Motion Revised to Include All Faith Communities Seems to Have Been Pulled From Scheduled Vote on July 31
Council District 5 Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky and Council District 3 Councilmember Bob Blumenfield proposed a motion to allocate $2 million for security efforts at faith-based organizations across Los Angeles in late June after the incident at Adas Torah Synagogue in Pico Robertson on June 23. This motion was set to be voted on Wednesday, July 31, at the Los Angeles City Council meeting, but seems to have been withdrawn, as reported by Liz Chou of the Los Angeles Public Press.
Originally, the motion presented by Yaroslavsky and Blumenfield wanted to allocate $1 million in total, with $400,000 to the Jewish Federation Los Angeles, $350,000 to the security organization Magen Am, and $250,000 to the Jewish Community Foundation to enhance security at Jewish community centers, schools, and synagogues.
Yaroslavsky and Blumenfeld made no mention of the violence perpetrated by a pro-Israeli group of vigilantes that attacked the UCLA student-run Palestine Solidarity Encampment for four hours, resulting in 15 hospitalizations, ten people who suffered blunt head trauma, and five people had lacerations “large and deep enough” to require stitching at the hospital according to the Los Angeles Public Press. Even after CNN published an investigation that named several perpetrators, only one of the attackers has been arrested, and the Los Angeles DA refused to file felony charges.
Neither did they mention that no less than 11 journalists were attacked or had their equipment stolen or damaged while covering the incident at Adas Torah.
Councilwoman Yaroslavsky said in an email newsletter on July 7, “We must act immediately to expand and expedite funding for security services to ensure that all our community members feel safe and protected. This motion is a critical step towards achieving that goal.”
Jewish Voice For Peace LA said, in a social media press statement, “Yaroslavsky has previously identified Magen Am as one of the main firms to receive this funding, and we can assume intends to consider them again under this motion. Magen Am is an NRA-backed organization staffed by former Israeli soldiers and instructors with documented far-right ideologies. Voting yes means you condone their extremist views.” and urged community members to make their voices heard during public comment.
However, the motion, as originally written, raised legal concerns from the City Attorney and concerns from other city council members and Mayor Bass. Community groups like the Harriet Tubman Center for Social Justice, Union del Barrio, Unmute Humanity, and Veterans for Peace criticized the motion and urged council members to reject it at a news conference.
Yaroslavsky and Blumenfield revised the motion, doubling the funding to $2 million and allocating it to the city’s Civil and Human Rights Department, making it available to all faith-based organizations. Since the substance of the motion was essentially changed, the vote was postponed until July 31 to comply with the Brown Act.
