Georgia leaders condemn antisemitic rallies as investigators weigh criminal charges

For the first time in recorded memory, Temple Beth Israel endured an antisemitic rally, with extremists shouting hateful rhetoric and hanging a caricature of a Jewish man wrapped in a Pride flag in effigy from a Macon street sign Friday afternoon.

Maconites who attended a rally in support of Middle Georgia’s Jewish community the next day asked the same question repeatedly: Why here?

It turned out Macon wasn’t alone. In addition to extremist literature thrown in front yards in Warner Robins, about 10 people gathered outside of Chabad of Cobb, a synagogue in Marietta, displaying multiple Nazi flags.

It was widely believed by officials and local residents that the extremists weren’t from the area. One of the group’s leaders who was arrested is originally from California and currently lives in Florida. The groups themselves were small – a handful of neo-Nazis against a backdrop of hundreds of people who attended an impromptu rally in Macon in response to their presence.

But they were still a concern. Deborah Adler, who has lived in Macon for 43 years and whose mother Eda Yardeni Tavor survived Auschwitz, noted during the rally Saturday that the Holocaust didn’t begin with concentration camps, but rather with people bullying Jews in the streets.

Temple Beth Israel Rabbi Elizabeth Bahar called Friday’s antisemitic rally a “canary in the coal mine” while urging her congregation to band together and lean into their faith and community.

A service at the synagogue open to the public is planned for 2 p.m. Sunday.

‘Rejecting bigotry and hate’

Georgia leaders were quick to denounce the demonstrations. U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is the first Jewish senator from Georgia, released a statement Sunday afternoon, condemning the extremists.

“Georgia’s Jewish community will never be intimidated by anti-Semitism. Today, as symbols of genocide were paraded in front of synagogues, we continue to stand strong, proud, and unbowed,” Ossoff said. “All Georgians are united in our rejection of bigotry and hate.”

Gov. Brian Kemp called them “disgusting acts of bigotry.”

“There is absolutely no place for this hate and antisemitism in our state. I share in the outrage over this shameful act and stand with Georgians everywhere in condemning it,” Kemp said.

Georgia GOP chairman Josh McKoon and Republican Jewish Coalition Chairman Chuck Berk said they “stand with all our Jewish neighbors” against antisemitism.

“Georgians stand united in condemning the repulsive and grotesque Neo-Nazi displays in front of Chabad of Cobb and Temple Beth Israel in Macon,” they said. “Georgia Republicans have a long tradition of fighting antisemitism and we will continue to do everything we can to eliminate this prejudice which produced the greatest crimes against humanity the world has ever known.”

Rep. Sanford Bishop called the neo-Nazi group’s actions “reprehensible.”

“When faced with moments like this, we must not remain silent,” he said. “The Lutheran Pastor, Marin Niemöller, recalled the horror of the Holocaust by noting that his silence in the face of Nazism meant that when they came for him, there was no one left to speak for him.

“We must stand together, and for one another, to call out bigotry and racism whenever and wherever it rears its vicious head. There should be no place for hate in Georgia or anywhere.”

State Representatives Shaw Blackmon (R-Bonaire), Bethany Ballard (R-Warner Robins) and Robert Dickey (R-Musella) released a statement Thursday regarding the incident.

“We echo the words of Governor Brian Kemp and Speaker Jon Burns when we say that hate and antisemitism have no place in our society and must be unequivocally condemned in the strongest sense,” they wrote. “We denounce the recent shameful actions here in Middle Georgia. Such actions are not only morally reprehensible, but they also threaten the safety and well-being of individuals and communities.

“We must stand together to reject hate. For it is only through a collective effort that we can build a world where everyone is treated with respect and dignity. We are grateful for our local leaders and law enforcement for their swift and decisive actions.”

Law enforcement investigates

Local law enforcement agencies responded to the rallies, including in Macon, where one of the extremists was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and public disturbance.

Whether these individuals will face more serious charges remains to be seen. Bibb County district attorney Anita Howard, who attended Saturday’s event in support of Macon’s Jewish and LGTBQ+ communities, said her office was going to review police reports from Friday’s incident to determine if the antisemitic demonstrators violated the state’s anti-terrorism law.

“We have been fortunate here in Middle Georgia where these kinds of situations don’t arise very frequently,” Howard told GPB’s Grant Blankenship. “We are a blessed, unified community. We are respectful of each other. This was not someone from our community.”

U.S. District Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia Peter Leary released a statement Saturday condemning the incidents. His office does not comment on potential investigations, but it did recently conduct training in Columbus for how to respond to antisemitism.

The FBI is also aware of the incidents and is in contact with local investigators.

“If, in the course of the local investigation, information comes to light of potential federal crimes, the FBI is prepared to investigate,” FBI Atlanta spokesperson Tony Thomas told the Telegraph. “That said, our focus is never on membership in a particular group, but individual criminal activity.”