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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Several Jewish leaders in the Champaign-Urbana area are calling remarks from a Champaign City Official damaging. That council member is now apologizing, saying it was not his intent.
Davion Williams spoke about what’s happening with Israel and Palestine during a city council meeting last week. Williams said, “a small group of individuals have a lot of control,” referring to Jewish people.
Jewish leaders in the area said this is a common conspiracy theory, and the stereotype has been used for hundreds of years. They said this type of language is harmful for their community.
“Many of our community members were really shocked and deeply hurt by what was said,” said Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation Executive Director Ma’ayan Weinberg.
During the council meeting on Dec. 17th, the public comment focused on the City of Champaign’s response to the war in Gaza. People rotated for over an hour and gave their opinions.
After that, council member Davion Williams shared his thoughts, which Jewish leaders said cut deep.
“Council member Williams raised several tropes that were Judeophobic and anti-Semitic,” said Hillel Executive Director Erez Cohen.
During his remarks, Williams said a small element of individuals who are Jewish have a lot of control over things like the media and food. He also mentioned he stopped eating pringles because they were kosher.
“They felt it was misrepresentative of our Jewish community and spread untruths,” Weinberg said.
Now, Williams has apologized. He released a statement saying, “please accept this statement as a heartfelt apology for my comments during the Dec. 17 Champaign Council Meeting. It was never my intention for my comments to be offensive, hurtful or antisemitic.”
Williams has also met with Jewish leaders to apologize privately.
“We were very happy to meet with council member Williams and to get some time with him,” Cohen said. “He asked a lot of questions during the meeting, trying to understand our perspective, which led to his apology the following day.”
The Illini Hillel said they appreciate his apology and hope to continue to dialogue with Williams in the future. However, a local rabbi said this is not an issue for the city to take on.
“We hold that local government is not the place to decide and debate matters of international geopolitics,” said Siani Temple Rabbi Alan Cook. “We would rather that we learn how to dialog with one another, both in public forums and just amongst our neighbors, to be able to build bridges of love and understanding.”
On Friday, Jewish leaders said they hope they can continue to meet with Williams and share their perspective. They also would appreciate the same opportunity with other council members as well as with the mayor.
The following is the full statement released by Williams:
Please accept this statement as a heartfelt apology for my comments during the December 17th Champaign Council meeting. It was never my intention for my comments to be offensive, hurtful or antisemitic. However, my intention does not negate the impact of my words. I am in favor of a ceasefire but understand that was lost when I did not accurately or carefully explain my position. As an elected official it is my responsibility to uphold values that ensure fairness, civility and understanding for all citizens. I know all too well as a black man, the pain of being stereotyped, discriminated against, threatened and mistreated. I do not want anyone to feel this way especially from words I have spoken. As in the words I sang earlier that evening ‘let there be peace and let it begin with me.'”
Davion Williams
The following is the full statement released by the Illini Hellil:
To Our C-U Jewish Community,
For the past eight months, the Champaign City Council has been embroiled in ongoing protests related to the Middle East conflict. The public comment sections of council meetings have often been dominated by misinformation and dehumanization of those involved in, or connected to, the conflict. Many of us feel that our own Jewish and Israeli community members have been verbally accosted in those meetings, in direct opposition to the values of inclusivity that the city of Champaign stands for. During the public comment section of the December 17th meeting, a threatening remark was directed from a community member toward protesters.
We want to be absolutely clear: the threats and devaluation of human life presented by the community member in public comments are unacceptable and stand in direct opposition to core Jewish values. These words do not represent the Jewish community.
Subsequently, a public official used their platform for an antisemitic speech that spread false conspiracy theories and perpetuated age-old antisemitic tropes. This action makes antisemitism and Judeophobia appear permissible in local government. Elected officials must be held to a higher standard when addressing their communities.
