St Louis Jewish community reacts to ‘Death to the IDF’ firebomb attack
'We are a resilient community, but we cannot fight antisemitism alone. We urge civic and community leaders to join us'
The St Louis Jewish community is struggling to come to terms with a firebomb attack carried out this week, which also included the slogan “death to the IDF” being daubed on the road.
The attack, which was carried out in the suburb of Clayton, home to the city’s largest Jewish community, involved three cars being torched overnight. Multiple messages were daubed nearby, including at least one specifically targeting an individual believed to have recently returned to the US after serving in the Israeli military, accusing him of a being a murderer.
Responding to the attack, the Jewish Federations of St. Louis said: “We condemn in the strongest terms the attack on members of our community…This is more than vandalism; it is a hateful act of intimidation and only the latest example of what happens when antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric are normalized.”
Danny Cohn, President and CEO of the organisation, said that its security team “is working closely with law enforcement to investigate and is providing support to those directly affected. We are a resilient community, but we cannot fight antisemitism alone. We urge civic and community leaders to join us in speaking out clearly and forcefully against antisemitism in all its forms.”.
Leo Terrell, a civil rights attorney who serves as head of the Trump administration’s antisemitism task force, said he was “outraged”, continuing by stating that “antisemitic violence has no place in America, not in St. Louis and not anywhere. We will pursue every avenue to bring the perpetrators to justice. If you commit antisemitic hate crimes, you will be caught. And you will be held accountable.”
The incident is being investigated as a hate crime, and the FBI and St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Unit have joined the investigation. A suspect is believed to have been taken into custody.
The slogan “death to the IDF” has entered into general usage among anti-Israel protestors after it was used by British punk/hip hop duo Bob Vylan as part of their set at the UK’s largest music festival, Glastonbury, in late June.
The incident led to widespread condemnation, as well as the cancellation of Bob Vylan’s US visa ahead of a planned American tour later this year. The band, who were dropped by their agent and manager after the incident, are not believed to have used the expression at concert performances since.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
