"Zero tolerance": SF leaders denounce recent acts of antisemitism
Local officials and community leaders gathered Friday at City Hall to condemn a recent string of antisemitic incidents and to assure San Franciscans that perpetrators will be punished.
Why it matters: The public stand comes after Jewish-owned cafe Manny's was vandalized and a man accused of a violent attack in the Marina was charged with a hate crime.
What they're saying: "As a member of the Jewish community, these incidents hit close to home," Mayor Daniel Lurie said. "I want to be clear that we have zero tolerance for acts of hatred. ... If you commit a hate crime in San Francisco, we will find you and we will arrest you."
There has been "a dramatic rise in antisemitism locally and nationally, on both polar extremes left and right of our politics," Tye Gregory, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council, said at the press conference.
"This isn't about what's going on outside of the United States in the Middle East or anywhere else," district attorney Brooke Jenkins said. "This is about what we believe and who we are."
State of play: Since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, the Bay Area Jewish Community Federation has recorded over 40 threats — including bomb threats to local synagogues, schools and community centers — and more than 220 incidents of harassment and intimidation, senior vice president Rebecca Randall said Friday.
Manny's was hit with graffiti saying "F**k Manny" and "The only good settler is a dead 1" following a night of anti-ICE protests earlier in June.
Meanwhile, the attack in the Marina occurred after a Jewish woman asked a group of people to stop shouting "F**k Jews, free Palestine," she told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Juan Diaz-Rivas punched the woman's friend, repeating antisemitic remarks and causing him to lose consciousness, prosecutors allege. Diaz-Rivas has pleaded not guilty.
The big picture: Jewish leaders across the nation have warned that President Trump's invocation of antisemitism to justify policies like slashing college funds and deporting student protesters risks making Jewish people scapegoats.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Gavin Newsom Challenges JD Vance: 'How About Saying It to My Face?'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday challenged Vice President JD Vance to a debate after the vice president visited Los Angeles and accused him of "egging on" violent disorder in the city. In a post on his X, formerly Twitter, account, the governor wrote: "...Since you're so eager to talk about me, how about saying it to my face?" Newsweek contacted Vance for comment on Saturday via email to the White House press office outside of regular office hours. Why It Matters U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have expanded their operations in Los Angeles and across the country as President Donald Trump seeks to deliver on his campaign promise to carry out the largest deportation operation in United States history. ICE conducted raids in Los Angeles and faced large protests in the city that largely remained peaceful with some instances of violence that prompted Trump to order the deployment of 4,000 members of California's National Guard and 700 U.S. Marines to assist in stopping violence, even as Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass insisted local law enforcement had the matter under control and a legal battle has pursued. The raids are following legal directive from federal authorities, but critics have raised concerns about the treatment of migrants by federal authorities as well as the tactics used by immigration agents during the raids. What To Know During his visit to Los Angeles on Friday to meet with troops, including Marines who have been deployed to protect federal buildings in the city, Vance said rioters had been "egged on" by Newsom and Bass, telling reporters: "The president has a very simple proposal to everybody in every city, every community, every town whether big or small. If you enforce your own laws and if you protect federal law enforcement, we're not going to send in the national guard because it's unnecessary. He added: "But if you let violent rioters burn great American cities to the ground, then of course we're going to send in federal law enforcement to protect the people the president was elected to protect." Vance also referred to Senator Alex Padilla, a California Democrat who was handcuffed and forcibly removed from a press conference DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was holding in Los Angeles earlier this month, as "Jose Padilla." Noem has said Padilla did not identify himself when he arrived at the conference, but Padilla disputes the claim. Responding on X, Newsom wrote: "Hey @JDVance — nice of you to finally make it out to California. Since you're so eager to talk about me, how about saying it to my face? Let's debate. Time and place?" In a separate X post, the governor shared a clip of Vance calling Padilla "Jose Padilla," adding: "JD Vance served with Alex Padilla in the United States Senate. Calling him 'Jose Padilla' is not an accident." California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks on March 26 in Los Angeles. Vice President JD Vance addresses the press following a tour of the multiagency Federal Joint Operations Center at the Wilshire Federal Building on June... California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks on March 26 in Los Angeles. Vice President JD Vance addresses the press following a tour of the multiagency Federal Joint Operations Center at the Wilshire Federal Building on June 20 in Los Angeles. More Frazer Harrison/WireImage/Scott Olson/GETTY What People Are Saying Referring to the Padilla incident, a Vance spokesperson previously told Newsweek that: "He must have mixed up two people who have broken the law." Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said: "Mr. Vice President, how dare you disrespect our senator. You don't know his name," Bass questioned. "But yet you served with him before you were vice president and you continue to serve with him today, because the last time I checked, the vice president of the United States is the president of the U.S. Senate." She added: "You serve with him today and how dare you disrespect him and call him 'Jose.' But I guess he just looked like anybody to you. Well, he's not just anybody to us. He is our senator." President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social last week: "I campaigned on, and received a Historic Mandate for, the largest Mass Deportation Program in American History. Polling shows overwhelming Public Support for getting the Illegals out, and that is exactly what we will do. As Commander-in-Chief, I will always protect and defend the Heroes of ICE and Border Patrol, whose work has already resulted in the Most Secure Border in American History. Anyone who assaults or attacks an ICE or Border Agent will do hard time in jail. Those who are here illegally should either self deport using the CBP Home App or, ICE will find you and remove you. Saving America is not negotiable!" What Happens Next? Vance has yet to respond to Newsom's offer of a debate and it remains to be seen if he will do so. In December 2023, Newsom debated against Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis after the two went back-and-forth on their policies. Meanwhile, a U.S. appeals court on Thursday unanimously blocked a lower court ruling that put Newsom back in control of National Guard troops that Trump deployed to Los Angeles. The appeals court ruled that the president can keep control of the guardsmen while legal proceedings in the case continue.
