Chicago City Council appointee who tore down hostage posters steps down amid backlash
Alderman Debra Silverstein said mayor's decision to appoint Ishan Daya “to a leadership position in Chicago is a deliberate slap in the face to the Jewish community.”
Ishan Daya, who was fired as co-CEO of Crafty for tearing down hostage posters, stepped down hours after his appointment to a new budget working group for the Chicago City Council on May 16, following immediate backlash, the local ABC affiliate reported.
“We’re pleased that this individual will not have a position of authority, but we’re deeply concerned that he was appointed in the first place,” said David Goldenberg, the Midwest regional director of the Anti-Defamation League.
Debra Silverstein, a member of the 50th ward of the Chicago City Council, criticized Mayor Brandon Johnson for Daya’s initial selection.
“Appointing him to a leadership position in Chicago is a deliberate slap in the face to the Jewish community and to all those praying for the release of the 59 hostages still held in Gaza,” Silverstein stated.
“This is not an isolated mistake — it is part of a deeply troubling pattern where Mayor Johnson repeatedly elevates individuals hostile to the Jewish community,” she continued. “It also comes during Jewish American Heritage Month and at a time when the mayor has claimed he wants to repair his strained relationship with Chicago’s Jewish community, adding a layer of hypocrisy that cannot be ignored.”
“The mayor seems determined to surround himself with people who peddle hate and division. His repeated disregard for the Jewish community is both painful and unacceptable,” Silverstein stated. “We deserve better.”
The Chicago Jewish Community Relations Council thanked Silverstein for her condemnation.
“Less than two months after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Ishan Daya was proudly tearing down pictures of Israeli children and others kidnapped by Hamas. Now he gets to advise on our city’s budget?” the organization wrote.
Johnson recently came under fire after the local chapter of the Council on American–Islamic Relations posted a photo of him wearing a keffiyeh to celebrate Arab Heritage Month. PJC
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