Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s glaring double standard in addressing hate crimes has reached a disturbing new low. Last Shabbos (the morning after Shmini Atzeres), a Jewish man on his way to shul was shot from behind in West Rogers Park, an attack that authorities describe as unprovoked and marked by the shooter’s shouts of “Allahu Akbar.” Yet, in his public statement, Mayor Johnson avoided any mention of the anti-Semitic nature of the attack. His response was disappointingly vague, calling the shooting merely a “tragic event” and declaring that “all Chicagoans deserve to feel safe,” without a single word acknowledging the apparent targeting of the Jewish victim.

This isn’t just disappointing; it’s an insult. Compare Johnson’s muted response to his strong condemnation following the brutal murder of a Muslim child in nearby Plainfield last year. Then, Johnson swiftly and unequivocally decried the crime as a “despicable hate crime” and highlighted Islamophobia’s “destructive role” in our society. Yet, when a Jewish resident is shot on his way to shul—in a clear act of anti-Semitism—Johnson sidesteps, effectively dismissing the targeting of Chicago’s Jewish community.

It’s not just Mayor Johnson’s failure. The Chicago Police Department has remained disturbingly silent as well. They have yet to publicly acknowledge that the victim was an Orthodox Jew, that the attacker yelled “Allahu Akbar,” or that the shooter deliberately traveled ten miles to a Jewish neighborhood to carry out this horrific act. Why are these critical facts being withheld from the public? This lack of transparency – which is clearly intentional – only adds to the impression of indifference and cowardice.

Rep. Ritchie Torres pointed out Johnson’s glaring oversight, questioning why the Mayor failed to even acknowledge the victim’s identity as a Jew or the hate-driven motivation behind the attack. “Any Mayor who cannot be bothered to acknowledge the antisemitism of a hate crime against a Jewish man heading to a synagogue is unworthy of the office he holds,” Torres rightly observed.

It’s equally disheartening to see Jewish organizations like Agudath Israel soft-pedal their responses. Why is it that Rep. Ritchie Torres—a non-Jewish Congressman—has taken the lead in calling out this crime’s anti-Semitic roots, while organizations that claim to represent us merely urge “action” without pressing Johnson or the police for accountability? Is Jewish blood somehow cheaper, unworthy of the same forceful advocacy we’ve seen when other communities face attacks?

Agudath Israel’s statement referred to the incident as “an act of violence” without even mentioning the shooter’s cry of “Allahu Akbar” or the suspect’s targeting of a Jewish neighborhood. Moreover, Agudah’s failure to call out Mayor Johnson’s evasiveness, or the Chicago Police’s reluctance to name the victim as an Orthodox Jew, is nothing less than stunning.

The suspect, Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, an illegal immigrant from Mauritania, had been caught and released by Border Patrol in California before making his way to Chicago, shielded by Cook County’s sanctuary policies. He now faces multiple felony charges, including attempted murder. And yet, in the face of this violent anti-Semitic assault, Johnson, the police, and Jewish organizations tiptoe around or completely ignore the real problem at hand.

For Johnson, hate crimes should not be acknowledged selectively. His silence on this anti-Semitic crime is a betrayal to his Jewish constituents and speaks to a deeper disregard for unbiased justice. If the Mayor can’t find the courage to denounce anti-Semitism, then perhaps he doesn’t deserve the trust or the office he holds. And if police department officials don’t have the guts to call the shooting what it was – an antisemitic terrorist attack – then they should find another job.

[STUNNING: No Hate Crime Charges For Man Shouting “Allah Akbar” Who Shot Jewish Man In Chicago]

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