The Beverly Hills Police Department is investigating two incidents of apparent pro-Palestinian vandalism, including on the wall of the Saban Theater hours after it hosted a ceremony for Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day.
According to Beverly Hills Police Department Sgt. Jeffrey Newman, an unknown suspect or suspects spray painted “GAZA” on a parking garage in the 9300 block of Olympic Boulevard at approximately midnight on May 13, and an unknown suspect or suspects spray painted the same on the west side wall of the Saban Theater, 8400 Wilshire Blvd., at approximately 12:30 p.m. on May 13.
In both incidents, the suspect(s) fled in a vehicle, and no one is in custody, and it is unknown if the vandalisms were committed by the same people, Newman said.
“Because of the circumstances, we won’t rule out a hate crime, but we can’t make a public determination at this time,” he added. “We will continue to investigate the cases, and work with the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office to file the appropriate charges based on the totality of the investigations.”
Councilmember John Mirisch, who attended the May 12 Yom HaZikaron celebration, said the graffiti demonstrated how prevalent antisemitism has become, especially in the months after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
“If it can happen in Beverly Hills, it clearly can and does happen anywhere, and it goes to show that this is among the largest problems of our time now,” Mirisch told the Courier. “It goes to show why we need to continue to support the Jewish community, [why] we need to fight anti-Jewish racism. And we have to acknowledge that much of this is based upon demonization and attempts to delegitimize the only Jewish state on the face of the earth, which is Israel.”
Sam Yebri, an attorney who ran for Los Angeles City Council in 2022, told the Courier that at least three similar vandalizations were found in nearby L.A. neighborhoods on May 13 and 14, including one in which “GAZA” was scrawled on a Westwood home.
The graffiti, said Yebri, shows that “anti-Jewish bigots” have been emboldened by a lack of consequences for antisemitic acts.
“Our elected officials, law enforcement officials, and District Attorney must prioritize the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes because these crimes do not just harm the victim, but they are intended to terrorize a community.”
