Antisemitic Attack Condemned By Beverly Hills City Council

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — The Beverly Hills City Council issued a statement Wednesday condemning antisemitism and calling the Israel boycott movement “unjustifiable.”

Statement from Beverly Hills City Council Regarding Conflict in the Middle East: https://t.co/wVL0dxOd7x pic.twitter.com/YXb1t95H7d
— CityofBeverlyHills (@CityofBevHills) May 20, 2021

The council issued the statement after an attack Tuesday night at a Beverly Grove sushi restaurant just outside city borders, when a group carrying Palestinian flags hurled antisemitic slurs and glass bottles at a group of Jewish diners. Police are investigating the event as a possible hate crime. One minor injury was reported.

The event comes after weeks of deadly fighting between Israel and Hamas that have killed at least 200 Palestinians and 12 Israelis. The tensions have spilled over into Los Angeles, which contains large Jewish and Muslim populations. On Tuesday, a crowd of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside the Israeli consulate in West Los Angeles, and thousands of pro-Palestinian demosntrators rallied in Westwood over the weekend.

A smaller pro-Israel demonstration in front of Beverly Hills City Hall was reported last week.

The five Beverly Hills councilmembers, all of whom are Jewish, took a noticeably pro-Israel stance in their statement. They argued that Israel is acting in self-defense, and called out the Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions movement, which calls for a boycott to protest the country’s treatment of Palestinians in occupied territories.

“As one of the only Jewish-majority cities outside of Israel, we feel particularly concerned with the rise of antisemitism and call for an end to the assaults and rhetoric,” the statement says (Patch could not verify whether the majority of Beverly Hills residents are Jewish.)

“Any calls to support BDS or call out Israel in a discriminatory fashion by encouraging a boycott are unjustifiable and should be rejected outright. This City Council will always speak out against discrimination against Jews or any other group. Nations have the right to defend themselves and the Beverly Hills City Council calls for peace and security in the world and right here at home.”

The council also said that they are thinking of the citizens of Herzliya, a sister city of Beverly Hills located just north of Tel Aviv. So far, no violence has been reported there.

The Los Angeles area, home to the world’s fifth largest Jewish population, has seen a dramatic increase in antisemitic hate crimes in recent years, mirroring a national trend. Between 2018 and 2019, antisemitic hate crimes rose by 60 percent, according to data from the LAPD. Out of the 81 hate crimes targeting religious groups, 69 targeted Jews. According to the Human Rights Campaign, 93 hate crimes were committed against Jews in Los Angeles in 2019, and just 7 were committed against Muslims.

In Dec. 2019, Anton Nathaniel Redding vandalized the Nessah Synagogue in Beverly Hills, a Persian synagogue and cultural center. He entered at 2 a.m., and overturned furniture, and damaged several sacred relics.

Tuesday’s attack was also condemned by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, LA’s first elected Jewish mayor. “Jewish Angelenos, like all residents, should always feel safe in our city ... L.A. is a city of belonging, not of hate. There is simply no place for antisemitism, discrimination or prejudice of any kind in Los Angeles. And we will never tolerate bigotry and violence in our communities,” Garcetti wrote on Twitter.

The incident was also condemned by a host of Jewish organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, which is offering $5,000 to anyone with information on the assailants. The incident was also condemned by the local chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations.

“Despite heightened tensions in Palestine and Israel, it isnever acceptable for that conflict to spill over into our streets and cities. Violence and intimidation should be condemned, investigated, and if warranted, prosecuted,” the organization said in a Wednesday statement.

Click here to read the Beverly Hills City Council’s full statement.

See also:
Attack At Beverly Grove Restaurant Investigated As Hate Crime | Los Angeles, CA Patch
Angelenos March For Palestinian Rights In Westwood | Beverly Hills, CA Patch
Beverly Hills Synagogue Vandalism: PA Man Pleads No Contest | Beverly Hills, CA Patch