Hate crimes against Jewish people are on the rise globally and locally.
The Anti-Defamation League, which tracks hate crimes, says antisemitic incidents are up in the United States by 344% in the past five years. So on Thursday, for the fourth straight year, Miami-Dade County’s mayors came together at the Greater Miami Jewish Federation to make a unified statement against antisemitism.
On the fifth day of Hanukkah, a rabbi lit the candles and recited the blessings at the event, a gathering with a message: only light can defeat the darkness of hatred.
“We are going to fight not just antisemitism but all hatred, all acts of discrimination; they will not be tolerated here,” said the mayor of Miami-Dade County, Daniella Levine Cava.
She urged everyone to be upstanders, not bystanders, and to fight lies and information with truth.
“It’s amazing what you learn when you open your eyes, and with my colleagues, we are opening people’s eyes,” said Aventura Mayor Howard Weinberg.
Fourteen mayors attended, from various cities and various faiths, with a unified purpose.
“Hate, bigotry, and violence have no place in our city and no place in society,” said Alix Desulme, mayor of North Miami.
“When students are targeted on campuses or when hate is excused as First Amendment rights, we all lose, hate does not stop with one community, it spreads, unless it’s confronted directly and decisively,” added the mayor of Palmetto Bay, Karyn Cunningham.
Recent polling shows nearly 25% of Americans believe antisemitism is a justifiable response to Israel’s war against Hamas, even though that war has largely ended.
“42% do not differentiate between a Jewish resident of Miami-Dade County and an Israeli political leadership 66-hundred miles away,” added Steven Scheck of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation.
With the Hannukkah massacre in Australia on the minds of everyone, several speakers made the point that lies accusing Israel of genocide, of starving the population of Gaza, and chants such as “globalize the intifada” lead directly to violence.
“In North Miami Beach, we recognize that protecting our residents is not just a matter of law enforcement, but ensuring that every individual, regardless of their faith, feels safe and valued,” said North Miami Beach mayor Michael Joseph.
The history of the alliance between American Jews, Blacks and Hispanics was also a factor at Thursday’s gathering.
“And many of you may not know, but the NAACP was founded in large part by Jews,” said Opa-locka Mayor John Taylor. “Now listen, I’m not sure if there are enough Jews to hold a minyan in Opa-Locka, but I am sure that there is endless love for the Jewish family!”
Antisemitism is rapidly being mainstreamed, even normalized on social media, which rings alarm bells for some of the speakers today.
“Just as Jewish Americans stood with our communities in their hour of need, today we must stand shoulder to shoulder with them, that means denouncing antisemitism wherever it appears,” said Javier Fernandez, mayor of South Miami.