In a north suburban congressional district long home to a large Jewish population, the Democratic incumbent and his Republican opponent don’t disagree about United States support for Israel — but whether the Biden administration is doing enough.
Brad Schneider, the five-term 10th District representative who is Jewish, touted his record of backing Israel, while challenger Jim Carris spoke of his personal experience as a child hostage on a hijacked airplane, during an online forum last week with the Daily Herald Editorial Board.
“Brad and I agree on standing steadfast,” acknowledged Carris, a commercial real estate adviser from Lake Forest.
But he accuses the current administration of “waffling” on its support of Israel, pointing to calls for a ceasefire before hostages are released, and not putting sanctions on Iran.
Carris said Hamas’ attack on Israel one year ago brought back memories of when he and his family were on a plane hijacked by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The plane was forced to land outside of Damascus, Syria, where passengers evacuated down inflatable shoots, shooting ensued, the front of the plane exploded, and they were held hostage at gunpoint, he said.
Carris appears with his father in a campaign video on social media recounting the experience.
“Seeing the fear on my parents’ face during that tragedy came back to me during the Oct. 7 tragic attacks,” Carris said. “And there is no excuse for us as the United States government not to demand the return of the hostages before we engage in any further discussions in the region.”
Schneider, of Highland Park, said he’s worked as hard as anyone to try to secure the release of the hostages and make sure the people of Gaza get humanitarian relief.
He said Israel must “defend its borders, protect its citizens, rescue its hostages, and must ensure that Hamas is defeated,” while supporting the country’s actions against other players in the region.
“I believe we all want to see the end of the war, and the end of the war will begin with a ceasefire,” Schneider said “But the message has to be not to Israel. The pressure should be not on Israel first, but on Hamas, on Hezbollah, on the Houthis, and ultimately on Iran.”
To that end, Schneider said Biden has stood behind Israel “every single step of the way,” including U.S. support against Iran’s recent ballistic missile attack, and an $8.7 billion aid package for weapons and air defense systems.
Schneider said presidents going back to Harry Truman have put pressure on Israel to “end their fighting against their enemies before they finish their mission.” But he believes Biden has stood with Israel “longer” than any other U.S. president.
The 10th District encompasses parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties, starting in Wilmette and going up to the Wisconsin state line, then extending as far west as Hebron.