WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Florida Anti-Defamation League reports that acts of antisemitism have increased nearly 300% between 2020 and 2024.
That rise is being felt locally in Palm Beach County. In just the past week, at least three incidents targeting the Jewish community have been reported from Jupiter to West Palm Beach.
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Visitors at the Jupiter Civic Center Beach were shocked to see a hateful message spray-painted in bright orange paint reading “Kill Jews.” The graffiti was written on a beach crossover and visible to beachgoers as the sun set.
“It’s terrible,” said Hallie Hill, a 16-year resident of Jupiter. When asked if she was surprised, Hill said, “Unfortunately, not.”
The Town of Jupiter confirmed it received two separate reports on Friday of similar messages written on beach crossovers — one on county property and another on town property. The graffiti has since been removed.
In West Palm Beach, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is investigating another incident involving the Jewish community. Deputies confirmed that a kosher restaurant received what they described as a “suspicious call.”
The case has been taken over by the sheriff’s office Targeted Violence Unit.
Josephine Gon, executive director of the Palm Beach Center to Combat Antisemitism and Hatred with the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, says these acts are becoming more frequent.
“It’s a bad time,” Gon said. “This has been going on for thousands of years.”
She warns that hateful language is not harmless.
“It is becoming acceptable, and this cannot be allowed to continue,” Gon said. “It cannot be mainstreamed.”
Gon says messages like the ones seen in Jupiter can act as incitement.
“You don’t know who that individual is who’s going to take it upon themselves to act and move beyond words,” she said. “That’s what is so serious right now. It’s a very fertile environment for bad actors.”
For residents like Hill, the recent incidents are a call to action.
“If you see stuff like that, spread awareness,” she said. “Tell people that’s not okay and try to make a difference.”
Anyone who witnesses or experiences a hate-related incident is encouraged to report it to local law enforcement.
