As one of the people quoted in Greg Voss’ Nov. 5 article, “Divisive Israel boycott referendum settled,” I must express my disappointment and objection to its framing. By choosing this title, Wednesday Journal abdicated any attempt at objective reporting on the issue. The misleading claim that the referendum was divisive and thus should be kept off the ballot has been an oft-repeated talking point of the “No” campaign. The “Yes” campaign has refuted that claim repeatedly. By choosing that title, your paper has taken a stand and even adopted the “No” campaign’s language.
The vote reveals that the majority of Oak Park voters agreed with us on our three issues: free speech, protesting Israel’s human rights abuses, and fiscal responsibility. This is a teachable moment for the leaders of the “No” campaign — an opportunity for self-reflection and genuine curiosity about why people overwhelmingly voted Yes. We of the “Yes” campaign remain open to dialogue and would welcome that conversation. We continue to hold educational events.
But it will do no good to deflect from the lessons of this campaign by insisting that the referendum divided us. Rather, the referendum revealed a divide that runs solidly through Oak Park and our entire country. The root cause of the divide is the longstanding U.S. military and political support for the state of Israel, allowing its ongoing atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank. This divide may be the starkest in the Jewish community. But even there, support for Israel is waning. An exit poll of Jewish voters conducted for J Street, a Jewish advocacy group, found that 60% of voters between the ages of 18 and 34 agreed with the statement that Israel has committed genocide and should no longer receive U.S. aid.*
Our referendum was about protecting the right to engage in economic sanctions. About boycotts as tools for pressuring Israel to change. If not boycott, then what? If there is a divide in this community about shielding Israel from sanctions, why hide that?
But please be clear about the origin of that divide, which is most decidedly not our referendum.
Deborah Adelman
Oak Park resident
https://forward.com/news/861026/exit-poll-jewish-voters-israel-antisemitism-2026