Antisemitic flyers found in Huntington Beach and Newport Beach neighborhoods, police say
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. (KABC) -- Police in two Orange County cities have launched investigations after antisemitic flyers were found distributed across several neighborhoods.
According to a tweet posted by the Huntington Beach Police Department on Sunday, several flyers were found in a southeast neighborhood of Huntington Beach.
"We have been in communication with area residents & are actively investigating the situation & source," read the tweet.
Shortly after, police in Newport Beach tweeted a similar message saying they also received reports of antisemitic flyers in a neighborhood on the eastside.
"Our department is currently working with residents and actively investigating the incident," read the tweet.
The flyers claim influential people in the Biden administration are Jewish and say, "every single aspect of the COVID agenda is Jewish."
"It lists a whole bunch of Jewish sounding names, but many of the people aren't Jewish, and Judaism had nothing to do with this," said Rabbi David Lipper, from Temple Beth Sholom. "It's a total farce."
The flyers were found inside a plastic bag with rocks, and have been mostly found in Orange County. Other similar incidents have been found across the U.S.
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One Temple member in Tustin says she didn't receive a flyer, but is saddened to see what's happening in her community.
"It does not feel good. I'm not going to say that I'm afraid to walk outside, but I do see a rise in antisemitism," said Marci Endless Bruffey. "It is frightening for all of us."
Lipper says these hate incidents have been happening for at least a year, and says a group operating out of Sonoma has been creating the flyer.
It doesn't appear that only Jewish homes were targeted. A man who didn't want to be identified, told Eyewitness News that he received a flyer and is not Jewish.
Lipper says the lead organization in reporting hate incidents like this one is the Anti-Defamation League, as they work hand in hand with law enforcement.
"Antisemitism has been on the rise for the past five or six years, and Jewish folks are feeling it all over," said Lipper. "It's very disturbing. This is not the America that we hoped to live in."
Both, Huntington and Newport Beach Police Department, say they are investigating the flyers. They ask anyone who receives one of these flyers contact their local law enforcement agency to report it.
