“And seek the peace of the city where I have exiled you and pray for it to the Lord, for in its peace you shall have peace.” (Jer. 29.7) When leaders at the highest level of our government are inciting hatred of fellow citizens and contempt for the rule of law, there are no sharp distinctions between our religious obligations and our civic obligations. So, on Shabbos of Oct. 18, I davened early at home and walked down to Milwaukee’s Cathedral Square to be a part of the No Kings rally.
The atmosphere was festive and optimistic. The opening words of the emcee were words of peace, advising us what to do in the event should right wing agitators try to incite violence. He then introduced the first speaker, to rouse us up and get us in the mood to fight for justice.
There were a few words in support of immigrants (a core Jewish value – see Sanhedrin 109a). But the speech soon pivoted to repeated chants echoed by the crowd: “Hands off Palestine! Hands off Palestine! Hands off Lebanon!” I turned, muttered something unkind, and headed back home.
There is a lot of distance between “Hands off Palestine” and Kamela Harris’s “Israel has a right to defend itself, but it matters how,” and just as much distance between that and the carte blanche that the president gave Israel in its conduct of the war. I have been troubled by the way the war has unfolded, but “hands off” means “you deserved Oct. 7, and we are coming back for more.” Arguably, the rift between these positions depressed the Democratic vote. Democrats could learn from their mistakes of 2024: Concentrate on toppling MAGA. Then we can patiently listen to each other and work on the disagreements among us.
In the days before the No Kings rally, I was heartened by social media posts indicating that the press will be photographing signs held up by people and urging that these signs keep the focus on the goals of the movement. Apparently, the organizers of Milwaukee No Kings did not agree. Perhaps the confused messaging was a result of the decentralized nature of the No Kings movement, which allows its megaphone to be co-opted by those stridently off-message.
The organizational structure of the No Kings movement is not publicized. Who approved the line-up? Will future rallies continue to drive away those who hold a centrist position concerning Israel? I don’t know and so far have been unable to find out.
But a little Googling will reveal the names of organizations in some way affiliated with the rally. I ask the readers of the Chronicle to join me in contacting these organizations to ask that future rallies keep the focus on their goals.
The Chronicle publishes a variety of opinion articles, including this one, which are not necessarily representative of the views of this newspaper or its publisher.
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Free at last
With the release of 20 living hostages from Gaza last month, accompanied by at least a temporary ceasefire, several local people are offering their thoughts at this moment in history. See articles throughout this edition.
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