By Illinois Review
While various state legislatures around the country pass bipartisan resolutions supporting Israel in response to the Hamas terrorist attack two weeks ago that has killed over 1,300 innocent Israeli civilians including men, women and children, Illinois House and Senate Democratic leaders in Springfield have decided to focus on local matters instead and will not be offering any resolutions during an upcoming veto session, a recent report in POLITICO’s Illinois Playbook has revealed.
In the last two weeks, state legislative chambers in Arkansas, Ohio, North Carolina, Texas, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania passed resolutions – with bipartisan support, condemning Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel. Other state legislative bodies are currently debating similar proposed resolutions.
A week ago Friday, the Chicago City Council approved a resolution condemning the attacks by Hamas on Israel by a voice vote after a very heated debate in the council chambers.
As the report on Monday revealed, Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch (D) and Senate President Don Harmon (D) “are taking the view that state lawmakers should focus on state issues — not what’s happening in another part of the world.”
The Illinois House and Senate will be in Springfield this week for the start of veto session, and many lawmakers expected a resolution supporting Israel to be part of the discussion.
Democrats enjoy supermajority control in the Illinois House of Representatives, 78-40, and supermajority control in the Illinois State Senate, 40-19 – leaving Republican legislators in Springfield voiceless and irrelevant on local and state matters – making the possibility of a Republican-led resolution supporting Israel, and passing any of the legislative chambers virtually impossible.
Since the surprise terrorist attack, Israel has launched a barrage of missiles aimed at the Gaza Strip, where Hamas has its headquarters purposely situated alongside civilian residents.
Hamas is known for using innocent civilians as human shields and they fire rockets from schools and hospitals – knowing that military strategy and response includes firing weapons back at the targets where they were fired from.
Israeli Defense Forces have reported that Hamas terrorists assassinated innocent Israeli civilians including men, women, children and babies. In many cases, Hamas fighters decapitated their victims, brutally murdered children while in their beds and burned their little bodies. Photos released by the Israeli government show homes and children’s bedrooms riddled with bullets.
A week ago, the Israeli military ordered 1 million civilians to flee Gaza and head for safety before a ground invasion begins that will undoubtedly involve intense battles between the military and Hamas fighters.
Tensions remain high between the Jewish and Muslim communities and protests are ongoing throughout the country, including in the Chicagoland area.
By James P. Economos DDS, Opinion Contributor Illinois is home to an astonishing number of government bodies – nearly 7,000 in total, the most of any state in...
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