Two arrests were made after anti-Israel rioters engaged in vandalism and disrupted a lecture at a historic Los Angeles synagogue.
By Rachel Avraham
According to the Los Angeles Jewish Journal, UCLA medical student Eliana Jolkovsky arrived on Wednesday December 3 at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, the oldest synagogue in Los Angeles, a historic shul dating back to 1862, and saw a group of about 15 anti-Israel protesters, their faces masked by keffiyehs, chanting, “Baby Killers,” “Zionist Pigs,” and “Occupation no more.” Arutz Sheva reported that protesters also shouted “Palestine will live forever” and “scum of the earth.”
Haaretz reported that the anti-Israel protesters hung a large banner that said “Elbit out of Los Angeles” and “Genociders not welcome,” and distributed flyers that said Elbit was responsible for weapons and technology that Israel uses against Palestinian civilians and that ICE uses in the U.S.
“We couldn’t hear the speakers because they were chanting so loudly outside,” said Jolkovsky in a phone interview with the Los Angeles Jewish Journal. “The event was done in coordination with the Korean community. I was very shaken up. The Koreans in the group were even more shaken up than we were and said to us, ‘So this is what you experience?’”
The Los Angeles Jewish Journal reported that the lecture that day was meant to promote bridge-building, learning, and dialogue between the Israeli, Jewish, and Korean communities where the historic temple is situated. “It was meant to teach the Korean community the safety strategies that the Jewish community uses when facing hate crimes and the surge of antisemitic rhetoric,” said Jolkovsky. “We wanted to unite the Jewish and Korean communities and share our knowledge with them because there is still anti-Asian hate.”
According to the Los Angeles Jewish Journal, the lecture started at 9:30am but about an hour and a half into the lecture, two anti-Israel activists got up and started to scream anti-Israel chants in the middle of the lecture. Jolkovsky told the Los Angeles Jewish Journal: “Everyone told them to get out, this is not the place. We said there are children downstairs at the nursery and this is a place of worship, but they didn’t care.”
As security removed the two anti-Israel protesters from the lecture, the Los Angeles Jewish Journal reported that one of the protesters, who had pretended to come for the lecture, smashed a glass vase inside the synagogue before being taken out as well, with the shards of glass nearly hitting people who came to attend the lecture.
According to Jolkovsky, “There were pieces of glass everywhere. It seemed like some protesters entered through different doors and pretended to be part of the event, but this guy smashed a glass vase and it shattered all over the floor. He said, ‘Genocidal terrorist, s**k my d—k,’ and other profanities.”
Haaretz reported that a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department said officers arrested one person for battery and another for vandalism. Lawrence Peck, an advisor at the North Korea Freedom Coalition, told the Los Angeles Jewish Journal that he believes the protesters belonged to specific groups based on their online activity. “Based on their social media posts calling for and promoting the protest at the synagogue, it appears that two of the groups involved were Nodutdol and Koreatown 4 Palestine. These groups have been holding protest rallies in Koreatown in which they condemn Israel and defend North Korea,” he said.
According to the report, Rabbi Joel Nickerson, the synagogue’s head rabbi, called the incident “a disturbing outbreak of hate” in a statement. “These individuals targeted the Jewish community and chose to disrupt a community event on synagogue property that was focused on advancing public safety in Koreatown,” he said, adding, “No one should be targeted in the City of Los Angeles on account of their faith.” According to CBS News, Mayor Karen Bass denounced the vandalism, calling the action “abhorrent and has no place in Los Angeles.”
“I received reports that individuals interrupted a private event at the historic Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Koreatown, calling attendees antisemitic names and damaging property inside the temple,” Bass wrote in a statement. “I spoke with Rabbi Nickerson to ensure he and his congregation know that the City of Los Angeles stands with them and fully condemns these attacks. I am grateful to the LAPD officers who addressed this disturbance. Additional LAPD officers have been deployed to patrol near areas of worship.”
According to the Los Angeles Jewish Journal, The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles released this statement: “Earlier today, at an event being held at Wilshire Boulevard Synagogue intended to promote bridge building, learning and dialogue between the Israeli, Jewish, and AAPI communities, an antisemitic protest occurred that disrupted this peaceful gathering. Several arrests were made following the incident.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles added: “Our Community Security Initiative (CSI) was present and participating on a panel there at the time. CSI is working with our local law enforcement partners to make sure those who caused the incident will be held accountable and our houses of worship continue to remain safe and protected. We are outraged and condemn this antisemitic behavior in the strongest of terms. There is no place in our community — or anywhere — for antisemitism and hate disguised as dissent.”
Photo from CNN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y14Lmm3nu80
