City of Fort Lauderdale to host antisemitism summit
MIAMI - Even before the Israeli-Hamas War, there was an uptick in antisemitic activity around the country.
Closer to home, the mayor of Fort Lauderdale is hoping a first-of-its-kind summit will help fight antisemitism.
The city is set to welcome mayors from all around the country to start this crucial dialogue.
Even before the war, there were troubling signs of antisemitism, a man biking speaking Hebrew attacked in Dania Beach, a Weston community hit twice with spray-painted hate messages.
"We can often dismiss it as just maybe teenagers who don't know what the history is what they're expressing. Maybe, I'm just consoling myself, but I think in many cases, that's what it is. I hope that that's all it is," said David DeRose, who has lived in South Florida all his life.
CBS News Miami asked him whether there is greater concern about antisemitism.
"This is a very Jewish area and it's one of the reasons I live here. I have not felt any form of antisemitism whatsoever. Thankfully, that being said, we all have friends and in some cases family that are in places where it is a significantly greater deal. And through them, we are experiencing certainly a lot of frustration and pain."
Last year after attending a summit on anti-Semitism, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantallis decided to bring one here, inviting mayors from all over the country to South Florida to participate in an antisemitism summit with the
goal to create a conversation.
"The goal here is to get people talking to one another, and an opportunity to try to resolve differences because fighting and war is not a solution. And we're hoping to be able to intervene in that regard," said Trantalis.
David DeRose is glad the mayor is shedding a light on a painful subject.
"The way I see it, is that we have these little sparks and most of the time these sparks are about nothing. But sometimes these sparks catch fire. And thus far, I've seen there is nothing more than sparks. The concern is always that it will catch fire and spread."
Jewish places of worship and schools in South Florida remain on high alert. Many have added security. This summit will happen on November 15 and 16.