Illinois city councilman apologizes after claiming Jewish group controls media, food, music

Champaign District One Councilman Davion Williams apologized to Jewish leaders after his comments at the end of a December 17 City Council meeting.

By MICHAEL STARR DECEMBER 30, 2024 17:20 Updated: DECEMBER 30, 2024 17:30

Champaign District One Councilman Davion Williams. (photo credit: YOUTUBE SCREENSHOT)

An Illinois city councilman apologized last Tuesday for a council meeting speech in which he accused a cabal of Jewish people of controlling food, media, and music, as well as elements of Jewish faith informing a supposed genocide in Gaza.

Champaign District One Councilman Davion Williams apologized to Jewish leaders, according to a Friday statement from Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation, Illini Chabad, Illini Hillel, and Sinai Temple after his comments at the end of a December 17 City Council meeting.

In response to a series of public comments demanding the city call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, Williams said in a convoluted speech that "there's Jews, they're gentiles, who believe in peace, but there's a small group of people of have a lot of control over a whole lot. Over music, over our food, over media, over a whole lot of things."

"I love Pringles. They're Kosher. I just found that out. I stopped eating them," Williams said of the potato chip snack.

Williams assured that he didn't have anything against Jews or Israelis, but was commenting about an "element" in their population. He explained that the Jewish religion was against genocide because unlike Christianity Jews are waiting for a Messiah. Those who "who proclaim to be Jewish" and "follow along with this...genocide" are "out of order."

PRO-PALESTINIAN DEMONSTRATORS hold a rally at Columbia University in New York City on the first anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack, last month. Europe is failing to control Islamic fundamentalism within its borders, and countries such as the United States, the UK, and Canada are following su (credit: Mike Segar/Reuters)

"The occupation of Israel and Palestine has been going on for a long time, since 1948," and compared Palestinian indigeneity to that of Native Americans and South Africans.

Williams continued to explain that African-Americans are Native Americans because they have hybridized with them.

'Sympathized with anti-Israel activists'

The councilman said that while he sympathized with the anti-Israel activists who spoke at recent public comment periods, he indicated that he didn't believe that the council could influence the issue, comparing the cause to that of Black Lives Matter. A BLM sign outside was performative, as cops were still shooting black Americans like "animals." He also questioned calls for divestment, noting that vital minerals that came from war zones in African countries were used to make smart phones.

"Free Palestine," Williams ended his comment.

Champaign-Urbana Jewish organizations said that Williams apologized after their meeting with him last Monday. The groups also said that Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen and other members of the Council "expressed disagreement with the statements made" in conversation with them.

---

---

"It is understandable that the tragic events of the war weigh heavily on all of us and inspire passionate responses. However, some of these remarks went beyond expressing grief or frustration—they crossed a line and amplified harmful antisemitic stereotypes that are both false and damaging to our community," the Jewish groups said in joint statements shared across social media.

The groups said that William's comments about Jewish control over music, food, and media perpetuated an "age-old antisemitic stereotype of Jewish domination in key industries" that had "historically fueled violence and discrimination against Jewish communities" by scapegoating Jews for "broader societal issues."

Condemned by Jewish groups

Williams remarks about Kosher food was condemned by the Jewish groups, who explained that the dietary laws are a core Jewish religious practice with no relation to the Middle East conflict, and that calls for boycotting Kosher products evoked memories of Nazi German policies.

Williams was also criticized for creating a sense of otherization against Jews, and implying that Jewish religious beliefs are responsible for war or genocide. The group said that referring to Israel’s existence as "the occupation" denied Jewish indigeneity  and the right to self-determination in their ancestral homeland.

NGO Stop Antisemitism commented on the incident on Friday, declaring William's apology "hollow" and that Illinois deserved "better leaders than councilman Davion Williams."

The Jewish groups noted in their statement that over the past eight months, the council had seen protests related to Israel's war with Hamas and Iranian proxies, and that many members of the Jewish and Israeli community felt that they had been verbally accosted during such City Council meetings.

The December 17 meeting saw speakers wearing "End Israel Apartheid" stickers and keffiyehs demand that the council adopt measures such as a resolution calling for "an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Palestine."

Resident Stuart Levy detailed that the resolution would call on the US federal government to end all arms trade with Israel, refund the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, and adopt an investment policy that would prevent financial relationships with countries accused of war crimes.

"The Middle East war is escalating daily," said Urbana-Champaign Jews for Ceasefire representative Al Kagan, who denounced Israel for bombing Syrian military sites and entering the Syrian Golan. "Will Israel be bombing Iran next?"

Kagan said that 46 local businesses and organizations supported a US arms embargo against Israel.

A man dressed in a top hat, wig, and fake beard to emulate the national personification "Uncle Sam" said that he was  "tired of hearing" about an issue half a world away, and said that all the anti-Israel activist should be put on a list for associating with "political rapists, murderers, jerks."

"Everybody's concerned about genocide. I'm for it. Kill the bastards," said the so-called "Uncle Ken," continuing that the Palestinians started the conflict and urged the council to tell the incoming US president to end the violence quickly and decisively until they begged for peace.

The Jewish groups on Friday denounced threats against protesters, clarifying that "the threats and devaluation of human life presented by the community member in public comments are unacceptable and stand in direct opposition to core Jewish values. These words do not represent the Jewish community."