Extra patrol on the streets of L.A. due to threats from Hamas. The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and law enforcement agencies say there is no known credible threat to the local Jewish community after a former Hamas leader has called for a “day of rage” on Friday.
“The Los Angeles Police Department is aware of recent statements made calling for action as it relates to the conflict in the Middle East,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement. “We have no information of any specific or credible threats to the City of Los Angeles but we are continuing to assess the situation for any potential impact to our communities.”
The police department said it will provide extra patrol on the streets of L.A..
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department issued a nearly identical statement, adding, “We are conducting extra patrol checks and supplementing additional personnel from detective division and specialized units to have high visibility in strategic locations throughout the county. Additionally, we are reaching out to our local religious communities to reassure them during this tumultuous time.”
Various other local law enforcement agencies also issued statements with similar themes of enhanced patrols, calls for vigilance by residents and insistence that there are no known credible threats in the area.
“There is some concern and fear, particularly when there’s this call to dismantle and attack the Jewish community worldwide,” said Peter Levi, the regional director of the Anti-Defamation League in Orange County and Long Beach.
Locally, some Jewish people are on edge after someone was seen waving a Nazi flag Wednesday morning above the 405 Freeway in Irvine.
“It’s just a disgusting act of hatred that even though it’s protected by the First Amendment, should not be tolerated in our society,” Levi said. “We just don’t need this kind of hate.”
As Israel continues to bomb Gaza and more details about the atrocities committed by Hamas emerge, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Israel meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The failure to unambiguously condemn terrorism puts at risk not only people in Israel, but people everywhere,” Blinken said at a joint news conference with Netanyahu in Tel Aviv.
In the face of terrorist attacks in Israel, we must be alert in California
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