Two horrific attacks — one at a Jewish museum in Washington and the most recent in Boulder, Colo., — remind us that Jewish identity remains a target in America. These attacks are part of a disturbing pattern of hate and violence stretching nationwide.
Antisemitism in the United States is at a generational high. The Anti-Defamation League reported 2024 as the year with the most antisemitic incidents since tracking began in 1979. After the Hamas attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, antisemitic acts — including harassment, vandalism and threats — soared: The incidence in 2024 was 893% higher than a decade earlier. Jewish students are afraid to speak on campus. Families are removing mezuzahs from their doorposts. Business leaders hesitate to speak out.
This is part of a well-worn cycle: Hate speech leads to hate crimes.
In Los Angeles, we can point to any number of incidents including Kanye West’s antisemitic tweets in October 2022, banners over the 405 shortly thereafter, thousands of horrific fliers, swatting of Jewish institutions and private homes, and worse.
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We warned each time where this could lead. Sure enough, in March 2023 two Jewish men were shot in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood. In November 2023, Paul Kessler was killed at a demonstration in support of Israel, and in June 2024, we witnessed violent attacks on the Jewish community at Adas Torah Synagogue.
We cannot wait for more violence to act. The moment demands more than symbolic gestures. We do not need more community meetings, we need results. As a city that claims to be a beacon of progress and pluralism, Los Angeles ought to lead — first, by keeping its promise of supporting security for L.A.’s most vulnerable population.
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