Kendall County Times

In a move that intensifies the ongoing congressional race in Illinois' 14th District, Republican candidate Jim Marter is calling on his opponent, Democrat Lauren Underwood, to denounce a recent social media post by BLM Chicago.

The controversial post features an image of a Hamas parachutist alongside a Palestinian flag with the caption "I stand with Palestine."

"The civilized world is outraged at what we're seeing in Israel at the hands of Hamas,” Marter said in a press release. “Terror, kidnapping, murder and war crimes. Hamas is an officially designated terrorist group according to the U.S. State Department and has been since the 1990s. It's unthinkable that anyone would approve of their activities so I'm asking Representative Underwood to join me in condemning any support shown for terrorist groups.”

“I encourage her constituents to let their voice be heard on this issue. An organization giving social media support to Hamas does not reflect the values of peace, tolerance and religious freedom. Hate and anti-Semitism is not a part of the community in Illinois' 14th District, where I live and am running for Congress. We need Representatives in Congress who share our values.”

BLM Chicago notably posted a graphic of a hang-gliding militant, a nod to how many of the terrorists entered Israeli territory with the caption, “I stand with Palestine.” BLM Chicago later partially walked back the controversial post celebrating Hamas' actions in Israel, acknowledging that the deleted graphic wasn't something they were proud of. This came as BLM Global Network Foundation distanced itself from the Chicago chapter and BLM Grassroots, which faced criticism for posts related to the Hamas attack and was accused of glorifying the terrorists, according to the New York Post.

Underwood in the past has been criticized for participating in an event with avowed socialist U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) who notably called Israel a “racist” country.

"Lauren Underwood will support her party's socialist agenda," Courtney Parella, a spokesperson for the NRCC, said in a 2022 press release, DuPage Policy Journal reported.

Marter is an experienced political figure who currently serves as the Kendall County Republican Chairman, holds the position of Deputy on the GOP State Central Committee for Illinois' 14th District, is a trustee on the Oswego Library District Board, and has a background as an Illinois 2020 14th District Presidential Elector.

The Illinois' 14th District is comprised of the outer western suburbs, including Crystal Lake, Geneva, Oswego, Woodstock, and Yorkville.