I chose Oak Park because its sense of community reminded me of my Palestinian village, where people looked after one another. I chose wisely because my Jewish friends have helped me endure the last three years of witnessing death and destruction in Gaza. Their compassion carries me through difficult days.
I have witnessed what occupation does to a family and the human spirit. I watched my uncle kneel with an assault rifle pointed at his head while his son was beaten unconscious. I stood in agony as the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) seized and destroyed my aunt’s home for an outpost. Weeks later, an army-imposed curfew led to my 12-year-old brother being taken for interrogation. My mother’s terrified expression remains seared into my memory.
My pregnant cousin Anhar was depressed and went for a walk. She unknowingly wandered into a settler outpost, where settlers beat her until she lost consciousness. She awoke in a prison cell, where she remained for six months. Accused of attempted murder because she had a pocketknife in her dress, she eventually took her own life.
More recently, settlers broke into my cousin’s goat pen and stole more than 200 goats, parading them through neighboring villages while the IDF stood guard. My family has endured unimaginable suffering. These are not abstract political arguments to me; they are lived experiences.
I also recognize Israeli suffering. I would not be true to my moral compass if I did not. Innocent people were murdered, and families were left terrified for loved ones taken hostage. I think of Vivian Silver, who worked toward Israeli-Palestinian peace, and Ofir Libstein, who pursued economic peace initiatives with Palestinians. Their loss is beyond tragic.
Peaceful protest is a nonviolent way to challenge injustice. That is why I am voting Yes to repeal ex-Governor Rauner’s anti-boycott law. I believe corporations should be free to use economic protest to challenge human rights violations without being penalized for their political convictions.
It saddens me to read claims that this referendum discriminates against Oak Park’s Jewish community. Criticizing a government’s policies is not the same as targeting Jewish people. Advocating for Palestinian rights does not mean rejecting or bringing harm to our neighbors.
A Yes vote is not antisemitism. It’s a commitment to free expression, human dignity and accountability. Coexistence requires honesty about injustice, even when the conversation is uncomfortable. Voting Yes sends a message to our legislators that we want change. We do not want to invest in war.
I believe in a new generation of Palestinians and Jews who refuse to inherit hatred. I will not surrender hope to those who seek to divide us. Fear feeds ignorance; compassion demands courage. We must stop silencing one another and begin the hard work of eradicating hate.
Voting Yes is a step in that direction.
Sources:
https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/06/1167790
Hajjar Herbert
Oak Park
