(JTA) — Fliers calling to “Take America back from the Jews” were dropped in a Jacksonville, Florida, neighborhood that is home to Jewish residents and several Jewish institutions.
The leaflets, which also claimed that the Jews are “plotting the minds of our government” and it was up to the recipients to not “let them destroy what your European ancestors built,” were discovered Sunday morning in the driveway of the Jewish Community Alliance, two Jacksonville synagogues and the driveways of area homes, the Florida Times-Union reported.
They were signed by the Detroit-based neo-Nazi group National Socialist Movement. It is the second time in about a year that fliers claiming to come from the group have been distributed in the area.
The synagogues and Jewish leaders have been in touch with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and FBI about the fliers, according to the Times-Union.
The Sheriff’s Office investigated the leaflet drop but said no crime was committed, since distributing such fliers is an exercise in free speech, Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Melissa Bujeda told the newspaper.
“While the distribution of these fliers may be legal under the First Amendment, they have left many in the community fearful, and not just the Jewish residents,” ADL Florida Regional director Hava Holzhauer said. “It is ironic that as the Jewish New Year approaches, a time where we look inward and renew our commitments to family, community, social justice and repairing the world, this neo-Nazi group is highlighting the exact opposite in its attempts to foster bigotry, hatred and anti-Semitism.”
