Chicago–Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) did not mince words on Monday, telling a crowd of nearly 2,000 supporters of Israel that “we should not have a cease fire until Hamas is militarily defeated by the IDF.”
Sen. Kirk, who served as a U.S. Navy Reserve intelligence officer, has been one of the Jewish State’s staunchest supporters since his days as a congressman beginning in 2001. He told the crowd congregated at Thompson Plaza in downtown Chicago, “Hamas has picked a fight with the strongest military power in the Middle East. We should give time for Hamas to lose that battle–until every tunnel is blown to smithereens.”
The “Stand with Israel” rally was sponsored by the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago and featured additional speakers, singing and prayers for the Jewish State and the civilians in Gaza.
Christian support for the Jewish State was evident at the rally. One woman carried a homemade sign that read “Christians for Israel,” claiming “Israel is love, Christians are in Israel and Muslims kill Christians all over the world and nobody is doing anything about it.”
She continued, “They’re building tunnels into Israel to kill Israelis, there are Christians in Israel, there are Arabs in Israel. Israel loves everybody.”
Across the street was a counter-protest organized by Palestinian advocates. A group of nearly 200 chanted anti-Israel slogans declaring, “No peace on stolen land” and yelling across the street “racists go home.”
Security was heavy during the hour long rally and protest. Chicago and Illinois State Police kept the two groups apart, setting up barricades between the protest areas and the general public.
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