LA Reacts To Escalating Conflict Following Surprise Hamas Attack On Israel

Jewish communities in Los Angeles are gathering Sunday in response to the deadly attacks launched by Hamas militants in Gaza and Israel on Saturday — followed by a strong show of force by the Israeli military.

Hundreds of people, both Israelis and Palestinians, have died — with thousands more injured on both sides. The death toll is expected to rise.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday told CNN that they're working to verify report that Americans have been killed, and others are among the missing. He did not offer further details.

In L.A., The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles is planning a community vigil Sunday night at the Stephen Wise Temple.

Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback will deliver the sermon at the vigil.

"We come together as a community with prayer, with hope, with determination, with resolve to support one another and also to remind each other that there are things we can do to try to make our community safer and more secure, spiritually, emotionally," he said.

"This is something that the Jewish people have seen again and again in our history. So as painful as it is, and as heart wrenching as it is, it's actually something that we know how to respond to. And tonight's vigil is an example of that."

The Jewish Federation of the Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys will also hold a solidarity rally at the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center.

Local police to step up patrol

Police departments across the L.A. area say they are monitoring the situation.

LAPD Chief Michel Moore says "extra patrols” are dispatched "in those areas where we serve both our Jewish and Muslim communities."

Police in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica have also stepped up patrol in the wake of the attacks.

Jeffrey Abrams, who directs ADL Los Angeles, said that the Jewish organization has been in contact with law enforcement agencies throughout Southern California.

"Other Jewish organizations are all working together to help ensure that there are extra patrols, there's extra intelligence, there's extra attention," he said. "Because we do know from past experience in this city that when there is war in Israel, it can lead to violence here in our streets."

Hedab Tarifi, a spokesperson for the Islamic Center of Southern California, said that the conflicts between Palestine and Israel have not, for the most part, impacted houses of worships here.

"Most of the hate crime and attacks on houses of worship, whether they're synagogues or Islamic centers, sadly, in general within the U.S. are either from homeless people or white supremacists," she said.

Southern California leaders condemn the attacks

Response from Muslim American organizations

"The United States has always supposedly worked for peace in the Middle East, but they've never been a true broker for peace because they've always sided 100% with Israel," said Tarifi with the Islamic Center of Southern California.

"You have to look at what caused the situation that we're currently in. Palestinians have been deprived of their basic human rights, especially in Gaza."

The United States Council of Muslim Organizations, a coalition group, said in a statement:

"In solidarity with the Palestinian people and in the spirit of international justice, we call upon the United States government, Arab and Muslim governments, and the global community to exert maximum pressure on Israel to halt its provocations and adhere to international demands to respect Palestinian rights to their lands, properties, and lives. Only when these rights are recognized can genuine and lasting peace be achieved for all parties involved."

A fraught history

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National Public Radio, a partner newsroom for LAist, offers this context: