The Times of Israel noted that New York Congressman Ritchie Torres, one of Israel’s most outspoken supporters in Washington, lashed Code Pink for blaming the Jews for the Los Angeles fires.
By Rachel Avraham
As we speak, multiple wildfires are targeting Los Angeles, California, killing at least 16, with over 10,000 homes and structures destroyed, and over 180,000 people evacuated. Looters have been rampant in such a situation and have even dressed up as firefighters in order to steal from the homes of the evacuated Americans, Sky News reported. CNN reported that entire neighborhoods have been destroyed.
“Our hearts are with the residents of Southern California as wildfires continue to impact communities,” the Israeli embassy wrote on X. “Israel stands in solidarity with those affected, and we send strength to the brave firefighters and first responders working tirelessly to protect lives and homes.”
Israel Hayom reported that famous Israeli actress Gal Gadot, who starred in Wonder Woman, expressed concern for those affected by the devastating fires. “Praying for everyone affected by the fires here in Los Angeles – those who’ve had to evacuate, who’ve lost their homes, and the brave first responders on the front lines,” Gadot shared on her Instagram, adding, “Sending love and strength to all. Please stay safe.” The actress later shared an image of Carbon Beach, describing the scene as “devastating.”
Israel’s leading humanitarian NGO, IsraAID, announced that they will support recovery from the Los Angeles wildfires. According to a recent press release, “The organization is preparing to send an emergency response team, likely to include both Israeli volunteers and humanitarian professionals, to support communities affected by the fires.”
The organization noted, “IsraAID has extensive experience responding to emergencies in the United States, working frequently in partnership with the veterans-based disaster relief organization Team Rubicon, and deep ties with communities across the region. Most recently, IsraAID partnered with Team Rubicon to respond to Hurricane Ian in Florida in 2022. IsraAID also supported communities following the Camp Fire in Paradise, California, in 2018, providing long-term psychosocial support for survivors, first responders, and community leaders. Since 2017, IsraAID has worked in communities affected by hurricanes in Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and Puerto Rico, as well as repeated wildfires in California.”
IsraAID’s CEO, Yotam Polizer, said: “We are devastated to see the destruction from these enormous fires, and our hearts go out to all those who have lost their homes or been displaced. We have long-standing ties to communities in Los Angeles and across California and have deeply felt the impact of this emergency. We are proud to bring our expertise and support all the way from Israel, even as we continue our work in Israel and abroad. At a time of ongoing crisis at home and around the world, we are grateful to be able to aid communities in their time of need. This is what we do: support communities experiencing crisis, no matter where they are.”
At a time like this, instead of expressing solidarity and support for the people of Los Angeles, anti-Semitic activists have decided to blame the Jews for the Los Angeles wildfires. The Tehran Times reported “Instead of putting resources toward making our country livable, our government is putting billions toward Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza,” the New York branch of the anti-Zionist Jewish Voice for Peace said in a post about the fires in Los Angeles. They added that a leader of New York’s anti-Israel group Within Our Lifetime, Fatima Mohammed, also blames the Jews for the Los Angeles fires: “The flames of Gaza will not stop there. Dropping hundreds of thousands of bombs on Gaza, turning it into a blazing inferno, has consequences. There are climate consequences that will find us all.”
She continued, “A reminder that Biden, on his way out, approved another $8B in weapons to Israel as his parting gift to keep burning people alive in Gaza, while his own citizens in LA now fight flames eating their homes. And there’ll be no money left when the clock strikes, of course.” Middle East Eye reported that Palestinian journalist Ahmed Eldin posted on X, “Meanwhile the LA Fire Dept got a $17.6M budget cut. And Israel, which already got a $23 billion increase, is set to get 8 billion more.”
The Times of Israel reported that commentator Mehdi Hasan also linked US military aid to Israel to the Los Angeles Fire Department’s budget, even though the funding for the Los Angeles Fire Department comes from the City of Los Angeles and aid to Israel comes from the federal government. They also reported that Code Pink, a far-left activist group, said on Instagram, “When US taxes go to burning people alive in Gaza, we can’t be surprised when those fires come home.” According to the report, Code Pink was pressuring California Senator Alex Padilla at his Washington, DC office, tying the war to climate change.
The Times of Israel noted that New York Congressman Ritchie Torres, one of Israel’s most outspoken supporters in Washington, lashed Code Pink for blaming Israel for the fires. “The nature of Antisemitism is to scapegoat the Jewish People and the Jewish State for everything wrong in the world — no matter how tenuous the causal connection,” he said on X. “The modus operandi of Antisemitism is slanderous scapegoating: when in doubt, blame the Jews.”
“Code Pink’s rabid anti-Zionism and insatiable animosity toward Israel drives them to make an absurd, incomprehensible claim,” the head of the Anti-Defamation League, Jonathan Greenblatt, said on X. “What does it say about a group that will find a way to use any tragedy to foster incitement and antisemitism?”
This is not the first time that the Jews have been blamed for forest fires in the United States. The Times of Israel reported that in 2018, US Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene implicated “Rothschild Inc” in connection with a deadly forest fire that, she wrote, was started using laser beams from space. According to the report, the 2018 Camp Fire in California burned more than 150,000 acres and killed 85 people. The congresswoman who made this claim is a follower of QAnon conspiracy theory, which is known for its anti-Semitism.
