Motorists on Interstate 405 in Los Angeles drive by banners carrying antisemitic slogans draped from an overpass. Photo: Twitter.

Jewish organizations in southern California expressed outrage over the weekend after banners with sinister antisemitic slogans were seen hanging from a freeway overpass.

The three home-made banners were draped an overpass on Interstate 405 in Los Angeles on Saturday, close to the Florence Avenue exit in Inglewood.

One banner declared, “The Jews want a race war,” whilst another promoted a website called “Goyim TV.” A third banner urged drivers on the freeway to honk their horns in agreement.

Tweeting in response to the incident, Rick Hirschhaut — the Los Angeles regional director of the American Jewish Committee — called on the California Highway Patrol to step up its efforts against such expressions of hatred.

A shocking and outrageous display of antisemitism yesterday targeting motorists along the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles. Though eventually removed, it is essential that the CHP and relevant agencies guard against such crude expressions of hate and assaults upon public safety. pic.twitter.com/2Fpc77KOio

— Rick Hirschhaut (@rickhirschhaut) August 23, 2020

Other Jewish organizations concurred. In a statement to the Jewish Journal, Rabbi Abraham Cooper — associate dean of the LA-based Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) — said that his organization had “asked Council members Paul Koretz and David Ryu to get the Jew-hating banners unfurled by antisemitic cowards removed by DOT [Los Angeles Department of Transportation]. They will continue their anonymous attacks on social media and everywhere else they can act stealthily to spread Jew-hatred without fear of being held accountable.”

We're aware of the #antisemitic banner drops from over the weekend on the 405 Fwy. We've been working closely with law enforcement to identify the perpetrators. We want to thank community members for contacting us & continue to encourage reporting. Los Angeles is #NoPlaceforHate. pic.twitter.com/V6qiEbcsD7

— ADL Los Angeles (@LA_ADL) August 23, 2020

People are circulating this picture of a nasty/hateful sign that was hung on one of the Los Angeles freeways. So some nuts think that Jews want a "race war". Seriously. Isnt that what neo-Nazis (who hate Jews) want? Maybe the nuts are confused. pic.twitter.com/0BG9OQtudg

— Roz Rothstein (@RozRothstein) August 23, 2020