FBI Chief Wray concerned about Hamas attacks inspiring US terrorism.
OAN’s Brooke Mallory
1:38 PM – Tuesday, October 31, 2023
FBI Director Christopher Wray issued a warning on Tuesday, voicing that terrorist acts in the Middle East by Hamas and Palestine’s Islamic Jihad could serve as an inspiration for other acts of terrorism, including those carried out by violent Islamic extremists within the United States.
“We assess that the actions of Hamas and its allies will serve as an inspiration the likes of which we haven’t seen since ISIS launched its so-called caliphate years ago,” Wray said in testimony before the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
Along with senior U.S. officials and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Wray stated that in the past several weeks, many foreign terrorist groups have advocated for attacks against Americans and the West in general.
“Here in the United States, our most immediate concern is that violent extremists — individuals or small groups — will draw inspiration from the events in the Middle East to carry out attacks against Americans going about their daily lives,” Wray said to senators. “That includes not just homegrown violent extremists inspired by a foreign terrorist organization, but also domestic violent extremists targeting Jewish or Muslim communities.”
According to Wray, last week, the FBI detained a man in Houston who was researching how to make explosives and had posted comments on the internet endorsing the murder of Jews. The FBI director also emphasized that his organization is looking into the violent death of a 6-year-old Muslim child in Illinois earlier this month as a possible hate crime.
He went on to say that there are “multiple, ongoing investigations” by the FBI against individuals in the U.S. who are possibly connected to Hamas.
“Bottom line, we’re going to continue to do everything in our power to protect the American people and support our partners in Israel,” he said. “Protecting Americans from the threat of terrorism is, and remains, our No. 1 priority.”
According to Wray, radicals “across the spectrum,” including both “international terrorist groups and domestic violent extremists,” are reportedly targeting Jewish communities. Wray cited official figures to claim that, while making up only around 2.4% of the U.S. population, Jews experience “something like 60% of all religious-based hate crimes and incidents” in the country.
Antisemitism has been on the rise, particularly on college campuses, since the unexpected Hamas attacks transpired in Israel on October 7th. The FBI is also currently looking into threats of violence against Jewish students on the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, New York, that were reportedly motivated by antisemitism.
On Monday, the Biden administration launched new initiatives aimed at combating antisemitism at American institutions and colleges. The proposal that was provided to the press states that in order to detect threats connected to hate speech and to give schools additional resources, the departments of Justice and Homeland Security are now working with campus law enforcement.
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What initiatives has the Biden administration announced to combat antisemitism at American institutions and colleges
FBI Director Christopher Wray Warns of Potential Terrorist Acts Inspired by Middle East Extremist Groups
In a testimony before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, FBI Director Christopher Wray issued a warning about the potential for terrorist acts in the United States inspired by Hamas and Palestine’s Islamic Jihad. He expressed concern that these groups’ actions in the Middle East could serve as inspiration for violent Islamic extremists within the country.
Director Wray, accompanied by senior U.S. officials and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, highlighted the recent advocacy for attacks against Americans and the West by foreign terrorist groups. He emphasized the immediate concern of violent extremists, both homegrown and domestic, drawing inspiration from events in the Middle East to carry out attacks against Americans going about their daily lives. Wray specifically mentioned the targeting of Jewish or Muslim communities by domestic violent extremists.
The FBI director cited recent cases to support his concerns. Last week, the FBI detained an individual in Houston who was researching how to make explosives and had posted comments endorsing the murder of Jews online. He also mentioned the investigation into the violent death of a 6-year-old Muslim child in Illinois as a possible hate crime.
Wray assured senators that the FBI is actively pursuing multiple ongoing investigations against individuals possibly connected to Hamas within the United States. He reiterated that protecting Americans from the threat of terrorism remains the agency’s top priority and that they will do everything in their power to uphold this responsibility and support their partners in Israel.
The director highlighted the alarming rise of antisemitism in the United States, particularly on college campuses, since the recent Hamas attacks in Israel. Official figures indicate that while Jews make up only 2.4% of the U.S. population, they experience approximately 60% of all religious-based hate crimes and incidents in the country.
To address this issue, the Biden administration announced new initiatives aimed at combating antisemitism at American institutions and colleges. These initiatives include working with campus law enforcement to detect threats connected to hate speech and providing additional resources to schools.
In conclusion, Director Wray’s testimony highlighted the potential threat posed by Middle East extremist groups and the importance of addressing the rise of antisemitism domestically. The FBI remains committed to protecting the American people and cooperating with partners in Israel to ensure the safety and security of both nations.
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