close
close
hsuses

What we know about the pro-Palestinian protest in Los Angeles that Biden describes as “anti-Semitic”

Theo

Top line

A pro-Palestinian protest in Los Angeles on Sunday was met with resistance from pro-Israel counter-protesters, leading to physical clashes between the two groups outside a local synagogue. President Joe Biden responded with sharp criticism, tweeting Monday morning that the intimidation of Jewish community members was “dangerous, unconscionable, anti-Semitic and un-American.”

Key data

The protest began around noon outside the Adas Torah Synagogue in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood of Los Angeles. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators were protesting against a real estate event held at the synagogue that they said promoted the sale of homes inside the Gaza Strip, according to an Instagram post by the Palestinian Youth Movement.

The goal of the real estate event was to provide attendees with information on “housing projects in Israel’s best Anglophone neighborhoods,” according to an advertisement in the June 21 issue of the Jewish Journal, a Los Angeles-based weekly newspaper, but the ad sparked a fierce reaction on social media.

Adas Torah told Forbes that protesters tried to prevent people from entering the synagogue and claimed that protesters used tear gas and bear spray against Jews.

Los Angeles police deployed 60 officers and drove protesters away from the synagogue, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing unnamed sources.

Pro-Israel demonstrators also encountered the protest, which eventually turned violent. Videos can be seen on social media showing numerous isolated clashes in which pepper spray and eggs were apparently used. However, the trigger for the clashes is unclear.

According to the LAPD, two assault charges were filed on Sunday and one person was arrested for using a post with a nail attached. The arrested man was issued a citation and released, and the assault charges are currently under investigation.

Biden, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the clashes, which prompted Bass to increase patrols in the Pico-Robertson area and at places of worship across Los Angeles.

As of 4:34 p.m. Eastern Time, the LAPD had no further updates on the incident.

The Palestinian Youth Movement and its Los Angeles branch did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.

Get text alerts for Forbes breaking news: We’re launching text alerts to keep you informed of the day’s biggest headlines. Text alerts to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.

Key quote

“I want to make it clear that Los Angeles will not be a haven for anti-Semitism and violence,” Bass tweeted. “Those responsible for both will be found and held accountable.”

Important background

The Palestinian youth movement has organized protests in Manhattan, the White House and a parliament building in Ottawa so far this month, while pro-Palestinian protests have spread from campuses to the city’s streets and government buildings following the end of the academic year at several universities across the U.S. The University of Columbia, UCLA and Yale were just some of the universities where pro-Palestinian protests, sit-ins, rallies and tent camps met with police resistance last month. In May, more than 1,000 protesters were arrested on college campuses across the U.S. Pro-Palestinian protesters demanded that their universities divest from companies that work with Israel and Israeli universities. Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip is expected to continue throughout the year as Israeli forces continue to advance into the territory.

tangent

According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, more than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently claimed that the US was withholding weapons from Israel, prompting White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to say she did not know what the prime minister was talking about. Netanyahu’s remark was one of the latest points of friction between him and the Biden administration, following scrutiny by the president, who suspended arms sales to Israel over fears Israel might launch an attack on a civilian sanctuary in Rafah, a southern Gaza city. Biden has also criticized Netanyahu’s intentions, saying this month that the prime minister had “prolonged the war for his own political self-preservation” before walking back the remark.

Further information

Netanyahu criticizes Biden administration in harshest terms yet for “holding back” weapons from Israel: “Unbelievable” (Forbes)

War between Israel and Hamas will last another seven months – as fighting intensifies in Rafah, Israeli official says (Forbes)

Related Posts