Georgia’s religious communities and police agencies are boosting security amid the violent conflict spreading in the Middle East, where hundreds of people have been killed and injured following Hamas’ deadly surprise attack on Israel.
Atlanta-area school systems are urging vigilance. One Atlanta mosque has quadrupled its security. And an Atlanta Pride Shabbat event that was planned for Piedmont Park Friday was moved to an undisclosed location elsewhere in the city.
Without citing specific threats, Gwinnett County police officials said they have asked officers to increase checks at all synagogues and mosques across the county. Atlanta, Cobb County and Dunwoody law enforcement authorities are stepping up patrols.
“We are conducting high visibility patrols and making contact with the faith-based organizations to ensure that the lines of communication stay open,” DeKalb Police Chief Mirtha Ramos said in a statement, adding that no threats had been received. “Our goal is for all the residents of DeKalb County to be safe.”
Such precautions are emerging across the Atlanta region as Israel prepares for what appears to be an imminent ground invasion of Gaza. The United Nations has urged Israel to call off the evacuation it has demanded for 1.1 million in the northern part of Gaza, warning of a potential catastrophe. More than 1,400 people in Gaza have been killed during Israel’s bombardment of the region, the UN reported, citing data from Gaza’s Health Ministry. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced.
Meanwhile, at least 1,300 people in Israel have been killed since Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7, according to the UN, which attributed that number to Israeli sources.
Though Atlanta’s public schools are closed for fall break, leaders encourage families to remain vigilant and report “anything that appears to be out of the ordinary to our Office of Safety and Security.” Cobb County’s public school system said Friday that “parents can expect both law enforcement and school staff to take every step to keep your children safe.”
The Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam in East Atlanta is quadrupling security, said Imam Emeritus Plemon El-Amin.
“We have had discussions, both Muslim leaders as well as Jewish leaders, with public safety officials, sheriffs and police departments,” he said, “about having higher security from their part and also informing them of the added security that we are also implementing.”
A short drive from the mosque, about 200 people demonstrated Friday on Georgia Tech’s campus in solidarity with Palestinians. The university’s Muslim Students Association sponsored the event and invited Kareem Rosshandler, an educator who is not affiliated with Georgia Tech. He emphasized the human cost of the conflict and said he thinks U.S. news media organizations conflate support for the Palestinian people with support for terrorist groups like Hamas.
“For those here who are Palestinians, you will know this experience when somebody says, ‘Where are you from?’ And you say, ‘I’m Palestinian,’” he said. “Sometimes the room goes quiet. Sometimes the people gasp because there’s no way of saying this word without being political. It is a politicized word.”
Meanwhile, there has been a recent uptick in reported antisemitic incidents, said Eytan Davidson, regional director for ADL Southeast, which covers Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina. A state of high alert for Jewish institutions, he added, “is par for the course.”
“And it has been for decades because of antisemitism and because of violence that has historically been directed against the Jewish people,” he said. “And when there are military conflicts involving Israel, we tend to see spikes in antisemitic incidents.”
As a precaution, an Atlanta Pride Shabbat event that was planned for Piedmont Park Friday was moved to an undisclosed indoor location elsewhere in Atlanta, according to Chris McCain, executive director of the Atlanta Pride Committee.
“The organizers of that event reached out to us early this week understandably with safety concerns, given the escalating situation in the Middle East. And they thought it would be safer to move the event to another location. We support that decision,” McCain said.
Jews must remain vigilant, said Rabbi Larry Sernovitz, CEO of Hillels of Georgia, which supports Jewish students on college campuses across the state. But he added: “We can’t give in to terrorism and stop the quality of life that we have every day as Jews. Because once we do, they have won.”
Jews in Georgia have been gratified by the support they have received, said Daniel Dorsch, senior rabbi for Congregation Etz Chaim in East Cobb. He pointed to the “We Support Israel” sign he noticed Friday in front of Grace Resurrection Methodist Church, which shares a parking lot with Dorsch’s synagogue.
“We get apprehensive and we worry and we panic,” he said, “and, in truth, we live in a wonderful place in a wonderful community and in a wonderful city.”
AJC staff writer Martha Dalton contributed to this report.
Credit: John Spink
Credit: John Spink
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