I have been holding a vigil for three months at Dempster Street and Ridge Avenue, where the Beth Emet synagogue is located, displaying signboards to passing traffic and the occasional pedestrian. My theme takes from the Beth Emet banner that proclaims Black Lives Matter.

My message is that Palestinian Lives Matter — and that liberty and justice for all have been forgotten in favor of a movement that rejects it for ethnic supremacy, Zionism. Thus, I literally stand on the corner for the Pledge of Allegiance I learned at Willard Elementary School 64 years ago.

At Thanksgiving, I invited the Rabbi London and congregation as fellow Americans to come out and join me. Now, months later, I am still waiting and hoping they will do so. The immediate response was to call the police to silence my freedom of speech. I remain protected by the Constitution. … For now, though the police are called again from time to time.

What I call “The Great Silence” is the typical response to my question to all: Do you stand for liberty and justice for all, or for Zionism? Since they are antitheses, nobody can support both without being a hypocrite, but so many are content with that.

I am shocked that silence is preferred to answering the question affirmatively for the foundation of our country, marred though it has been with the destruction of the Native American civilization, now effectively being duplicated by Israel with the Palestinians.

Neither Mayor Daniel Biss nor any other member of the Evanston City Council has responded to my question. Therefore, my current signs say, “Mayor Biss, against ethnic cleansing? No Reply.” Ditto for the Evanston City Council. Newsworthy, but Evanston RoundTable and Evanston Now stay well away.

I am terrified that Zionism has taken charge not only of our federal government but also of state governments. Former President Joe Biden even declared himself a Zionist, but Zionism extends to state governments, with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee-Sanders all seemingly for Israel.

I want my country back from the grip of Zionism, evident in the American Israel Public Affairs Committee bragging about the people it puts in our corrupt Congress by way of unlimited financial donations that AIPAC receives. Is this not offensive to any other Americans? I renounce the blood being shed with unlimited American government support. I need to sleep at night, so I am on the street corner.

My vigil has received an overwhelmingly positive response from the passing public, though I do get rage and profanity directed my way from time to time, probably because I fly a Palestinian flag.

I urge all Americans to stop being timid, afraid of criticizing Zionism/Israel for fear of receiving the verbal spear it throws at all who question the support of Israel — that one is an antisemite. Northwestern pro-Palestinian voices have been effectively shut down.

Not being a student and retired, with no job that can be threatened, I cannot be shut down and will remain speaking out to about 800 cars per hour. Please walk up and talk. I don’t bite.

This is a job done for the love of my country and, sorry to say, a lonely one. I ask all Americans to remember what our presidents, Biden and Trump, have forgotten: our Pledge of Allegiance, which has no exception for Israel.

Clif Brown is a resident in Evanston, Illinois. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.