'Standing together': Public officials condemn hatred and bigotry at antisemitism summit in Palm Beach

A new bill working its way through the Florida Legislature would make it easier to prosecute those who commit acts of hate and bigotry, Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg said Tuesday.

Appearing with West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James at the second annual Palm Beach Summit on Countering Antisemitism at the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach, Aronberg noted that House Bill 269, which was introduced Jan. 19 by state Rep. Mike Caruso, R-Delray Beach, would provide enhanced criminal penalties for actions that include projecting certain images onto buildings or other property without permission.

It also would criminalize behavior such as leaving flyers or pamphlets on private property that 'evidences religious or ethnic animus;' prohibits willful and malicious defacement, injury, or damage to certain property; prohibits the act of harassing, threatening, or intimidating another person based on the religious-based garment he or she is wearing; and requires that certain violations be reported as hate crimes.

Though parts of the bill raise First Amendment concerns and may not survive constitutional scrutiny by the courts, Aronberg said, he believes much of it will become law.

Related: 'Doing everything we can': Anti-Defamation League working to prevent resurgence of antisemitism

"The bill is working its way through the legislature, and I anticipate it will pass," he told the nearly 200 guests who attended his and James' panel on local efforts to combat antisemitism. "It will give us new tools to hopefully lock some of these people up."

Debate on the bill comes as antisemitic incidents continue to proliferate in communities around the country, and especially here in Palm Beach County, where a handful of incidents earlier this year have put the Jewish community on edge.

Since January, antisemitic flyers were placed in the front yards and driveways of homes in Boca Raton, Lake Worth Beach, Atlantis and West Palm Beach.

Also in January, West Palm Beach police received calls about hateful images and messages projected onto the side of the AT&T building at 325 Gardenia St.

And in Palm Beach, four men were issued littering citations for distributing antisemitic flyers to private residences Jan. 28.

Both James and Palm Beach Mayor Danielle Moore addressed these incidents during Tuesday's Palm Beach Summit, which featured more than two dozen community leaders, scholars and elected officials hosting discussion panels on a variety of topics including "Extremism on Campus," "Antisemitism Overseas" and "Discussing Antisemitism With Your Children."

Moore, who wrote a letter to Rabbi Moshe Scheiner of Palm Beach Synagogue expressing her outrage over the incidents, said that she and her colleagues on the Town Council stood in solidarity against hatred and bigotry and would work to counter antisemitic activities on the island.

"Palm Beach is an extraordinary place with exceptional residents, and we will always continue to work together to protect against hatred, bigotry and other abhorrent behavior," she said. "It is my solemn promise today, to all of you here, that we, your elected officials and fellow residents, will not allow the tentacles of antisemitic insidiousness to creep into our community."

James also spoke about the importance of working together to counter antisemitism.

Noting that the men involved in the West Palm Beach projection incident were charged with littering and nothing more severe, he gathered his staff soon after to craft an ordinance that would criminalize the act of projecting images onto a building without the permission of the owner.

The ordinance, which passed March 20, makes that act illegal within city boundaries. Violators could face up to six months of jail time and a $500 fine, James said.

"We're imposing the most severe penalties we could as a municipality," he said. "It’s not a lot, but that’s the most we could do."

James and other panelists at Tuesday's event said they would continue to urge residents, community leaders and elected officials to speak out against hate.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida is one of those officials who already have come out and strongly condemned antisemitic behavior, Aronberg said, adding that he hoped Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state officials will follow.

"There are state leaders who have spoken out, and then there are others who have remained silent," he told audience members. "I would encourage you, if you have a connection with the governor's office, we need him to speak out on this. I know the governor has a lot on his plate right now, but it would mean a lot to have a strong statement just like Rick Scott did and say that Florida is not a place for hate. We are a tolerant community."

"We have to stand together," James added. "We have to stand shoulder to shoulder in this fight."

Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Public officials condemn hatred and bigotry at antisemitism summit