The boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement seeks to isolate Israel from the international community as a step toward its eventual elimination.
By Corey Walker, The Algemenier
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) chapter in Chicago is facing backlash over a newly surfaced questionnaire which asks local political candidates for their opinion of Zionism and Israel, sparking renewed discourse over the relevance of a foreign country to local governance.
As part of the questionnaire circulated to local candidates, the DSA asks political hopefuls to elaborate on whether they align with what they describe as “DSA values.” The first two longform questions instruct candidates to explain: “Would you consider yourself an anti-Zionist?” and “Do you support Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions, and its potential application on the municipal level?”
Anti-Zionism is an expressed belief in the destruction of Israel as the world’s sole Jewish state. This ideology, which is often embedded in broader anti-colonial, anti-Western, and anti-capitalist sentiments, has been described by many experts as inherently antisemitic.
The boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement seeks to isolate Israel from the international community as a step toward its eventual elimination, an effort viewed by critics as discriminatory and potentially unconstitutional. Leaders of the movement have repeatedly stated their goal is to destroy the country.
In response, Anti-Defamation League Midwest (ADL), the midwestern branch of the ADL, an organization committed to combating antisemitism, released a statement condemning the questionnaire as part of a broader obsession with demonizing Israel and creating unnecessary litmus tests irrelevant to local governance.
“This fixation on Israel is not only far removed from the responsibilities and priorities of an alderman, but also risks fueling anti-Jewish sentiment, harassment, and, ultimately, violence against Chicago’s Jewish community,” said Rebecca Weininger, senior regional director for ADL Midwest.
“That real estate, those questions are used to ensure that that person meets the litmus test of being against the right of Jews to self-determination in the land of Israel. That doesn’t help anybody’s lives in the Chicago area get better and in fact contributes to rising antisemitism,” Weininger added.
Chicago DSA, a local chapter of the larger anti-capitalist, far-left DSA political organization, outlines its commitment to anti-Israel ideology as one of its main priorities on its official website. As part of its official platform, the Chicago DSA proclaims that support for “Palestine” is integral in its goals to “connect our local struggles to global justice.”
“Chicago DSA stands in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle against apartheid, colonialism, and military occupation, and for equality, human rights, and self-determination, including the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement,” it adds.
Last year, the national DSA organization passed a resolution at its major convention stating that various actions in support of Israel, such as “making statements that ‘Israel has a right to defend itself’” and “endorsing statements equating anti-Zionism with antisemitism,” will now be considered an “expellable offense,” subject to a vote by the DSA’s National Political Committee.
In Chicago, a local alderman could help advance the BDS agenda by introducing and advocating for a city-level severing of ties with Israel. The alderman could present legislation to City Hall to stop purchasing certain Israeli goods or services, prohibit city contracts with companies connected to Israel, and divest city-controlled investment funds from Israel.
However, these policies would likely face significant headwinds from Springfield. Illinois law prohibits certain public investment systems from investing in companies that boycott Israel. Further, Illinois also has the International Anti-Boycott Certification Act, which requires covered state contracts to contain certification concerning participation in international boycotts that violate federal anti-boycott law.
The DSA, the largest socialist organization in the country which counts members of the US Congress among its ranks, has previously American military aid to Israel and expressed support for Iran and its terrorist proxies, including Hamas and Hezbollah.
The DSA has recently fielded a series of successful insurgent Democratic primary campaigns, including those of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the victors of recent New York congressional primaries: Darializa Chevalier and Claire Valdez. In Colorado, the DSA-backed Melat Kiros prevailed over a long-term incumbent.
However, the recent narrow defeat of democratic socialist Francesca Hong in the Wisconsin gubernatorial contest has raised renewed doubts over whether the movement can succeed in purple states.
Jay Tcath, executive vice president of the Jewish United Fund in Chicago, questioned why the local DSA chapter exhibits an outsized focus on Israel. He argued that the status of the Jewish state is utterly irrelevant to the duties of local politicians.
“Why is Zionism the number-one topic on DSA minds? Why is only the Jewish desire for national sovereignty and independence being demonized by DSA?” Tcath told The Center Square.
“DSA’s decision to continue to prop up the centrality of Jewish independence in a negative way has nothing to do with the challenges and opportunities confronting our city,” he continued.
This is not the first time a local DSA chapter has been embroiled in this type of controversy. Earlier this year, the DSA chapter in Washington, DC drew outrage for asking potential endorsees for their position on BDS and whether they would “support taking steps to re-evaluate contracts and investments with companies and entities” connected to Israel.
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