Law enforcement officials said Tuesday they are taking steps to monitor and confront threats facing Jewish and Muslim communities across the country since the beginning of the war in the Middle East. Multiple hate crimes and an attempted terrorist attack have led to increased security measures at places of worship and investigations into extremist activity.
As the FBI conducts an investigation into a March 12 incident in West Bloomfield, Michigan, in which a motorist drove through the doors of Temple Israel, the nation’s second-largest congregation in Reform Judaism, officials provided a threat assessment against religious communities and discussed strategies for maintaining safety and security at places of worship.
“We know that the goal of our enemies is to scare us into submission until we make the decision not to show up,” Michael Masters, national director of the Secure Community Network, said during a national security briefing that included opinions from federal and local law enforcement agencies.
“With strong safety and security measures in place, that doesn’t have to happen,” Masters said.
The network, which coordinates security for North American Jewish communities, hosted a national security conference before Passover and amid rising global tensions. Anti-Jewish hate incidents have recently been documented in Southern California and Toronto, while European officials are investigating car burnings in Antwerp and London as anti-Semitic attacks.
For many Jewish Americans, the anti-Semitic incidents underscored long-standing fears about the rise of anti-Semitism, as well as the need to aggressively combat extremism and live their faith without fear of threats. Meanwhile, it escalates Violent anti-Muslim rhetoric What some GOP politicians and Christian nationalists are saying carries echoes of the early 2000s, when the September 11 attacks and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq generated anti-Islamic sentiment across the United States and around the world.
Jewish leaders called on lawmakers and civic leaders to combat the growing threats.
“Although the incident at Temple Israel was shocking, to us in the Jewish community it is no longer a surprise,” Gary Torgow, president of the Jewish Federations of North America, said during the press conference about the security measures being taken by Jewish organizations across the country. “Today hate spreads at lightning speed through misinformation on social media,” said Torgow, the Michigan law enforcement official, and warned that its spread unchecked “inevitably creates a climate in which violence becomes more likely.”
Torgow and other Jewish leaders met last week with senior FBI officials to discuss federal efforts to combat anti-Semitic incidents since the Trump administration launched joint strikes with Israel on Iran, triggering retaliatory strikes and a regional conflict that has reverberated globally. Participants in the meeting included Andrew Bailey, deputy director of the FBI, who Torgow said was receptive and responsive to their concerns.
“What we saw at this meeting is sincere interest and really active participation,” Torgow said. “The attack on the synagogue, in which we participated, must truly be understood for what it is: an attack on the principle that every American should be able to worship in peace.”
Federal authorities are also monitoring increased activities from extremist individuals who may seek to attack places of worship or strike during upcoming notable events or holidays. During the security briefing, officials did not share any known threats for upcoming events, and Safe Community Network officials said they are not aware of any active threats to Jewish communities at present.
“As we not only seek to defend against potentially malicious actors, especially those encouraged or sympathetic to Iran, we also need to be on equal footing on all sides and attackers, as America looks to host both the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the America 250 celebrations later this year,” Matthew Kuzma, DHS Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis, said during the security briefing.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said during a Senate hearing in March that intelligence agencies focused their efforts “on individuals who were either radicalized by Islamist propaganda and may not have had any contact with ISIS or Al Qaeda” but who nevertheless were radicalized online while in the United States.
The FBI is investigating two recent incidents as terrorist acts, including an attempted bombing of anti-Muslim protests outside the New York mayor’s residence and a fatal shooting at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.
Jewish Federations President Eric Fingerhout said the terrorist attack on the Israel Synagogue showed that “even our most advanced security efforts can be outdone by world events and the very assertive planning of terrorists,” meaning Jewish communities “must, once again, increase the level of security for our community” and work closely with law enforcement to monitor risks, and with civic leaders to address the root causes of intolerance and extremism.
Jewish Federations of North America will also host rallies calling for greater efforts to combat anti-Semitism by lawmakers in Washington in May.
Since the attack on Temple Israel, for example, in Oakland County, Michigan, Sheriff Michael Bouchard said he himself has received anti-Semitic death threats over his response to the attacks.
“I believe we all have to step up, excel, and do everything we can to protect our communities,” Bouchard said.
Experts say the reasons for the spike in anti-Semitic attacks and other hateful behavior are complex and long-standing. Rising international tensions, polarized domestic politics, and new digital technologies have contributed to an increase in intolerant views.
“We’re seeing a lot of ideas and conspiracy theories that were once on the fringes of the public conversation being absorbed into the political debate,” said Seth Levy, chief strategy officer at the Southern Poverty Law Center. Levy pointed to social media and the increasing ease with which hate speech can spread unfiltered to a large audience as a major driver of radicalization for many extremists.
Meanwhile, Muslim Americans have expressed fear and alarm as anti-Muslim rhetoric and actions by state governments designating Muslim communities as security threats have increased in recent months.
Levy said the Southern Poverty Law Center has monitored a significant rise in anti-Semitic and anti-Islamic rhetoric over the past year, which has intensified since the war in the Middle East began.
“We still see incidents like hate posts and racism, especially neighborhoods that have a particular religious community,” Levy said. “On a personal level, physical harassment where you live creates a different and more visceral reaction than online activism.”
Levy said most Americans still strongly disapproved of violence and hateful speech in polls reviewed by the Southern Poverty Law Center, but comments from federal lawmakers, including President Donald Trump, were often echoed in hate speech used by some online figures or in physical threats reviewed by the center.
For many Jewish leaders, this moment underscores the need for greater resolve and closer community.
“The vitality of Jewish life in North America, and Jewish life everywhere, only happens through our own efforts,” said Wendy Berger, president of the Safe Community Network. “It’s in our hands. We have these extraordinary, amazing federal, state and local partners. But security is up to us, and the vitality of Jewish life depends on it.”