I World
Security Redux
Local agencies
and institutions
adjust security
measures.
Harry Kirsbaum
Staff Writer
A
s Naveed Afzal Hag sits
in King County Jail in
Seattle on suspicion
of homicide and five counts of
attempted homicide during an
alleged shooting rampage at the
Jewish Federation of Greater
Seattle on July 28, the Metro
Detroit Jewish community is
reconsidering security precau-
tions.
The Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit met with
representatives of some of its
selected agencies, the Anti-
Defamation League and the
Jewish Community Council to
address security issues on July
31 as part of a continuing secu-
rity discussion.
Federation Director of
Property Management Randy
LeCompte said security has
been noticeably increased in
the Max M. Fisher Federation
Building in Bloomfield
Township since the Seattle
shooting.
"We have increased security
in our building, and each agen-
cy is doing their own response,"
he said, without going into
detail. "We're trying to come
together with a comprehensive
response.
In Ann Arbor, the Jewish
Federation of Washtenaw
County announced increased
security on July 30.
"In the wake of this tragedy,
we have worked together with
the [Ann Arbor] JCC to take
immediate steps to strengthen
its existing security procedures
in order to maintain a safe envi-
ronment for the children in our
care and the building's employ-
ees," the Washtenaw Federation
said via email on July 29. The
JCC is already equipped with a
sophisticated surveillance and
alarm system ... Beginning on
Monday, we will have a security
guard on the premises?'
Two days before the attack,
the Anti-Defamation League
Michigan Region issued a secu-
rity message to Jewish institu-
tions around the state that "with
the war going on in Israel, they
should reexamine their secu-
rity precautions:' said Betsy
Kellman, regional director. The
message was re-sent on Sunday.
"It's a rude awakening when
something like this happens:'
she said. "This guy was obvious-
ly mentally ill. I'm not sure that
you could ever stop somebody
like that, but I think it's still a
good warning for all of us that
we have to from time to time
re-evaluate what we are doing in
our own organizations." 7
Arab Statement
"This goes against our true
American values and should
not be tolerated or justified
under any circumstances,"
said 'mad Hamad, Michigan
director of the American-
Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee, after the Seattle
attack.
"I don't think anger or polit-
ical differences regarding any
situation should be a reason
for any individual to commit
an ugly crime of that nature.
"Those who cross the line
should be punished to the full-
est extent of the law. We are
in America' and this is not to
be allowed."
Gibson's Passion
Actor's
drunken
tantrum turns
anti-Semitic.
Los Angeles
NI
y life is f****d"
actor Mel Gibson
said repeatedly after
delivering an anti-Semitic tirade
following his arrest on suspicion
of drunk driving, according to a
report by the arresting officer.
The Gibson case is expand-
ing into an investigation of the
Los Angeles County Sheriff's
Office to determine whether it
censored one of its own deputies
to cover up Gibson's anti-Jewish
slurs. The 50-year-old actor and
director was arrested at 2:30
a.m. July 28 while driving more
than 80 mph, nearly twice the
posted speed limit, in Malibu.
Sheriff's Deputy James Mee
reported that he pulled the car
28 August 3 • 2006
over, found a bottle of tequila
inside and administered tests
that showed Gibson's blood-
alcohol level well above the
California legal limit. Gibson was
booked and released on bail a
few hours later.
The incident might have
passed as a regrettable but
forgivable misstep but for the
celebrity and gossip Web site
www.tmz.com , which quickly
published four pages of Iviee's
handwritten eight-page report.
According to the four pages,
authenticated independently by
the Los Angeles Times, Gibson
became belligerent after his
arrest, cursed and threatened
Mee and then launched "into a
barrage of anti-Semitic state-
ments."
"F*****g Jews," Gibson alleg-
edly shouted. "The Jews are
responsible for all the wars in
the world?' He then asked Mee,
"Are you a Jew?"
He also allegedly said to a
female sergeant, "What do you
think you're looking at, sugar
t**s?"
The following
Gibson when
day, Gibson released
his film The
a statement: "After
Passion of the
drinking alcohol
Christ was
on Thursday night,
released in 2004,
I did a number of
charging that the
things that were
depiction of Jews
very wrong and
in the picture
for which I am
could trigger
ashamed;' he wrote.
anti-Semitism.
"I acted like a
"His tirade
person completely
finally reveals
out of control when
his true self
Mel Gibs on
I was arrested and
and shows that
said things that I
his protesta-
do not believe to be
tions during
true and which are despicable.
the debate over his film The
I am deeply ashamed of every-
Passion of the Chris' — that he
thing I said:' he continued. "I
is such a tolerant, loving person
disgraced myself and my family
— were a sham;' Foxman wrote.
with my behavior, and for thatl
"We would hope that Hollywood
am truly sorry."
now would realize the bigot in
"Mel Gibson's apology is
their midst and that they will
unremorseful and insufficient,"
distance themselves from this
said Abraham Foxman, national
anti-Semite?"
director of the Anti-Defamation
Foxman also suggested that
League, on Sunday. "It's not a
Gibson may have adopted the
proper apology because it does
bigotry of his father, Hutton
not go to the essence of his big-
Gibson, who has sought to
otry and his anti-Semitism."
deny the historical truth of the
Foxman was a fierce critic of
Holocaust.
After Mee filed his eight-page
report, he was told by his superi-
ors that it-was too "inflammato-
ry," would incite a lot of "Jewish
hatred" and that the situation
in Israel was "way too inflam-
matory," according to tmz.com's
managing editor, Harvey Levin.
Mee then. produced a "sani-
tized" version of his report, after
which a spokesman said that
Gibson, a longtime supporter
of the sheriff's department, had
been arrested "without incident."
Sheriff Lee Baca told reporters
that "there is no coverup."
On Tuesday, according to
drudgereport.com, Gibson
further apologized for his anti-
Semitic remarks. He sought to
meet with leaders in the Jewish
community with whom I can
have a one-on-one discussion to
discern the appropriate path for
healing.
"I know there will be many in
that community who will want
nothing to do with me, and that
would be understandable. But I
pray that that door is not forever
closed."
CC