As the Israel-Hamas war continues in the Middle East, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray Tuesday warned that antisemitic threats are reaching record levels here in the U.S.
“I will say, that this is a threat that is reaching in some ways sort of historic levels, in part, because you know all too well, the Jewish community is targeted by terrorists really across the spectrum: homegrown violent extremists, foreign terrorist organizations…” said the FBI director.
This spring, the FBI released an executive update that said antisemitism is a driver of transnational violent extremist narratives and attacks. It said these narratives pose a threat to Jewish people both in the U.S. and abroad.
“In fact, our statistics would indicate, that for a group that represents only about 2.4% of the American public, they account for something like 60% of all religious-based hate crimes,” Wray said Tuesday.
Just this week, people in Pittsburgh, Pa., and across the world remembered the Tree of Life Synagogue mass shooting on its fifth anniversary. During that massacre, shooter Robert Bowers killed 11 people. He was sentenced to death this summer.
Conflict between Israel and Palestinians living in the Gaza strip has been longstanding, but it reached new levels with as surprise Oct. 7 attack on Israel by the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas. Israel then declared war on Hamas. Per CNN, Israel predicts the war will be long.
Israel is the historic homeland of Judaism. However, the Jewish people have been subject to many pogroms and exoduses, from Israel and other areas. In 1948, the state of Israel was officially created.
FBI data released Oct. 16 revealed that anti-Jewish hate crimes increased by more than 37% in the U.S. According to the Anti-Defamation League, this is “reaching [the] highest number in almost three decades, and second-highest number on record.”
Based on the FBI data, anti-Jewish was the top religious bias motivator for hate crimes last year. Anti-Black or African American was the top for race/ethnicity/ancestry bias and “Anti-Gay (male)” was the top for sexual-orientation bias. While anti-Muslim hate crimes were also reported, they remained at similar levels compared to the previous year.
With the war in the Middle East, discussion around Jewish people and Palestinians has also become more heated. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) even grilled Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Tuesday about comments made online by a department staffer that included expletives directed at Israel. Mayorkas said he could not comment on an ongoing personnel matter.
Some have questioned the war and the fate of Palestinian civilians who have not been able to evacuate from Gaza as Israel seeks to eliminate Hamas. In the U.S., the group Jewish Voice for Peace has been calling for a cease-fire and an end to deadly violence in the region.
“It is our expectation that in all of their activities, all their military campaigns that they comply with the laws of war,” said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said of Israel at a press briefing, per CNN.
At home, Wray said the FBI is utilizing a joint terrorism task force, hate crime investigations, outreach, intelligence sharing, training and more to prevent anti-Jewish attacks. He told lawmakers that there are concerns about coordinated terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.
“It is a time to be concerned, we are in a dangerous period,” he said. He added that “the gaps in our intelligence are real, and its something we’re concerned about.”
Still, he said Americans should feel free to live life as usual, including attending religious services and school. At the same time, he said people should be aware of threats.
“This is not a time for panic but it is a time for vigilance,” Wray added.