Councilmembers Raman, Koretz, And Blumenfield Introduce Resolution Condemning Recent Antisemitic Acts In Los Angeles

For Immediate Release: October 28, 2022

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LOS ANGELES — Today, Councilmembers Nithya Raman, Paul Koretz, and Bob Blumenfield introduced a resolution condemning the recent rise in acts of Antisemitism across Los Angeles and affirming the that the City of Los Angeles stands in solidarity with the Jewish community. The resolution further commits to leveraging City resources and the City’s Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department to fight antisemitism, along with all other forms of hate and prejudice, to ensure that the City is a welcoming and safe home to all people.

Following a social media post from the rapper Ye, aka Kanye West, threatening to take violent action against Jewish people, antisemitic hate groups capitalized on the media attention garnered by the incident to hang an antisemitic banner over the 405 freeway that read “Kanye is right about the Jews” and to distribute flyers spreading vile and hateful messages about Jews over the weekend of October 22. This demonstration is subsequent to an overall 217% rise in antisemitic incidents in the Los Angeles area from 2017 to 2021.

“This weekend’s abhorrent display of antisemitism by an extremist group must serve as a powerful wake-up call to all of us in Los Angeles,” said Councilmember Raman. “We cannot allow Los Angeles to slide down the slippery slope from hate speech to violence. Antisemitism can only find purchase in this city if we let it.” 

“Kanye’s antisemitic rhetoric should not just be viewed as the misguided hate of one celebrity egomaniac but a harbinger of a growing wave of antisemitic philosophy that has infiltrated the mainstream and must be spotlighted for its dangers of both words and physical threats that are sure to target Jews, as a result,” said Councilmember Paul Koretz. “My father was a Holocaust survivor and we have learned that ‘never forget’ means that discrimination of all kinds must be stopped in its tracks everywhere and at all costs.  It is unbelievable to me that in today’s day and age we are seeing a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents and that they are being shamelessly endorsed and fanned by followers of this irresponsible, irrational public figure threatening the very safety and sanctity of our society.”

“The wave of anti-Semitism we have seen in LA is truly vile and we all must unite against this bigotry,” said Councilmember Bob Blumenfield. “When someone who has twice as many twitter followers as there are Jewish people on earth goes on anti-Semitic rants, we should not be surprised when these sort of displays follow. It makes it even more imperative that we condemn this behavior and make it crystal clear that anti-Semitism has no place in our city.”

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