young man, who spoke without notes, was so overcome by emotional that he had trouble spitting his words out. Very powerful.

As far as I know, this was the first demonstration outside of AIPAC’s Chicago offices, at least since October 7, 2023. Symbolically, It was an excellent choice, arguably better than the many demonstrations that have taken place outside the Midwest Offices of the Israeli Consulate General located in the Ogilvie Transportation Center at 500 West Madison Street. Better because AIPAC provides the money that for decades has locked politicians from both sides of the aisle into unwavering support for Israel. Not only does the AIPAC PAC’S website list the politicians who it supports, but it also makes reference to those that the PAC has defeated (without naming them). The site also permits people to make contributions directly to designated candidates, creating more leverage.

The AIPAC’s intense lobbying effort has made it virtually impossible for U.S. elected officials to criticize Israel. Speak up, and risk AIPAC’s and its PAC’s rath. As the world has turned on Israel, the U.S. has continued its unquestioning support, which means the U.S. supports the corrupt Netanyahu government and its policies toward the Palestinians.

Israel certainly had a right to respond to the Hamas’ October 7th attack, but Netanyahu has used the attack as a cover for what has become genocide and ethnic cleaning. The far right in Israel wants to re-occupy Gaza and seize the West Bank, replacing the Palestinians with Israeli settlers. The two-state solution is now largely off the table, guaranteeing continuing conflict.

To remain in power and avoid criminal prosecution, Netanyahu has capitulated to the far rights demands, resulting in tens of thousands of civilian deaths in Gaza and leaving the population on the verge of mass starvation. Rather than telling Israel and Netanyahu, “No,” the United States has continued to supply Israel with the weapons necessary to achieve the Israeli far right’s objectives, making Israel a pariah throughout the world. It is not the Consulate General who is providing the necessary leverage, but rather, AIPAC and its PAC.

[Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]