A new "public service announcement" issued by the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday informing Americans of "threats associated with the Israel-HAMAS conflict."
Calling the current threat environment "fluid and evolving," the PSA from federal authorities warns that "recent events have increased the possibility of potential attacks against individuals and institutions in response to developments in the Middle East."
This week's announcement is an update to a similar PSA issued from DHS and the FBI on October 10 and an October 18 bulletin from the National Counterterrorism Center and other federal authorities to law enforcement agencies across the United States.
"Since DHS and FBI issued the 10 October Public Service Announcement, the volume and frequency of threats to Americans, especially those in the Jewish, Arab American, and Muslim communities in the United States, have increased, raising our concern that violent extremists and lone offenders motivated by or reacting to ongoing events could target these communities," the announcement states.
Still, the FBI and DHS say they "have no specific information that foreign adversaries are plotting attacks against the homeland" — a claim that seems dubious given Iran and its proxies' frequent calls for "Death to America" — but the PSA states that "some are seeking to take advantage of the conflict, calling for violence in furtherance of their respective goals."
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The announcement notes specifically that:
On 13 October, al-Qaida media called for support to HAMAS through attacks against American bases, airports, battleships, and embassies in predominantly Muslim countries. On 19 October, an ISIS media posting urged followers to “target the Jewish presence all over the world…especially Jewish neighborhoods in America and Europe,” and specifically encouraged attacks on Jewish temples, nightclubs, and economic interests and against “Jewish and Crusader” embassies. Iranian media outlets have issued and/or amplified various types of mis- and dis-information online about the conflict in ways that risk deepening resentment and evoking strong emotional responses among English-speaking audiences. These outlets are utilizing verifiably doctored or mislabeled images and video footage, inaccurate translations, and misleading content about the conflict with the apparent intent to stoke passions
Despite the PSA's attempts to put the threats to all groups in the United States on an even plane, it's worth noting — as the threats mentioned in the announcement make clear — only Jews, Americans, the State of Israel, and the United States are facing violent threats from the parties involved in the conflict that continues to develop.
Citing the fraught history of anti-Semitism waged by those who wish to wipe Israel off the map and kill Jews, the announcement further warns that "the current widespread sharing of graphic and disturbing content related to this conflict, increases the risk of incitement to violence in the United States" and urged "everyone to remain vigilant and to report any threats of violence or suspicious activity to law enforcement."
The #FBI and @DHSgov have issued a public service announcement on threats associated with the Israel-HAMAS conflict. Read at: https://t.co/B2aqiPxXiq pic.twitter.com/vy6p1PgUw0
— FBI (@FBI) October 26, 2023
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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