California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have called for action to address anti-Semitism in the state after the recent attack targeting the Jewish community in Boulder, Colorado.
Bass condemned the attack and said she would call an emergency meeting at City Hall to address safety and security concerns in Los Angeles.
Shavuot is a Jewish holiday that is observed this year from June 1–3.
The mayor said the Los Angeles Police Department has also increased patrols at houses of worship and community centers.
Twelve people were injured in the Boulder attack, including a Holocaust survivor, after an Egyptian national allegedly shouted “Free Palestine” and threw Molotov cocktails into a predominantly Jewish crowd who were marching for Israeli hostages to be released.
The Colorado attack comes just two weeks after two Israeli Embassy staffers were shot dead while leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington.
The governor said his administration has enacted legislation that would increase student safety across college campuses; bolster funding for security at synagogues and other places of worship, especially those considered high risk; and provide funding for Holocaust education in schools.
“Recent years have seen a troubling spike in reported hate crimes and manifestations of bigotry,” Newsom said in a statement on June 2. “We face a tide of hate and violence, one that is not easily stemmed.”
Reported hate crimes reached 1,350 in 2023, up from 930. Anti-Semitic crimes saw a 91 percent increase, with 242 reports compared to the previous year’s 127.
Tensions have increased between supporters of Israel and those aligned with Palestinians amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces launched its military operation in Gaza after Hamas-led terrorists carried out widespread attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
