Chicago police ramp up security at places of worship as protests against Israel continue
Local Israeli, Muslim leaders bracing for upticks of Islamophobia, antisemitism
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago police are ramping up security at places of worship while protesters continue their calls for a cease-fire on Tuesday night.
A rallying cry was heard outside the Israel Consulate of Chicago following a gathering of a few hundred people with the U.S. Palestinian Community Network at Federal Plaza.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
The group continued its protest against Israel, saying the nation's aggressions in Lebanon and Gaza could start a region-wide war in the Middle East.
"We need to stop this madness. We need a ceasefire and end to genocide, and the United States government can deliver that by cutting all aid to Israel," said Muhammad Sankari with the U.S. Palestinian Community Network.
This comes on the heels of Tuesday's Iranian missile assault launched into Israel.
Consul General of Israel to the Midwest Yinam Cohen condemned the attack, promising a response.
Cohen said 10 million Israelis were forced to take refuge in bomb shelters. That's essentially the entire population of the country.
Cohen said, in Chicago, they're working with local authorities to make sure the upcoming celebrations of Rosh Hashanah will be as happy, calm and relaxed as possible, even in the face of the latest missile strikes from Iran.
"It was a very sophisticated operation in terms of the missile defense, for sure. But, the same time, we measure the Iranian attack not by the impact that it had, but by the intention that they had. And the intentions were very severe, and Israel is going to respond strongly to this attack," Cohen said. "Israel was able to intercept the vast majority of these missiles with some American support, and very few of them fell and impacted Israeli territory."
Cohen said the strikes amounted to property damage and a few injuries, but no casualties.
"We measure the Iranian attack, not by the impact that it had, but by the intention that they had. And, the intentions were very severe, and Israel is going to respond strongly to this attack," Cohen said.
Iran said it targeted Israel in response to the killing of several top Hezbollah leaders.
The promise of response from top Israeli officials is now leaving the rest of the world to speculate about the potential for wider war across the Middle East.
The Council on American Islamic Relations in Chicago, a nonprofit supporting the civil rights of Muslims, is also speaking out.
Maggie Slavin with CAIR said the attacks from Iran were not surprising. Slavin said, first and foremost, CAIR is concerned about the safety of civilians, both in Iran and Israel, but particularly Israel. Still, she said the missile strikes from Iran are not unprovoked.
"So, it's important that this didn't just happen in a vacuum, right? Like, there have been multiple escalations by Israel, you know, into Lebanon, and on Lebanese territory, and especially in the south of Lebanon, that have directly hurt civilians," Slavin said. "So, I don't think anyone should be surprised by this. And it's also important to keep that in context, that this just didn't happen out of nowhere."
Tensions between Israel and Iran have ratcheted up significantly in recent weeks, as Israel has stepped up its efforts against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The militant group, backed by Iran, is one of several proxies acting on behalf of, or alongside, Iran.
An international relations expert at Northwestern University is calling the attack back-and-forth: a classic tit-for-tat escalation, adding these situations never end well.
"What we've got are extremists on both sides that are driving for escalation, thinking that that helps them in their political position. But, of course, the costs along the way are terrible for the people who have to live in these places under threats of these missiles going in all directions," said Ian Hurd, a Northwestern political science professor.
Hurd said, while it's impossible to characterize the feelings of an entire population, war is generally unfavorable.
"The vast majority of people have no interest in participating in this kind of violence, and they would rather just live their lives, their regular daily lives, without any of this. And that goes for people in Israel, in Iran, in Lebanon and elsewhere," Hurd said.
"They have to accept and focus on their own internal problems. Try to solve the unemployment, poverty, infrastructure, instead of focusing on destroying another country. If they can shift, then there's a possibility for peace and prosperity in the region," said Dr. Saeid Golkar with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
Chicago police said while there are no specific threats, they are ramping up their presence at places of worship.
It is a result of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East that experts say likely won't see an end, at least, in the near future.
Protesters who were there Tuesday night say they plan to gather again on Saturday at the Water Tower to continue to make their voices heard.
Both CAIR Chicago and the consul general are prepared for local response to the tensions overseas. They said they're bracing for similar upticks of Islamophobia and antisemitism, like they saw in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.
