On the November ballot, you will be asked to vote on a referendum question, “Should the State of Illinois repeal laws that ban state investment in businesses that boycott the State of Israel?”
The law in question – part of the Illinois Pension Code – governs investments by Illinois Pension Funds. Proponents are pitching this as a free speech initiative. That is disingenuous and manipulative. It does not concern your free speech, or the free speech rights of anyone. It governs pension investments. If free speech were the issue, the proponents would be advocating against the many other, non-Israel focused restrictions in this pension code provision.
Instead, this referendum is a political statement. It is part of the BDS movement, (Boycott, Disinvest and Sanction), which seeks to use economic sanctions to influence Israelis to change their views. According to Brookings, Israel’s economy is too strong for economic sanctions to have any impact on its actions or policies. The lack of investment by Illinois pension funds into companies that boycott Israel would have to result in a material impact on the Israeli economy such that Israelis would change their views or actions.
From this perspective, the BDS movement fails to achieve its ends. International impact = nothing.
Instead, this referendum is a local political statement. It is asking Oak Parkers to divide our community into an “us” and a “them.”
It comes on the heels of increasing levels of antisemitism in Oak Park. In recent years, Oak Park has seen swastikas, slurs and threatening messages scrawled on the walls at the high school, and Pilgrim Church, a creepy sign made out of sticks that spelled out “No Jew” laid out on the grass at 327 S. Home. A Jewish OPRF teacher resigned citing a hostile climate for Jewish teachers and students. Another high school teacher expressed antisemitism loudly and often.
Jewish congressional candidate Jason Friedman was allegedly heckled and shouted down at a Democratic Party of Oak Park meeting by about 20 attendees. And a Jewish candidate for school board, was the subject of flyers calling him a Zionist fanatic.
We have Oak Parkers posting social media comments that repeat time-worn tropes suggesting that “the Jews” exercise a secret or disproportionate amount of power. Others wrongly minimize legitimate complaints of antisemitism by describing them as “the weaponization of antisemitism.”
Our temples are guarded with armed security and locked doors. The increase in antisemitism in Oak Park is shameful. Jewish community members feel threatened, harmed and unwelcome. We cannot allow any group of residents to feel this way. We owe our vote to those most impacted by this referendum.
Oak Park is defined by its commitment to diversity and inclusion. If this passes, it will be the first time Oak Park has singled out a group of people to let them know their safety, their concerns and their feelings of being hated, blamed and discriminated against do not matter.
Local impact = Harm
Vote No.
Sources:
Simone Boutet
Oak Park