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Israeli hostage families make desperate plea to Trump as 'time is running out'
JERUSALEM—The family members of Israeli hostages held in captivity by the U.S.-designated terrorist movement Hamas published an open letter on Thursday to President Trump, urging him to intervene to help free the 53 remaining people held in Gaza. "As Iranian missiles streak across the sky above us, our hearts remain consumed by thoughts of our beloved family members enduring brutal Hamas captivity. 53 precious souls—our children, parents, siblings, and spouses—remain trapped in hell. "For over 620 endless days, they have had no shelter, no family's embrace, no whispered words of comfort. Their time is running out. We write to you united in this unique anguish, yet bound by unshakable faith in your leadership and commitment to bringing our loved ones home," wrote the Israeli group Hostages and Missing Families Forum on the social media platform Truth Social -Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) is the parent company of Truth Social. The family members urged the President to "seize the opportunity while Iran and Hamas are at their weakest point." President Trump secured the freedom of the 21-year-old American-Israeli Edan Alexander from Hamas captivity on May 12. Eden returned to his hometown in New Jersey on Thursday after nearly 600 days in captivity. Fox News Digital sent press queries to the White House and the U.S. State Department, seeking comment about the open letter published on Truth Social to President Trump. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters at Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva—the site of an Iranian missile strike—that "The real barrier of Hamas is Iran. It will bring down Iran . . . Hamas is dying, and it will undoubtedly help to return the hostages." Netanyahu said Israel's military campaign against the Islamic Republic of Iran is aiding the Jewish state's efforts to secure the release of hostages held by the Iran-backed Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza. He added, "I do not close my eyes for a moment" about the hostages. Netanyahu told Isarel's Kan public broadcaster that "Hamas relies on Iran." Hamas' recalcitrance about agreeing to a ceasefire that would enable the hostages to be released has been the major obstacle for America's efforts to secure their freedom after 623 days of war. Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, and massacred over 1,200 people, including Americans. and kidnapped more than 250 people. Netanyahu stressed, with respect to the hostages and the war against Iran, that "I am determined to bring all of them home . . . I will not give up on this, and there are also steps that we will take in these moments for this goal. . . . The destruction of the nuclear weapons, the destruction of missiles, the elimination of our targets." The Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters released a statement from family members about the burial of murdered hostage Yair Yaakov on Friday, who was laid to rest at Kibbutz Nir Oz after 623 days in captivity. Or Yaakov, Yair's son, who was released from Hamas captivity as part of a deal, said, "Dad, you were such a special person. An exemplary father, a true friend. You left behind an enormous void that nothing will ever be able to fill. But I promise you, I will keep your memories alive within me. I will tell your stories, I will laugh at and with your jokes, and most importantly, I will live the way you would want me to live - with flow, simplicity, and contentment. Rest in peace, my dear father. You will always be in my heart, with every breath I take. I love you forever." The Times of Israel reported that the operation to recover Yair Yaakov was carried out by the army's 36th Division following precise intelligence from military and security intelligence. Reuters named Aviv Atzili as the second person recovered during the operation. Atzili, a warrant officer in the reserves and a member of Kibbutz Nir Oz's civil defense squad, was killed battling Hamas-led terrorists in the Gaza border community on October 7, 2023.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Padilla responds to Vance ‘Jose' remark: ‘He knows my name'
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) on Saturday criticized Vice President Vance for referring to him by the wrong name at a presser in Los Angeles the night before. The vice president called California's senior senator 'Jose' and alleged his forcible removal from last week's Department of Homeland Security press conference was due to a desire to create 'theater' amid unrest in the city sparked by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. 'He knows my name. He knows my name,' Padilla said during a Saturday appearance on MSNBC. 'Look, sadly, it's just an indicator of how petty and unserious this administration is,' he continued. 'He's the vice president of the United States. You think he'd take the situation in Los Angeles more seriously. Several Democrats came to Padilla defense after Vance's Friday remarks. Many of them slammed the leader for misnaming Padilla, whom he served alongside in the senate prior to becoming vice president. Vance's spokesperson did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment on the matter. Padilla on Saturday, however, said he's not focused on the incident, but rather the safety of California's immigrant community. 'You know, you think maybe he'd take a moment to talk to some of the families who have been impacted, have been terrorized, to feel what's really going on on the ground,' Padilla told MSNBC, referring to residents who expressed fear following mass ICE raids across the state. In the days following raids and arrests, protests gathered to express outrage over the Trump administration's crack down on illegal immigration in Los Angeles. President Trump sent thousands of the state's National Guard soldiers and hundreds of Marines to respond to violent demonstrations. But California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said their presence is unwarranted and sued the president for unleashing the soldiers without first consulting him. A judge this week ruled in favor of Trump, affirming the president's ability to dispatch National Guard soldiers if he sees the need for boots on the ground. 'Many of the Marines themselves don't want to be there. That's not why they enlisted,' Padilla said Saturday. The lawmaker said instead of meeting with law enforcement in Los Angeles, Vance should instead aid the state's response to recent natural disasters and concerns from immigrant families. 'We've got a lot of important work to do,' Padilla added. 'But this is how the vice president chooses to act, and that says a lot.'
