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The City of Beverly Hills, California, will partner with the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) to host the 2024 North American Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism on December 11-13, Mayor Lester J. Friedman announced at his inauguration on Tuesday.
“We look forward to being the City that will host the North American Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism in the coming months,” said Mayor Friedman. “Our City continues to fight hatred of all kinds and I look forward to joining my fellow colleagues in the effort to combat antisemitism.”
Since the October 7th massacre in Israel, CAM’s Antisemitism Research Center (ARC) has recorded a 58.2% increase in monitored antisemitic incidents globally. California, in particular, has become a hotbed of antisemitism. On October 10th, the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter at the University of California – San Diego released a statement supporting Hamas, and just nine days later, on October 16th, UC Berkeley’s Sather Gate bore witness to a student protest where participants chanted “intifada” and accused Israel of genocide.
Antisemitism in California only continues to worsen and intensify. According to CAM’s ARC, antisemitic incidents on American campuses have surged by an alarming 34.9%. Recent incidents, such as the violent protest against an Israeli speaker at UC Berkeley, underscore the urgent need to convene this year’s mayors summit in California.
CAM works hand in hand with mayors throughout the world on daily basis, fostering exchanges of municipal best practices, comprehensive strategies, and impactful actions to secure and nurture Jewish life in cities across the globe.
As mayors are the closest to their communities, they stand at the forefront of combating antisemitism, bearing the responsibility to foster, develop, and invest additional efforts in creating the necessary infrastructure to prevent the spread of hatred against Jews in their cities.
Representatives of cities from all over America, including New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Dallas, Miami, Cleveland, Richmond, Providence, and Little Rock, among others, have previously participated in CAM’s summits and pledged to implement new measures as commitments made during the gatherings. The city of Beverly Hills, having joined both the inaugural mayoral summit in Athens, Greece, in 2022 and last year’s North American Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is now excited to bring this initiative to the West Coast.
“Now more than ever, we are committed to ensuring that every city in North America is equipped with the resources to safeguard Jewish communities,” said CAM CEO Sacha Roytman. “As one of the smaller minorities, Jews endure a disproportionate amount of religious hate crimes. It is imperative for cities to understand how to eradicate extremism from their streets and create a safe environment for all citizens, which is the purpose of this summit. “
“We chose Beverly Hills and Beverly Hills chose us because it’s crucial that Jewish communities and students, who have suffered for years, receive support from their cities,” Roytman added. “Since October 7th, we have witnessed an escalation of antisemitism stemming from extreme left ideologies and radical Islamic groups disseminating their hatred. Now is the time to stand firm against them. Beverly Hills also exemplifies how culture and media can contribute to fostering understanding.”
The 2024 North American Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism in Beverly Hills will unite leaders from across the political spectrum with one goal: to identify and combat antisemitism wherever it appears. As far-left and far-right antisemitic incidents have reached parity for the first time in 2023, according to CAM’s ARC, addressing antisemitic of all forms is more important than ever.
If you wish to participate in the 2024 North American Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism or would like more information, please contact CAM Chief Government Affairs Officer Lisa Katz at lisa@combatantisemitism.org.
Media interested in covering the summit should RSVP to CAM@RedBanyan.com.
Interviews with Mayor Friedman can be arranged by contacting lsantillana@beverlyhills.org.
