In the wake of two violent attacks on Jewish community events in recent weeks, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security have issued a public service announcement warning of an “elevated threat” to Jews and Israeli communities, JTA reported.
In their announcement issued June 5, the FBI and DHS cited the two recent attacks — the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., last month and the firebombing attack last week on a march for Israeli hostages in Boulder, Colorado, that left 15 injured.
“The ongoing Israel-HAMAS conflict may motivate other violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators with similar grievances to conduct violence against Jewish and Israeli communities and their supporters,” the FBI and DHS wrote. (The agencies capitalize Hamas’ name in all communications.)
“Foreign terrorist organizations also may try to exploit narratives related to the conflict to inspire attacks in the United States,” the announcement continued.
Jewish institutions are working to shore up security in the wake of the incidents while seeking not to discourage participation in Jewish life and pro-Israel events.
The PSA urged the public to “remain vigilant” and report any threats of violence to law enforcement.
Both the suspect in the Boulder attack, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, and the suspect in the D.C. shooting, Elias Rodriguez, appeared to be motivated by the ongoing conflict in Israel. As Rodriguez was arrested, he shouted “free Palestine,” and Soliman reportedly made the same chant during his attack on demonstrators.
The latest warning comes as the Trump administration is citing the attack and antisemitism more broadly to justify a wide array of government actions, including an immigration crackdown, a travel ban and funding cuts to universities.
But the warning is very much in line with others that the departments have released in the past, including during the Biden administration.
Three days after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, the FBI and DHS issued an alert regarding the “ongoing issue of potential public safety concern consequent to the Hamas attacks in Israel.”
“Some violent extremists have used times of heightened tensions to incite violence against religious minorities, targeting both Jewish and Muslim Americans,” the warning read.
