Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias recently made a major decision regarding personalized license plates. Several of these plates, bearing the words “October 7”, have been revoked. The move came following complaints alleging that the plaques paid tribute to Hamas’s attacks on Israel the previous year.
Scott Burnham, Illinois’ deputy secretary of state, said in a statement: “As we know, the meaning and impact of words, nicknames, acronyms and dates can change over time.” He said the secretary of state’s office had been alerted to use of the “October 7” plaque that could be perceived as hate speech or inflammatory language.
The case of one plaque in particular has attracted much attention. This plaque bore the date “Oct 7”, accompanied by the Palestinian flag and the words “FREE Palestine”. The “StopAntisemitism” account widely distributed this plate on social networks, accusing the driver of honoring the October 7 attacks. In a post on September 12, 2024, the group denounced the driver’s actions, recalling the atrocities committed that day in Israel.
The controversy grew when Illinois State Comptroller and Democratic Party member Susana A. Mendoza intervened. She asked Alexi Giannoulias to cancel this plaque, if it turned out to be real. After the cancellation was confirmed, Mendoza thanked Giannoulias via
Internationally, the repercussions of these events continue to be felt. Since the start of the conflict on October 7, 2023, with the support of the United States, Israel has been accused of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. More than 139,000 Palestinian victims, mainly women and children, and many missing have been counted. A context of massive destruction and famine persists, constituting one of the worst humanitarian disasters according to several observers.
The international community is watching this situation with concern. Despite UN Security Council resolutions and International Court of Justice orders demanding a ceasefire and measures to improve the humanitarian situation, Israel continues its military campaign in the region.
