Chicago's Jewish leaders have united against misinformation about the Palestinian people, even before the recent stabbing incident involving a six-year-old Palestinian boy and the latest Israel-Hamas conflict.

Disturbing text messages obtained by CAIR-Chicago featured a 71-year-old landlord accused of fatally stabbing six-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoumi 26 times, along with injuring his mother in Chicago's South suburbs. The message read, All you Muslims must die. The boy and his mother, Hannan Shahin, had fled to the U.S. to escape settler violence but encountered a violent attack.

Rabbi Brant Rosen of Tzedek Chicago expressed deep sadness upon hearing the news, citing ongoing dehumanizing discourse. He said, This is the result of dehumanizing people, with rhetoric from the Israeli government and U.S. leaders painting Palestinians and Muslims as evil.

Detectives discovered that the suspect had been listening to conservative talk radio, fearing Shahin and her son might provoke attacks.

In the past week, President Joe Biden expressed support for the Israeli government's anti-terrorism efforts. Rabbi Rosen emphasized that such rhetoric stems from years of dehumanization.

Seph Mozes, an organizer with the Chicago Jewish Voices for Peace, criticized how Western media reports on the Palestinian cause, suggesting certain issues are underreported.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's comments about Palestinians as 'human animals' during a 'complete siege' on Gaza were criticized by Al Jazeera. Rabbi Rosen noted that while Hamas attacks on Israelis are tragic, legitimizing dehumanization through state rhetoric can lead to unimaginable violence.

Investigators determined the landlord targeted Al-Fayoumi and his mother due to their Muslim faith amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. Rabbi Rosen recalled a similar sentiment after 9/11, emphasizing unity against intolerance and 'othering' different people to prevent future violence.