Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) Chief Government Affairs Officer Lisa Katz issued a statement on Wednesday denouncing Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s response to the shooting of an Orthodox Jewish man walking to a Far North Side synagogue on Shabbat last weekend:
“Mayor Brandon Johnson’s failure to recognize and condemn the antisemitic nature of the shooting of a Jewish man on his way to synagogue on Saturday marks a disturbing abdication of his civic duty to be a leader for all Chicagoans. The first step to fighting antisemitism is identifying it, yet Mayor Johnson proved to be incapable of this essential task, even when faced with a blatant incident of violence targeting Jews. Furthermore, the recent appointment by Mayor Johnson of a School Board president with a history of online antisemitic rhetoric only adds to the concerns of the Jewish community of Chicago and beyond,” Katz stated.
‘This shocking situation in Chicago further underscores the urgent need for municipal leaders to be equipped with the knowledge and tools to understand and confront all forms of contemporary antisemitism, and the Combat Antisemitism Movement looks forward to hosting more than 200 mayors in Beverly Hills, California, in December for the 2024 Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism, which will focus on collaborative cities-oriented approaches to the common mission of securing and nurturing Jewish life in cities across North America.”
The suspect, 22-year-old Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, faces six counts of attempted first-degree murder, seven counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, and a count of aggravated battery. However, he is not being charged with a hate crime, despite evidence that he deliberately targeted his Jewish victim and shouted "Allahu Akhbar!" during a subsequent shootout with police.
It has also been reported that Abdallahi is an illegal alien from Mauritania who was previously caught and released in the US Border Patrol's San Diego sector.