By Illinois Review
With the death toll rising in Israel and the war with Hamas escalating, Hamas leader Khaled Mashal has called for a ‘Day of Rage’ around the world on Friday, leaving synagogues and law enforcement officials on high alert, including in the Chicagoland area where on Thursday, a temple in Skokie received a bomb threat and had to be evacuated.
Fortunately, no explosives were found after local police searched the temple, but the threats of terrorism and hate crime incidents remain a real threat following Hamas’ call to action earlier this week.
On Thursday, the Chicago Police Department issued a statement:
“Though there is no actionable intelligence regarding any credible threats in Chicago at this time, CPD is paying special attention to synagogues and mosques so that all of our residents are safe. We also remain in close communication with community leaders and elected officials.”
In New York, law enforcement officials canceled police officer training on Thursday and directed that the entire force be in uniform and out on patrol as online threats against the Jewish community continue around the world and in the U.S.
Although there are no specific threats, New York Police Department officials wanted to exercise extreme caution.
The city of Los Angeles is taking a similar approach and local law enforcement officials have ordered the entire department to report for duty on Friday in uniform.
On Friday, the Chicago City Council is holding a special meeting where 50th Ward Alderman Debra Silverstein (D) – the only Jewish member on city council, is expected to present a resolution offering support for Israel in the wake of Hamas’ terrorist attack that has killed over 1,300 people so far.
The meeting is expected to generate a heated debate as some members, including 33rd Ward Alderman Rosanna Rodriguez-Sanchez (D), a member of the Democrat Socialist Caucus and several of her colleagues, would like the resolution to include support for Palestine as well.
In a post on X late Thursday evening, Rodriguez said that she would not be present at Friday’s meeting but that she hopes that her “colleagues understand what it means to stand with Israel’s right wing gov rn as they bomb civilians in Gaza.”
On Tuesday, Rodriguez shared a statement on X in support of U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaiib (D-MI), who has come under heat in Washington for referring to Israel as an “apartheid government” and for failing to issue a harsh statement against Hamas and their heinous attacks on innocent Israeli civilians. Rodriguez wrote that she was “grateful for @RashidaTlaib’s leadership.”
Israeli Defense Forces have reported in the last several days that Hamas terrorists assassinated innocent civilians including men, women, children and babies. In some cases, Hamas fighters decapitated people, brutally murdered children while still in their beds and burned their little bodies, including babies. Photos released by the Israeli government show homes and children’s bedrooms riddled with bullets.
