Hundreds in Chicago protested against a speaking event by former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday as he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visit the U.S. despite being wanted for charges of crimes against humanity by international authorities.
In a rally attended by over 500 people, according to organizers, anti-war activists condemned Gallant as he was slated to speak at Anshe Emet, a Chicago synagogue, in an event hosted by Friends of the IDF.
The protest was organized by the Coalition for Justice in Palestine, U.S. Palestinian Community Network, Palestinian Youth Movement Chicago, Jewish Voice for Peace Chicago, and IfNotNow Chicago. Demonstrators flooded the streets outside of Anshe Emet flying Palestinian flags, with the rally featuring several speakers, including a rabbi and someone who attends Anshe Emet.
“I have been a congregant here for six years,” protester Lev Gray told the crowd, pointing at the synagogue. “Last week, I found out that they would be inviting Yoav Gallant to speak here. I was horrified and I was disgusted.” Gray said that many other congregants of Anshe Emet have also spoken out against Gallant’s event.
Protesters charged Gallant with being guilty of committing genocide in Gaza. They read the ICC’s arrest warrant aloud and called for Gallant to be sent to the Hague.
“War criminals need to be held to justice. Hosting one in a synagogue is an affront to Palestinians and a disgrace to the Jewish community,” said Rabbi Brant Rosen, who attended the protest.
In a press release on the rally, the groups said that it is especially heinous that Gallant and Netanyahu are allowed to travel to the United States while being wanted for alleged war crimes while regular people in the U.S. are being targeted and criminalized by departments like ICE.
“That Gallant is travelling to the U.S. is a reminder that our country continues to enable violence and destruction at home and abroad,” the groups said. “While millions of people in the US are afraid to leave their houses due to ICE raids, war criminals who have extinguished bloodlines in Gaza feel empowered to go on U.S. speaking tours.”
Netanyahu fired Gallant from his position as defense minister in November, after Gallant had helped conduct Israel’s military through genocide for over a year. His ousting came just weeks before the ICC issued warrants for the two officials for using starvation as a weapon of war, targeting a civilian population and crimes against humanity.
Though Gallant sometimes butted heads with Netanyahu, the anti-Zionist groups pointed out that he is just as culpable in Israel’s assault of Gaza and has previously referred to Palestinians as “human animals” when he called for a “complete siege” on Gaza just two days after the October 7, 2023, attack.
“Despite these crimes against humanity, Gallant is frequently portrayed in mainstream media as a member of the anti-Netanyahu ‘opposition.’ His current speaking tour is an attempt to launder his reputation to that effect,” the groups said. “But no number of flattering media pieces can hide the fact that Gallant personally oversaw Israel’s assault on Gaza that has left scores of Palestinians dead and millions displaced from their homes.”
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