A violent anti-Israel protest that quickly devolved into chaos near a Los Angeles synagogue is likely to have the opposite effect than those supporting the Palestinians intended, one expert told Fox News Digital.
Violence broke out in front of the Adas Torah Synagogue on June 23 between supporters of Israel and opponents of the war with Hamas. Clashes in the predominantly Jewish Pico-Robertson neighborhood escalated into melees, with agitators attempting to physically block the building’s entrance and at least one arrest being made for harassing and intimidating people trying to enter the synagogue.
“What you’re looking at is absolutely no use to the Palestinian people,” said Adam Swart, CEO and founder of Cloud on Demand. California-based companies The company, which specializes in providing on-demand crowd services for protests, told Fox News Digital. “They’re alienating one of their key potential allies, which are left-leaning Jewish Americans,” Swart noted, noting that they often oppose Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and do not support Israel’s war on Gaza.
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On June 23, 2024, pro-Israel protesters clashed with pro-Palestinian protesters blocking access to the Adas Torah Orthodox Jewish synagogue in Los Angeles. (David Swanson/AFP via Getty Images)
Demonstrations in support of the Palestinians have been ongoing for months since Hamas launched attacks on Israel that have killed 1,200 people and kidnapped hundreds, including Americans. The conflict has worsened a humanitarian crisis in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
However, following the June 23 incident, President Biden condemned the threats made against Jewish worshippers at the Adas Torah synagogue.
“I am appalled by the scenes outside Adas Torah Synagogue in Los Angeles. Threatening Jewish people is dangerous, reprehensible, anti-Semitic and un-American,” Biden said in a post on X.
Police officers in riot gear are seen trying to restore order at the scene of violent clashes between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters outside the Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles. (Getty Images)
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and the Los Angeles Police Department have come under fire from protesters on both sides for failing to stop the demonstrations from escalating.
“A more aggressive response – initially keeping protesters on the other side of the road and separating them from counter-protesters – could have prevented the violence we witnessed towards the end of the protests,” Adas Toler said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
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President Biden said he was “appalled” by the incident outside a synagogue in Los Angeles. (Getty Images)
But because police want to encourage freedom of speech, they are right to be reluctant to arrest protesters, no matter how misguided their actions may be, Swart said.
“The question is, does that mean we are condoning violence,” he said. “The police are treating this as a pro-Palestinian protest, so we have to treat this as a protest, not a riot, a racist mob attacking passers-by. As someone who organizes protests for a living, I hate to call this a protest.”
Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that the Justice Department would investigate the weekend protests, saying the department’s Civil Rights Division, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California were gathering evidence in the matter.
“I want to promise the Jewish community that the Department of Justice, working with our federal, state and local partners, will do everything in our power to keep our communities safe,” he said at a news conference on anti-Semitic crimes. “As attorney general, I will do everything in my power to make that happen.”
Eldar Avital, 12, left, joins pro-Israel supporters to denounce last weekend’s violent protests outside Adas Torah synagogue as members of the Jewish community gather at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles on Monday. (AP Photo/Damien Dvarganes)
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Swart noted that violent or illegal actions by protesters against Israel actually “harm” Palestinians by alienating potential supporters and partners who may be put off by their heavy-handed and confrontational tactics.
“This is no longer a Palestinian issue,” he said. “It’s merely an excuse for ‘anarchist mobs’ to use violence, destroy property and justify it on the basis of the suffering of people 8,000 miles away who see no benefit from their actions.”
Swart said Crowd on Demand has received around 200 requests to participate in protests related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“This is an excuse for ‘anarchist mobs’ to commit violence, destroy property, and hide and justify the suffering of people 8,000 miles away…”
Armed private security guards were stationed at the front entrance of the Adas Torah Synagogue in Los Angeles on Monday, June 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Damien Dvarganes)
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“We are not engaging in this matter at this time because we do not see a way to constructively engage,” he said, adding that the company had turned down other lucrative requests that did not align with its values of making America and the world a better place.
― Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betts contributed to this report.
