The Los Angeles City Council has voted to postpone its vote on funding security services for Jewish places of worship, which marks a significant moment in the city’s ongoing efforts to address religious violence. The council’s substitute motion, scheduled for a future vote, has increased funding to $2 million and broadened its scope to include all faith-based organizations.
Initially proposed in response to a violent clash between Palestinian and Israeli supporters outside the Adas Torah synagogue in the Pico-Robertson district on June 23, the motion by Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky was initially set to allocate $1 million solely to Jewish institutions.
“The violence we saw on June 23 at Adas Torah was not the first of its kind, and it won’t be the last. It was an escalation of tension felt across the country, and we need to take it seriously and act swiftly,” Yaroslavsky stated, emphasizing the motion’s widespread support from the mayor, the Los Angeles Police Department, and religious institutions across the city.
However, critics argued that the motion unfairly favored the Jewish community. The grassroots organization Ground Game LA, with support from its Jewish members, labeled the motion “flagrantly anti-Palestinian.”
Their letter to council members called the $1 million allocation “a misallocation of public funds” and demanded its withdrawal or rejection. “Holding up Jewish safety as the sole concern raised by these protests is unacceptable,” the letter stated.
In light of these criticisms, Yaroslavsky worked closely with colleagues, the mayor, the city attorney’s office, and interfaith leaders to revise the motion.
“The substitute motion seeks to urgently increase security services around our houses of worship and religious institutions, no matter the denomination, so that our communities are better prepared to respond to acts of violence or hate,” she explained.
A final decision is expected after the council returns from its summer recess on July 30.