A man seen on surveillance trying to tear down a “Stand With Israel” banner outside a Miami Beach cafe reflects the alarming rise of antisemitic incidents since the Israel-Hamas crisis. NBC6’s Ari Odzer reports
The security camera video clearly shows a man trying to rip down the “Stand With Israel” banner outside the Bagel Time Café in Miami Beach.
The café’s owner says the intent is clear as well, to make a pro-Hamas statement.
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“Miami is not as safe as we thought,” said Josh Nodel, the café’s owner. “I mean, we have some Hamas supporters over here, Hamas for us is ISIS, it’s not a group that can negotiate with, it’s a terror organization, and having this over here, it’s terror in Miami.”
The Anti-Defamation League tracks hate crimes and hate incidents and says antisemitic incidents are up by nearly 400% from this time period last year.
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“When the horrific massacre happened on October 7th and since then, we’ve seen just an explosion nationally and here in the state of Florida of antisemitic incidents,” said Sarah Emmons, regional director of the ADL.
At George Washington University, someone projected “Glory to our Martyrs” on a wall, referring to the terrorists who slaughtered hundreds of unarmed Israeli civilians. At Cornell University, a series of death threats directed at Jewish students were posted online, including one which read, “If you see a Jewish ‘person’ on campus follow them home and slit their throats, rats need to be eliminated from Cornell.”
“And that antisemitism coming from the left is actually paralleling some of the messaging we’re seeing from extremist groups we’re seeing here in Florida and nationally, and that is incredibly concerning for the Jewish community,” Emmons said, pointing out the convergence in views from the far left with far-right neo-Nazi groups.
“We need to be able to live publicly as Jews and not live in fear, our children need to be able to go to college and not have to hide in their dorms,” said U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, (D) Weston.
Wasserman Schultz said her heart is broken because groups that have always been supported by the Jewish community have not reciprocated that support now.
“It’s one thing to have public disagreements over Israel or any other country’s decision-making, it is another to not be opposed to slaughter,” Wasserman Schultz said.
The surge in antisemitism is worldwide. In Russia, a flight arrived from Tel Aviv and a mob was waiting at the airport, looking to harm Jews. In Vancouver, Canada, a speaker at a rally praised the barbaric Hamas attack as an “amazing, brilliant offensive.”
Meanwhile, Islamophobic incidents have also surged in the United States since Oct. 7.
“To see in this moment that we’re seeing hate explode not only against the Jewish community but also against the Muslim community and against other marginalized groups, this is incredibly concerning,” Emmons said.
Emmons says hatred is being spread by misinformation, especially about the Israel-Hamas war. Wasserman Schultz said the hatred is being fed by social media algorithms. She sits on a global task force that is trying to pressure social media companies to change that situation.
