Christ First Forum

Hate for God's people 'alive and well' in U.S.
Becky Yeh - OneNewsNow California correspondent - 4/13/2011 4:20:00 AM
As officials try to determine whether an explosion at a Jewish synagogue in California was an accident or an intentional attack, one Jewish leader suspects anti-Semitism.

Ron Hirsch, a 60-year-old homeless man, apparently placed a homemade explosive device at a synagogue in Santa Monica before he left town. Prior to the attack, authorities say the drifter had been seen at Jewish centers like the Chabad House in search of charity.

After the explosion, Hirsch left Los Angeles on a Greyhound bus and headed for New York. But he was arrested in Ohio when authorities received a tip. The blast left no one injured, but David Brickner, executive director of Jews for Jesus, believes it was an anti-Semitic attack.

"Jewish people have been very generous to help [the] homeless and people in need, so I don't understand what was the motivation behind this man's actions," Brickner notes. "But it certainly wasn't because he was turned away."

The device Hirsch planted was initially believed to be a bomb, and the explosion that followed was then deemed an accident. Later, however, authorities decided the blast was intentional.

"I think it's sad, but not surprising, that people who hate God will also hate His people -- the Jews," the Jewish leader laments. "We've seen evidence of this throughout history, and it's alive and well in our own country."

Prior to the attack, the homeless man was frequently seen sleeping near the synagogue. Police are now trying to determine Hirsch's motive.

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