An event at Wilshire Boulevard Temple campus was violently interrupted on Dec. 3 by antisemitic protesters who infiltrated the audience before staging coordinated disruptions.
Early reports from major news outlets did not note that the program was organized and hosted by the Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Southwest, which co-coordinated the event in partnership with the Korean American Federation, Jewish Federation’s Community Security Initiative and FACE LA (Faith and Community Empowerment).
The gathering was an RSVP-only program requiring full security screening, ID checks, and bag checks at the entrance. According to the consulate, protesters blocked streets and both entrances before the start time, delaying the arrival of guests, speakers, and staff. Opening remarks included statements by Consul General Israel Bachar, Wilshire Boulevard Temple Rabbi Joel Nickerson, video remarks from U.S. Rep. Young Kim (R-CA), and remarks from the president of the Korean American Federation.
Deputy Consul General Yulia Rachinsky-Spivakov, who was in attendance, spoke with The Journal about what she witnessed.
The program inside the Temple’s Audrey Irmas Pavilion featured two presentations on artificial intelligence. Keynote speaker Zev Wexler, CEO of Wexler Marketing, spoke on AI hallucinations, safe application of AI systems, algorithmic prompting, and how deepfake tools have been used by bad actors, including those targeting Israel. He was followed by Dr. Goni Saar of Elbit Systems, who presented on AI tools relevant to public safety. Disruptions began when Dr. Saar started speaking.
Rachinsky-Spivakov said that five to six protesters gained access to the room after registering online like regular attendees and passing through event security. Their ages varied, with several young women appearing to be under twenty, others in their twenties, and a man who arrived with two babies.
Inside the room, the disruptions occurred in staggered intervals. One protester would stand and shout while filming, be escorted out by security, and then another would immediately follow. The sequence repeated several times. Attendees attempted to steady the room by responding verbally, but no one inside made physical contact with any agitator.
Rachinsky-Spivakov said no protesters touched consulate staff during the disruptions, crediting the security team, which “reacted very quick.” She confirmed that the infiltrators passed through the required screening process. At least one attendee later described being in shock and fearing that one of the agitators might attempt to draw a weapon.
“It was supposed to be a multicultural event, so we felt very sorry for the attendees to have to experience this kind of stress and then intimidation,” Rachinsky-Spivakov told the Journal
Before the final and most severe disruption, one infiltrator—a woman—sat inside the room with a stroller beside her. According to Rachinsky-Spivakov, the baby in the stroller cried for roughly twenty to thirty minutes during the opening portion of the program. Rachinsky-Spivakov said that audience members seated near her found it to be “disruptive or disrespectful.” Despite the noise, Rachinsky-Spivakov said that no audience members hushed the woman with the crying baby before the coordinated interruption.
After security removed the violent agitator from the room, another protester, a male, was filmed pacing outside the pavilion’s glass wall while filming and pushing the same baby in a stroller. The baby continued crying from inside the stroller. Rachinsky-Spivakov said it was unsettling to watch because both guardians of the baby appeared fully focused on the planned disruption rather than on the child.
The final disruptor, a man, had been standing quietly near a high table throughout the earlier portion of the event. When Dr. Saar began his AI presentation, the man erupted, shouting and then smashing a large vase filled with yellow flowers. Rachinsky-Spivakov said that sound resembled a gunshot to some attendees, and several individuals, including members of the consulate staff, experienced panic attacks as it unfolded.
Rachinsky-Spivakov, seated directly in front of him, said the man reached into his jacket in a way that appeared as if he was grabbing for something. Security intervened immediately and removed him from the room, securing both her and Consul General Bachar. Security personnel said the agitator resisted being escorted out. The arrests took place outside the pavilion after LAPD arrived.
Outside the venue, protesters marched and blocked the entrances, and shouted “Baby killers,” “Free Palestine. This delayed check-in and pushed back the program’s scheduled start time.
Rachinsky-Spivakov said the incident was “very physical,” citing the smashed vase, the shouting, and the moment when the man reached into his jacket.
“Once he just put his hand on his jacket, our security just removed him immediately,” Rachinsky-Spivakov said.
She said that many attendees were not Israeli or connected to the consulate but were members of the Jewish and Korean American communities who came for a multicultural program focused on public safety.
After the incident inside the pavilion was under control, the presentation continued, concluding with Korean musician Sung Eun Cho singing as planned.
Despite the fear and disruption, she said the consulate will continue its outreach work with communities across Los Angeles and will not be deterred by intimidation.
“It’s a real threat to life,” Rachinsky-Spivakov said. “We have to act decisively here to prevent the next, God forbid, terror attack the way we saw it happening in Washington and other places across the US unfortunately.”
