Illinois law currently prohibits our state pension funds from investing in companies that boycott the state of Israel. Following a petition drive that collected over 3,500 signatures, all Oak Park ballots for the Nov. 3 election include an advisory resolution asking for our vote to repeal or retain this pension law. We are Jewish Oak Parkers, and we will support the resolution by voting “Yes” to repeal the pension law.
Some companies believe that actions of the Israeli government and West Bank settlers have wrongfully harmed Palestinians, Gazans, and others in the Middle East. In our opinion, companies that oppose those actions should be able to express their views through a boycott, free from pension law penalties.
Some Jewish Oak Parkers believe the resolution “singles out” Israel. They think this “singling out” is discriminatory and threatening toward them and makes them feel unwelcome. However, we urge them to consider that the resolution focuses on Israel because Israel is the only country covered by the anti-boycott provisions of the pension law (40 ILCS 5/1-110.16).
Also, please know that Oak Park is home to non-Jewish Palestinians, Gazans, Arabs, and others whose families and friends have been harmed by actions of the state of Israel and West Bank settlers, and who thus view the anti-boycott pension law as unwelcoming and discriminating against them. Focusing only on the views of some Jewish Oak Parkers, while ignoring the views of other Oak Parkers, is itself discriminatory and egregiously self-centered.
Most Oak Parkers are not antisemitic and, of course, want to avoid doing anything that their Jewish friends and neighbors perceive as antisemitic. Voting Yes for the resolution might dismay some of your Jewish friends and neighbors. But, in the opinion of many other Jewish Oak Parkers including us, a Yes vote is not antisemitic and does not mean that Jews are not welcome in Oak Park. A Yes vote simply means you agree that companies should be able to express their opinions through boycotts, free from Illinois pension fund penalties.
Susan Messer & Jim Poznak
Oak Park