Like many of you, we were both surprised and disheartened by the words shared at the City Council meeting. It is understandable that the tragic events of the war weigh heavily on all of us and inspire passionate responses. However, some of these remarks went beyond expressing grief or frustration—they crossed a line and amplified harmful antisemitic stereotypes that are both false and damaging to our community.
We heard from many of you and we deeply appreciate your concern. We have also been in conversation with Mayor Feinen and members of the City Council, who expressed disagreement with the statements made. We are grateful to the council members who reached out to foster dialogue with Jewish community leaders. On Monday morning, we met with the council member and shared our concerns directly. On Tuesday afternoon, the council member issued a short public apology. We are thankful for the time that council member Williams took to consider our stance and we look forward to working with him in the future. Our work to address the harm caused by this event is ongoing; we understand that a single meeting or press release will not heal the wounds caused by these words, and we are committed to continue working with all of the council members on this issue.
While we appreciate that an apology was issued, it is important for us to dispel the myths and tropes that have been shared with the public last week:
1. Religious Misrepresentation and Delegitimization
To say that Jews are “out of order” in our religious beliefs because we are “still waiting for the Messiah” is a form of religious intolerance and a misunderstanding of Jewish theology. This statement, which wrongly suggests that Jewish beliefs are responsible for war or genocide, is both false and deeply harmful. If the intent was to comment on the war, such remarks were entirely irrelevant and inflammatory.
2. Denial of Jewish Indigeneity and Historical Erasure
Referring to Israel’s existence as “the occupation” erases over 3,000 years of Jewish history and our continuous connection to the land of Israel. This framing denies the Jewish people’s indigeneity to the region and disregards our historical ties and right to self-determination in our ancestral homeland.
3. Perpetuating Harmful Antisemitic Tropes
The claim that “a small element of individuals” has “control over music, food, media, and other things” perpetuates a dangerous and age-old antisemitic stereotype of Jewish domination in key industries. Such unfounded claims have historically fueled violence and discrimination against Jewish communities. This rhetoric is not only factually incorrect but also scapegoats Jewish people for broader societal issues.
4. Boycotting Kosher Products
The statement that one has “stopped eating Pringles because they are kosher” subtly promotes the idea that kosher products or Jewish practices are inherently problematic or untrustworthy. Kosher dietary laws are a core religious practice for many Jews and have no connection to the Middle East conflict. The suggestion to boycott kosher products because of their (real or perceived) connection to Jews evokes dark historical memories, including Nazi Germany.
5. Othering and Generalization
The reference to “a group of individuals” who are Jewish and purportedly control various sectors fosters harmful stereotypes and creates an “us vs. them” mentality. This kind of generalization alienates Jewish people and contributes to divisiveness in our community.
Ultimately, the remarks made at the council meeting were not about the Middle East conflict; they conflated political passions with an attack on Jews worldwide.
We hope that all elected leaders will uphold the values of inclusion, respect, and plurality that define our community. The comments made by the council member did a great disservice to our city, sowing division and mistrust rather than fostering understanding and unity, and we are thankful that he has taken first steps to publicly acknowledge the pain that they have caused.
In the coming weeks, we will continue to meet with our communal leaders, provide programming and education that promote openness and understanding. During these challenging times, our goal is to contribute to a community that celebrates shared values rather than allowing divisiveness to take root. If you are interested in supporting this effort, we encourage you to get involved and contact us. We pray that in the future, our elected officials will use their platforms to promote peace, cooperation, and the harmony that we all value as members of this community.
May our work as a Jewish community continue to bring more light into the world each day, like growing light of the candles on Hanukkah.
With best wishes,
Ma’ayan Weinberg, Executive Director
Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation
Rabbi Dovid Tiechtel, Executive Director & Spiritual Leader
Illini Chabad
Erez Cohen, Executive Director
Illini Hillel
Rabbi Alan Cook, Senior Rabbi
Rabbi Jody Cook, Director of Education
Sinai Temple”
Illini Hellil