The warning follows the Oct. 14 murder of a 6-year-old Palestinian boy in Illinois and a rise in antisemitic incidents.

Federal law enforcement officials warned on Wednesday that Israel’s ongoing war with Palestinian militants could encourage more hate crimes in the U.S.

In a public service announcement released Wednesday night, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said it “has seen an increase in reports of threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities and institutions” and said that “recent events have increased the possibility of potential attacks against individuals and institutions in response to developments in the Middle East.”

The FBI, joined by the Department of Homeland Security, also warned that foreign actors, including Iranian media outlets and Islamic jihadist groups Al-Qaida and ISIS, were using the conflict to stoke divisions and call for violent attacks in the U.S. and other Western countries.

  • captainlezbian@lemmy.worldEnglish
    131·
    11 months ago

    Fucking assholes need to learn that Saul and Ruth down the street aren’t the government of Israel and that Ahmad and Fatima one block over aren’t in fucking Hamas. This conflict is on the other side of the world and our Jewish, Arab, and Muslim neighbors are our fucking neighbors and the way we treat them ought to be based more in that fact than those traits of theirs. Fucking assholes.

    I hope any Jewish, Arab, or Muslim person seeing this keeps safe. Y’all’re Americans (if you are) and oughta be no less welcome and safe than the rest of us.

    • lennybird@lemmy.worldEnglish
      102·
      11 months ago

      I’m not seeing this. Sure I’m seeing a fair amount of anti-Israeli state/zionism, but not antisemitism here at least.

      And sure, antisemitism is on the rise (as it has been due to right-wing extremists), but so too is anti-Muslim rhetoric and hate crimes.

    • GONADS125@lemmy.world
      92·
      11 months ago

      First of all, it’s sad this distinction has to be made, but valid criticism of Isreal is not antisemitism.

      What I have seen on lemmy.world is that the comments vocalizing support of Isreal’s genocide or Hamas’ terrorism are downvoted significantly, and that most users here condemn the actions of both Isreal and Hamas, and support the innocent civilians on both sides.

      I am happy with that balanced stance.