Man Who Allegedly Waved Machete Outside NoHo Chabad Called Pittsburgh Massacre ‘False Flag’

David Brener, the man who was arrested in December for allegedly waving a machete in front of the Chabad of North Hollywood, promulgated myriad anti-Semitic conspiracy theories on social media, including that the Pittsburgh massacre was a “false flag” operation. His activity has raised major safety concerns among the Los Angeles Jewish community.

According to a report from the Center for Combating Hate in America (C4CHA) obtained by the Journal, Brener said that Jews are Satan’s “chosen” people who “are running a global conspiracy to control banking and governments which is orchestrated primarily by the Rothschilds and Zionists.”

C4CHA is a new watchdog group that obtains information submitted by the public to research and document incidents of anti-Semitism and other hate crimes – and share information with communities and law enforcement.

“He has written that there are no Jews in heaven, uses the Protocols of the Elders of Zion as a source of information concerning Jewish global conspiracies and insists that the Holocaust is a global Jewish hoax,” the report states. “Brener also contends that the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre was a ‘false-flag’ operation orchestrated by Zionists/Jews.”

Brener is claiming online that he is running for Congress in 2020 with the hopes of ousting incumbent Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), who he calls a “a Zionist/Globalist/AIPAC puppet who has been handpicked by the Rothschild Clan to defend their Zionist-imperialism.”

The Israellycool blog uncovered social media posts from Brener where he refers to the Holocaust as the “Holohoax” and that Adolf Hitler was “an African Ashkenazi Jew.” Brener also compared Zionists to Nazis.

The C4CHA report found that Brener had nearly committed suicide shortly after he had discovered that his then-wife, who is Jewish, had been having a two-year affair with a friend of his; he had also lost his home and job. The report states Brener’s previous criminal background includes an April 2017 conviction for carrying a loaded firearm in a public place.

“Given his recent arrest, his demonstrable vitriol against Jews, the personal crisis that may have sparked such hatred, and his reported access to a firearm, Brener’s potential as a threat to his family cannot be ruled out,” the report states.

“C4CHA is quickly building a robust infrastructure to respond to the growing threats of anti-Semitism and bigotry in our time,” said Liora Rez, the Director of C4CHA. “We are asking individuals to share any information that they have about extremist and hate groups in their communities. C4CHA has the resources to investigate these tips – and will work closely with law enforcement and other organizations to help keep our communities safer.”

According to a spokesperson from the Los Angeles city attorney’s office, Brener is being charged with carrying knives in plain view and brandishing a weapon; the former carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine and the latter carries a maximum sentence of a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. This spokesperson declined to comment on if they would be pursuing the maximum sentence on both charges.

Brener is pleading not guilty on both charges. He was released after his arrest on $10,000 bail. His pre-trial hearing is scheduled for February 1.