City Council Addresses Antisemitic Flyers Found In Beverly Hills

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — The Beverly Hills City Council on Tuesday addressed antisemitic flyers that were found around the city on two separate occasions.

The flyers were first found around the city on Nov. 28, the first day of Hanukkah. The flyers were a single-page in a plastic bag weighed down with rice and included "propaganda style hate speech related to the COVID pandemic and the Jewish people," according to the City Council. A second round of about 200 similar flyers were found around the city on Dec. 18.

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The council discussed noncriminal options to address the flyers, such as a civil trespassing charge, which would likely have to be instigated by a private citizen; donations to organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League; and condemning the flyers' language.

Councilmembers agreed the best way to handle the flyers would be criminal charges. The Beverly Hills Police Department was investigating the incidents and considering criminal trespassing charges.

Beyond that, councilmembers agreed to work with organizations with more experience confronting hate crimes, including the ADL and the Holocaust Museum L.A.

"Condemning it is useful, words matter. Condemning it, though, also doesn't feel like enough," Mayor Bob Wunderlich said.

Antisemitic flyers were also found in Pasadena on Dec. 19, packaged similarly with pebbles to weigh them down.

"If we are silent, it will happen again," Vice Mayor Lili Bosse said.

Councilmembers discussed the special significance of the flyers given that the city has a big Jewish population and has experienced past instances of antisemitism.

Both Bosse and Councilmember Lester Friedman said their parents were Holocaust survivors, which amplified the hurt of the incidents. Bosse's parents' experience that calls her to action, she said.

"In Beverly Hills we do have a substantial Jewish population. Many of our residents themselves came here fleeing persecution. For others, it's their parents or grandparents who came to the United States fleeing persecution. ... For others, we have heard there are many residents here who are children or grandchildren of Holocaust survivors," Wunderlich said. "For us, antisemitism really is felt deeply here."