Mayor Karen Bass Addresses L.A. Security Concerns After Spate of Antisemitic Attacks
Mayor Karen Bass Addresses L.A. Security Concerns After Spate of Antisemitic Attacks originally appeared on L.A. Mag.
The LAPD has increased its presence near Jewish synagogues, schools, organizations, and neighborhoods and near community gathering spots, among them the Israeli Consulate, the Holocaust Museum, and the Museum of Tolerance, city officials said. The uptick was sparked by what Mayor Karen Bass said was the "horrific antisemitic attacks that happened in Washington, D.C. and Boulder, Colorado over the last two weeks have sent shockwaves across the country." Bass was referencing two anti-Semitic incidents in two weeks. In one, a young Jewish couple were gunned down outside the Lillian & Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. by a shooter who screeched: "Free Palestine" and "I did it for Gaza," as he was taken into custody. On Sunday, another man - who was in the country illegally - hurled Molotov cocktails at a peaceful gathering in Boulder, Colorado, to recognize Israeli hostages in Gaza while yelling: "Free Palestine." He set fire to several people during the attack, including an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor. But there have been other acts of violence that have raised alarms, including the firebombing of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's home in April, hours after the governor and his family hosted more than two dozen people to celebrate the first night of Passover. The suspected arsonist picked Shapiro because of "what he wants to do to the Palestinian people," according to police records.
A report released by the Anti-Defamation League last month notes a startling uptick in violence against Jews since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. The 12-month total tally for 2024 averaged more than 25 incidents a day across the nation. Israel's response to the Oct. 7 attacks has also raised international alarms as the world watches the suffering that has come in the form of collateral damage that has been inflicted on the Palestinian people. That topic was being discussed last October when the former Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Brian Williams, who was appointed by Bass, called a bomb threat into City Hall, according to federal proseuctors. At the time of the hoax call on Oct. 3, 2024, Williams told Mayor Karen Bass the bogus bomber was "tired of the city support for Israel," and was going to blow up "maybe the rotunda," according to federal prosecutors.
Prosecutors say that Williams told LAPD officials and Bass that the fake caller was 'tired of the city support of Israel, and has decided to place a bomb in City Hall.' Williams, who quietly retired in April after collecting a paycheck from the time the FBI raided his Pasadena home last winter, is eligible for a city pension despite pleading guilty last month to federal charges related to the threat. As the rhetoric from both sides continues to escalate, Bass met with Jewish leaders alongside LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell on Wednesday to reassure them that the city is taking security seriously. "These heinous acts of violence are reprehensible, and any and all forms of antisemitism will not be tolerated in the City of Los Angeles," her office said in the statement. McDonnell told the Jewish community leaders that the LAPD's Social Media Unit "is actively monitoring digital platforms for any threats," and increasing patrols out of an abundance of caution. "This was not only an act of violence – it was an act of hate – and it has rightly left many in our community shaken and searching for reassurance,' McDonnell said of the Boulder attack. "Our Major Crimes Division continues its work in partnership with the FBI as part of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, ensuring that all credible threats are swiftly addressed."
This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
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