More than 100 community leaders and San Diego elected officials attended a security briefing in Point Loma this week related to the fight against antisemitism.
They focused on “the stark realities of terrorism and its potential repercussions” in connection with the Israel-Hamas war, according to a spokesman.
According to StandWithUs, the gathering was held Wednesday at the LOT theater and featured five mayors from both the Democratic and Republican parties; San Diego County supervisors, city council members, school board trustees, tribal leaders, and representatives from the Black, Chaldean, Hindu, Jewish, Latino and LGBTQ+ communities.
StandWithUs describes itself as “an international, nonpartisan education organization that supports Israel and fights antisemitism.”
The event also included leaders from organized labor, the business sector, philanthropists, local media members, military and law enforcement, the current and future San Diego Police Department chiefs, the county sheriff and undersheriff, and an official from the San Diego District Attorney’s Office, according to a StandWithUs news release.
After the security briefing and discussion, attendees watched a 47-minute video showing an “unedited portrayal of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack, consisting of unedited depictions of the terrorists’ own body cam footage, home security and CCTV footage taken in Southern Israel that day,” StandWithUs said.
StandWithUs said the video was previously classified and shared with only the San Diego congressional delegation, and “emphasized the brutality” of the Oct. 7 attack and “reinforced the importance of protecting all marginalized and at-risk communities, especially the Jewish community, from hate-based violence, which is sadly on the rise today.”
The panel of speakers included SDPD Chief David Nisleit; Jordan Marks, San Diego County assessor/recorder/clerk; Carmel Halevy, consul for Public Diplomacy at the Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles; Oz Laniado, executive director for StandWithUs Southwest; Stella Escobedo, of One America News Network and businessman Dan Feder.
“Their insights set a solemn but necessary tone for the viewing, highlighting the collaborative efforts required to safeguard our community against such threats,” StandWithUs said.
Laniado said the Wednesday briefing “served not only as a wake-up call to the realities of terrorism, but also as a powerful reminder of our community’s strength and unity in the face of adversity.
“We are immensely grateful for the participation of each leader, which underscores our shared dedication to maintaining the security of San Diego,” he added.
Due to the video’s graphic content and recording policy, participants “locked their mobile phones in secure holders that prohibited them from being used during the video portion of the event,” StandWithUs said.
– City News Service