The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have warned of an ‘elevated threat’ against the Jewish community following two recent attacks. These include an assault in Boulder, Colorado, involving Molotov cocktails last Sunday, and a fatal incident in Washington, D.C., last month, where two Israeli Embassy staff members were tragically killed.
Reports indicate that the conflict between Israel and Hamas may inspire violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators with similar grievances to instigate violence against Jewish and Israeli communities and their supporters. According to reliable sources, the FBI and DHS, foreign terrorist organizations could attempt to exploit narratives related to this conflict to inspire attacks within the United States.
Both the FBI and DHS urge the public to ‘remain vigilant’ and to promptly ‘report any threats of violence or suspicious activity to law enforcement’. This development follows earlier reports that a man named Mohamed Soliman allegedly threw Molotov cocktails at a group of marchers advocating for the release of Israeli hostages in Boulder. This incident resulted in the injury of fifteen people, including a Holocaust survivor.
The evidence suggests that Soliman, who was apprehended at the scene, yelled ‘Free Palestine’ during the attack. Court documents reported him stating to police he intended to ‘kill all Zionist people’. They insisted his actions were directed not at the Jewish community but specifically at the Zionist group supporting the killings of people on his land (Palestine). Soliman is facing a federal hate crime charge along with 118 state charges, including attempted murder, assault, and explosives charges.
Reports from the scene of the May 21 killings of two Israeli Embassy staff members, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, indicate they were fatally shot as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in D.C. The suspect, upon arrest, began chanting ‘free, free Palestine’.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has noted a startling rise in hate crimes targeting Jewish people in the U.S. since the terror attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The ADL recorded an unprecedented high of 9,354 antisemitic incidents in the U.S. in 2024, showing a 344% increase over the past five years and an 893% surge over the past decade.
In the words of ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt at a news conference in Boulder: ‘It’s way past time for our political leaders, community groups, media outlets, tech platforms, and faith leaders to take action before more Jewish blood is spilled.’ Greenblatt urged the public to push back against hate, suggesting actions such as flagging offensive posts, signing petitions, attending city council meetings, and making comments.
Our society faces an ‘elevated threat’ to the Jewish community, and we must stand against hate in all forms.
