An appointee to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson�s Fiscal Sustainability Working Group, Ishan Daya, resigned just hours after his selection was announced, following criticism over a 2023 video showing him tearing down posters of Israeli hostages.

Daya, a community organizer focused on public safety and mental health, was one of 20 appointees to the mayor�s advisory committee tasked with addressing Chicago�s fiscal challenges. However, his appointment sparked immediate outrage from Jewish organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League and the Chicago Jewish Community Relations Council, as well as Alderman Debra Silverstein, the city�s only Jewish alderwoman. Silverstein called the appointment �a deliberate slap in the face to the Jewish community� and criticized Mayor Johnson for repeatedly aligning with antisemitic individuals.

Silverstein pointed to a pattern of disregard, citing Johnson�s support for an early Gaza ceasefire resolution, his description of Israel�s war against Hamas as �genocidal,� and his appearance wearing a keffiyeh at an Arab Heritage Month event.

She also referenced his delayed response to an October 2024 shooting of a Jewish man in West Rogers Park, where he initially failed to acknowledge the victim�s Jewish identity.

�The mayor seems determined to surround himself with people who peddle hate and division,� Silverstein said. �We deserve better.�

The controversy stemmed from a video that surfaced during Daya�s unsuccessful 2023 campaign for 32nd Ward Democratic committeeman, showing him removing a hostage poster in New York City. Daya’s accomplice referred to the hostages as “kalb” (dogs) while ripping down the posters.

In a statement to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Daya apologized, acknowledging that his actions �caused pain within some members of our Jewish community.� He explained that he objected to unspecified language on the poster that he found �racist and dehumanizing� toward Palestinians, but recognized that tearing it down was hurtful to families awaiting their loved ones� return.

�I�ve spent my career working across lines of difference, and anyone who has worked with me can attest to my deep opposition to antisemitism, hate, and bigotry in all its forms,� Daya added, announcing that a representative from the Institute for the Public Good, a policy center he co-directs, would replace him on the committee.

Daya�s resignation marks the latest controversy for Johnson, who is already grappling with low approval ratings and a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into alleged race-based hiring practices, prompted by statements he made about the number of black officials in his administration.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)