According to the ‘Los Angeles Blade’ on 9th December 2023 there was so-called ‘anti-Semitic hate crime’ in the famous Beverley Hills neighbourhood of Los Angeles.
The story was narrated by one Brody Levesque the day after – 10th December 2023 – as follows:
‘In a statement released by Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) spokesperson Lieutenant Reginald Evans: On Saturday, December 9, 2023, at approximately 9:03 a.m., BHPD patrol units responded to the area of North Rexford Drive and North Santa Monica Blvd regarding a reported assault with a deadly weapon.
Officers responded quickly and located an elderly victim who had sustained a laceration on his head after being struck with a belt. During the commission of the crime, the suspect made anti-Semitic statements to the victim. The victim was accompanied by his spouse during the time of the crime.
According to the BHPD, the male victim was treated by the Beverly Hills Fire Department at the scene and did not require further medical attention and was not transported to hospital.’ (1)
Additional detail was also forthcoming about the details of the attack which remember was conducted with a belt… hardly the most potent of weapons.
The son of the jewish victims - Raphy and Rebecca – stated that:
‘A man claiming to be the victim’s son posted on X, formerly Twitter, that his parents were on their way to shul — the Yiddish word for synagogue — when the attack was carried out.’ (2)
With the additional detail pointed out by NBC News that:
‘Dunner, who has been in touch with the couple since the incident Saturday morning, said he believes they were clearly recognizable as Jewish, as they wore black-and-white clothing, with the husband donning a yarmulke.’ (3)
So, in essence then the jewish victims - Raphy and Rebecca – were walking to shul and were dressed as identifiable jews. This is important since the basis of the ‘anti-Semitic hate crime’ claim is that as follows:
‘A Jewish couple have spoken out after being targeted in an antisemitic attack and attempted robbery on their way to their local synagogue in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, on Saturday, in which they said a man screamed: "Give me your earrings, Jew."’ (4)
So, the attacker is being claimed as ‘anti-Semitic’ because he identified a jew who clearly dressed as a jew… well… as a jew. He didn’t say anything derogatory: he just robbed a jew and referred to him and/or her as a jew.
Is it ‘anti-Semitic’ to describe a jew as a jew?
Apparently so.
We further learn that:
‘BHPD arrested Jarris Jay Silagi, a 44 year old male resident of Los Angeles and charged him with four felonies including Assault with a Deadly Weapon; Attempted Robbery; Hate Crime and Elder Abuse. Silagi is being held on $100,000.00 bail and is currently in-custody at the Los Angeles County Jail.’ (5)
As well as that:
‘Police arrested Jarris Jay Silagi, 44, and booked him on allegations of assault with a deadly weapon, attempted robbery and elder abuse, with the added allegation that he was motivated by hate, Beverly Hills police said in a statement.’ (6)
However, all this is based on:
‘"I was really enraged, not because of the thing [injury] but because I was hit as a Jew," Raphy said.’ (7)
So basically, Raphy’s claim and ‘feelings’ ‘as a jew’ is purely the basis of the ‘hate crime’ charges against Silagi. This is clearly not an ‘anti-Semitic hate crime’ and just a robbery that has been turned into that by the jewish victims.
References
(1) https://www.losangelesblade.com/2023/12/10/hate-crime-arrest-in-beverly-hills-attack-on-elderly-jewish-couple/
(2) Ibid.
(3) https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/attack-elderly-jewish-couple-beverly-hills-synagogue-investigated-hate-rcna128964
(4) Ibid.
(5) https://www.losangelesblade.com/2023/12/10/hate-crime-arrest-in-beverly-hills-attack-on-elderly-jewish-couple/
(6) https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/attack-elderly-jewish-couple-beverly-hills-synagogue-investigated-hate-rcna128964
(7) Ibid.