The FBI is expressing heightened concern about potential targeting of Jewish communities ahead of Passover
The FBI is deeply concerned about potential threats to the Jewish community ahead of Passover. FBI Director Christopher Wray highlighted the risks to security officials at a Secure Community Network event. Wray warned of the possibility of lone actors targeting large gatherings or religious sites, especially as the festivities begin. This concern arises amidst a notable increase in antisemitic incidents in the US, as reported by the Anti-Defamation League.
The FBI is “particularly concerned” about violent threats to the Jewish community as Passover approaches. The weeklong celebration begins on Monday.
FBI Director Christopher Wray expressed his concern to a group of nationwide security officials at an event hosted by the Secure Community Network on Wednesday. SCN is a Jewish nonprofit safety and training organization.
“We at the bureau remain particularly concerned that lone actors could target large gatherings, high-profile events, or symbolic or religious locations for violence — particularly a concern, of course, as we look to the start of Passover on Monday evening,” Wray warned.
Wray’s comments come during an all-time high spike in antisemitic incidents in the United States. The Anti-Defamation League released an audit on Tuesday revealing an uptick in incidents since Hamas launched its surprise attack against Israel on Oct. 7. There were more antisemitic incidents reported in 2023 than any year since the ADL began tracking them.
“Like many in the Jewish community, the FBI is well aware of increasing antisemitism in the United States. Look no further than the data we released this week. Additionally, the ongoing attacks in and against Israel only further heightens concerns,” an ADL spokesperson told the Washington Examiner. “Although there are no specific threats mentioned at present, the community must remain vigilant, as emphasized in the FBI statement.”
College campus communities, in particular, have become a hotbed for violent and nonviolent antisemitic incidents, especially in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack.
“Between Oct. 7 and Jan. 30 of this year, we opened over three times more anti-Jewish hate crime investigations than in the four months before Oct. 7,” Wray said. He warned of “very real threats to your institutions, to your houses of worship, to your schools and university organizations, and to the individuals in your communities simply for being who you are.”
The FBI director additionally raised concerns about state-sponsored threats to the Jewish community, noting that foreign terrorist groups have called “to target Jewish communities both in the United States and Europe.”
“After the last few days, in particular, the threat posed by Iran itself is very real,” Wray said.
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Tensions between Israel and Iran have escalated over the last week after Iran launched an aerial assault on Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi in Damascus, Syria.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the FBI for comment.
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