Alert Warns of Elevated Threat to Jewish Communities in US

Federal agencies have warned that the recent attacks on Jewish people in the US, as well as the Israeli-Hamas fighting, could inspire more. The alert to Americans and law enforcement agencies was issued Thursday night by the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the National Counterterrorism Center, CBS News reports. The suspect in the Washington, DC, killings of two people last month said he did it for Palestine, and the government bulletin says his views are being shared online along with calls "for additional violence."

The alert cites that attack, as well as one on demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, and an arson at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's residence, as well as "ongoing threats to Jewish and Israeli communities." Those attacks "could motivate others to conduct violence against Israeli and Jewish institutions, or their supporters," the alert says in asking that anyone who sees suspicious activity report it to the FBI or call 911. Acts of hate against Jewish people in the US have risen sharply since Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, according to Anti-Defamation League data, per ABC News. The 9,354 antisemitic incidents documented last year represented a 344% increase over the past five years and a 893% jump over the past 10 years. (More antisemitism stories.)