‘It’s disgusting’: Community reacts to anti-Semitic flyers found in several neighborhoods

By Bobeth Yates

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    SURFSIDE, Florida (WFOR) — Several South Florida police departments are investigating after anti-semitic flyers were found in several residential neighborhoods in Miami Beach and Surfside over the weekend.

They have identified a vehicle that may be connected to the disturbing act and are now working on tracking down the driver.

“You can’t sit idly by and assume it’s just harmless stupidity. It’s hate, let’s call it what it is, it’s hate,” said Miami Beach Mayor, Dan Gelber.

Sunday on Twitter, Gelber posted: “Your flyers DO NOT intimidate us. We are a STRONG and PROUD people. There are Jews on all sides of the political spectrum, but TOGETHER we ALL rise arm-in-arm against you.”

On Monday, the mayor said precautions were taken.

“We immediately put our synagogues, all of our houses of worship, on alert. We sent more police patrols in the area simply because if you look at what happened in Texas recently,” he said

More than 100 of the disturbing letters were dropped off sometime between Saturday night and Sunday morning, left on residents’ lawns and driveways.

“It’s so cowardly to do it in the cover a night, in little baggies with pebbles. It’s disgusting, the fact that they feel empowered to do something like that is, I can’t even find any words to describe it, it’s infuriating,” said Surfside Commissioner Eliana Salzhaue.

“For hate to be distributed like that in our neighborhood, is just shocking, to say the least,” said Surfside resident Joseph Waks.

He is among many in disbelief after finding out anti-semitic propaganda flyers were left in their neighborhood.

“We couldn’t believe that in 2022 here in Surfside, this is absolutely hideous. We’re used to hearing these types of stories back 50 years ago back 60 years ago”, added Waks.

Gelber said the authorities are not taking this matter lightly.

“If you’re dealing with somebody who is willing to, you know, in the dead of the night drop hundreds of these hate-filled fliers in front of people’s homes, are they willing to do something else,” said Gelber.

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