Feb 6

Feb 6 Yoav Gallant: A Red Flag

Chicago, Demonstrations, Public Declarations, Protest

“When two tribes go to war
A point is all that you can score
Score no more! Score no more!
When two tribes go to war
A point is all that you can score
Working for the black gas”

— Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Two Tribes (1984)

Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke this evening at the Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School, which is located at the intersection of Broadway and Halsted (3751 North Broadway) in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. The school serves students from Kindergarten through the Eighth grade.

I’ve past the school many times over the years. It sits behind a large red brick wall, with a guardhouse and metal barriers securing the entranceway—the entire compound is best described as an impenetrable fortress, which is no surprise given the schools religious affiliation, taken together with recurring attacks on schools throughout the United States.

Bringing Gallant to town is equivalent to waving a red flag in front of a bull. While Gallant and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had an apparent falling out—Netanyahu fired him on November 5, 2024—the disagreement between the two was over strategy rather than the mission. Notably, the International Criminal Court (“ICC”) issued arrest warrants for both Gallant and Netanyahu on November 21, 2024.

According to an article in the Times of Israel, Gallant was more hawkish than Netanyahu, believing that Netanyahu was “overly hesitant to use military force against Hamas and Hezbollah.” Gallant further believed that Netanyahu had undermined a viable hostage-ceasefire deal in May, and that Netanyahu failed to “produce a political plan to capitalize on military successes in Gaza.”

Given Gallant’s former position and background, I knew tonight’s speech would draw pro-Palestinian demonstrators, and so it did. About 100 people turned out on a bone-chilling evening. Chicago’s ‘Hawk’ blew through the streets, elevating the wind chill.

The police set aside an area for the demonstrators at the intersection of North Broadway and Grace Street immediately to the school’s north, using the Halsted/Broadway intersection to separate the pro-Palestinian demonstrators from a very small group of pro-Israeli demonstrators who stood on the corner outside the IHOP.

Given Gallant’s role in Israel’s war against Hamas, I wanted to hear his speech. I called the school to request media credentials, but no one called me back. Upon arrival, I went immediately to the school’s security post, requesting credentials or an opportunity to speak with the person who was handling the media. I was told, ‘Only people on the list are allowed in.’ I was not surprised, but at least I honored my old adage—”If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”

I subsequently learned from a reporter with one of the three local network affiliates that his station did not have anyone inside, either. He revealed that the school had not even contacted the station about the event. If I were a gambling man, I would wager that the school did not want media coverage. The school, however, couldn’t bar the television cameras or the demonstrators from the surrounding streets.

Failing to gain admittance, I headed to the IHOP parking lot, where about 20 people were gathered around one person who was holding forth. From what I could tell, these were the pro-Palestinian marshalls receiving last minute instructions. The speaker noted that there was a realistic possibility of violence, emphasizing that the organizers would end the demonstration if violence erupted. He advised those listening how to respond if assaulted, while also instructing the marshalls to work in pairs and avoid trying to change minds if confronted by pro-Israeli demonstrators.

At this point, I did not see any heritage Palestinians, including the leadership who is present at every Saturday demonstration, but I had arrived about 20 minutes early. As the 6:00 PM start time approached, the infamous red Dodge RAM truck finally arrived, with the leaders from the Chicago’s Palestinian Community then emerging.

As a demonstration, this one was pretty tame (read ‘lackluster’). Nobody can blame the demonstrators. The weather was miserable. Those lining the street held four or five pre-printed banners, but there were not a lot of DIY signage. The female chanter with the mic maintained her usual defiant banter. The demonstrators, however, were relatively subdued (or frozen in place).

Several pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrators taunted each other, with CPD bicycle cops keeping the two groups separated. At one point, the police encircled one pro-Palestinian demonstrator, moving him off to the side, possibly to allow elevated tempers to dissipate—I didn’t see the incident that resulted in this one demonstrator being separated from the pack.

I did see one pro-Palestinian leader and several National Lawyers Guild attorneys speaking with the police. I am not sure because I was momentarily distracted, but I think the police eventually allowed the guy to go about his business. Had they arrested him, the other demonstrators most likely would have chanted in unison, demanding his release.

Just before I left for the evening, I spoke with one of the Palestinian leaders. I told him in no uncertain terms that he needed to limit the demonstrations to the summer months because it was just to ‘f’ing’ cold to be standing outside tonight. He laughed. I then asked him, “Are you guys demonstrating Saturday afternoon?” Much to my surprise, he said, “No,” to which I responded, “But what about Trump’s Gaza Resort?”

Again, I got a laugh. I don’t recall his exact words, but in essence, he said, ‘Never going to happen,’ which was a noteworthy response. While Trump may never annex Gaza to build beachfront resorts and condominiums, Trump’s ridiculous proposal certainly provided the pro-Palestinian forces with fodder that could have turned out thousands of demonstrators had it been properly hyped as proof of ethnic cleansing.

No matter: I am spared a pro-Palestinian demonstration this Saturday. But do not fear: there is an immigration rally scheduled across the Chicago River from Trump Tower at 1:00 PM Saturday.

[Postscript: Neither the Chicago Tribune, nor the Chicago Sun Times covered the story. When I reviewed the television station websites, I did not see any coverage, either.]

[Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]