{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-action-from-doj-and-white-house-on-synagogue-attack-by-pro-hamas-mob", "Cotton Demands Action from DOJ and White House on Synagogue Attack by Pro-Hamas Mob", "2024-06-25", "2024", "2024-06", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353\n\nJune 25, 2024\n\nCotton Demands Action from DOJ and White House on Synagogue Attack by Pro-Hamas Mob\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to President Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland, calling for the administration to respond to the attack on the Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles on June 23. The assault on the Los Angeles Jewish community by pro-Hamas radicals included blocking the entrance to the synagogue, assaulting Jewish people, and calling for an \u201cintifada revolution.\u201d\n\nIn part, Senator Cotton wrote:\n\n\u201cThis vicious attack comes after months of antisemitic violence on college campuses, and just weeks after Hamas supporters vandalized national monuments outside of the White House. The Biden administration\u2019s inaction against these mobs, like its inaction against Democratic street militias harassing Supreme Court justices outside their homes in 2022, has emboldened these extremists to escalate their attacks.\u201d\n\nFull text of the letter may be found here and below.\n\nJune 25, 2024\n\nPresident Joseph R. Biden\n\nThe White House\n\n1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW\n\nWashington, DC 20500\n\nThe Honorable Merrick Garland\n\nU.S. Department of Justice\n\n950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW\n\nWashington, DC 20530-0001\n\nDear President Biden and Attorney General Garland,\n\nI write urging immediate action against a pro-Hamas mob\u2019s recent assault on a Jewish community.\n\nOn June 23, pro-Hamas radicals assembled outside the Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles. The mob blocked the synagogue\u2019s entrance while they called for genocide. The mob attacked Jews with bear spray, beat a man until his face and shirt were covered in blood, and chanted \u201cintifada revolution.\u201d\n\nAlthough these antisemitic rioters advertised their plans in advance and synagogue members pled for police protection, city officials allowed the mob to grow out of control. According to some reports, elected officials even told the Los Angeles Police Department to stand down initially, with police sent to intervene only after violence broke out.\n\nThis vicious attack comes after months of antisemitic violence on college campuses, and just weeks after Hamas supporters vandalized national monuments outside of the White House. The Biden administration\u2019s inaction against these mobs, like its inaction against Democratic street militias harassing Supreme Court justices outside their homes in 2022, has emboldened these extremists to escalate their attacks.\n\nThe Department of Justice and federal law enforcement should take immediate action to protect the Jewish community and prosecute these mobs. I call for the administration to conduct a manhunt for every one of these antisemitic, pro-terrorist rioters with the same vigor it used to prosecute non-violent Trump supporters who were at the Capitol on January 6. Failure to act would only further expose this administration\u2019s pro-Hamas bias. In addition, please provide the following information by July 1, 2024:\n\nDid city or state officials notify the DOJ regarding the planned pro-Hamas protest? Was federal law enforcement requested to protect the Jewish community?\n\nHave you referred this case to the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice?\n\nIs the DOJ investigating whether outside groups are funding and organizing these violent outbursts? Provide a list of all outside groups that are linked to funding or organizing pro-Hamas or anti-Israel protests.\n\nThank you for your attention to this important matter.\n\nSincerely,\n\n____________________\n\nTom Cotton\n\nUnited States Senator\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:11:47Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-action-from-doj-and-white-house-on-synagogue-attack-by-pro-hamas-mob"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.744795124977827, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}