Governor Newsom speaks at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. Photo courtesy of the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom.
i24 NEWS – Israel’s Minister of Diaspora and Anti-Semitism Amihai Sikri has issued an urgent call to California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to address a worrying rise in anti-Semitic incidents in the city.
In a strongly worded letter sent in response to a surge in anti-Semitic activity since Oct. 7, 2023, Scicli expressed deep concern about the safety of Jewish residents of Los Angeles.
“Los Angeles is becoming an increasingly dangerous place for its Jewish residents,” Scicli said, stressing the urgent need for aggressive measures to counter the growing tide of anti-Semitism.
He highlighted recent violent demonstrations on campus that put Jewish students at risk, as well as two other serious incidents where he believes authorities responded inadequately.
One of the cases he pointed to was the tragic murder of Paul Kessler during a pro-Israel demonstration in November 2023. Sikli criticized the court’s failure to recognize the attack as a hate crime, saying, “It’s shocking that the court did not recognize this as a hate crime. Paul was attacked simply because he was Jewish and a Zionist.”
Sikli also cited an incident earlier this week in which anti-Israel groups disrupted an event at the Adat Torah synagogue and attacked Jewish participants, after police allegedly failed to take precautions to ensure the safety of Jewish residents despite having prior knowledge of the demonstration.
Concerned about the situation in the city, which is home to the largest Jewish community in North America, Scicli called for immediate measures to be taken to strengthen security around Jewish institutions and to ensure that law enforcement is adequately trained to deal effectively with anti-Semitic crimes. “At a time when anti-Semitism is at an all-time high, I urge you to take steps to combat it,” Scicli said.
The minister ended the letter by proposing cooperation with local authorities and inviting the Los Angeles Police Department to participate in an international training program aimed at equipping security forces around the world to effectively combat anti-Semitism.