Like many Oak Parkers, I have been devastated by the news from Gaza and now the West Bank, for the past three years. I have attended vigils, contacted Congressman Davis and our two senators, and helped raise money for humanitarian aid to Gaza.
So when I was asked to support the November referendum to repeal Illinois’ anti-boycott law, I initially wondered: Why is this an effective idea? What is the point of voting on something that isn’t a candidate and isn’t binding on our elected officials?
I want to do something concrete — something that opposes the systematic destruction in Palestine and the laws in this country that help sustain it. Like other residents, the more I learned about Illinois’ anti-boycott law and how it is used to protect Israel from accountability, the more I saw this as something my neighbors and I could work together to change.
I have learned that an advisory referendum, if supported by a large number of voters, creates a collective voice to our elected representatives. Our collective Yes vote in November would send a clear message to state Senators Harmon and Lightford and Representatives Lilly and Ford: We believe the First Amendment applies to everyone, without fear or favor, and we expect you to act on that principle.
We don’t believe singling out one country — Israel — for protection from boycott is consistent with our Constitution or our commitment to human rights. We expect our representatives to join the 37 legislators who have already cosponsored the bill to repeal the law — and to vote for repeal when it reaches the floor of the Illinois House and Senate.
Oak Parkers are used to acting on our values in our day-to-day decisions and as a community — whether marching on No Kings Days or gathering in our neighborhoods with our whistles.
If Oak Park votes Yes, our elected representatives will know that this is something we expect them to act on. Vote Yes, so that our representatives will vote Yes in Springfield to repeal the anti-boycott law.
Nicole Lombardi
Oak Park