Congress probes antisemitism surge as national security threat June 11, 2025US Capitol Building in Washington (AP Photo/J. David Ake)AP Photo/J. David AkeCongress probes antisemitism surge as national security threat Tweet Join Group Join WhatsApp Group Email https://worldisraelnews.com/congress-probes-antisemitism-surge-as-national-security-threat/ Email Print Secure Community Network’s Kerry Sleeper testifies on violent attacks, online incitement, and the need for a coordinated federal response to protect Jewish communities.By David Brummer, World Israel NewsThe U.S. House Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence held a high-profile hearing Wednesday to address the alarming rise in antisemitic violence and its growing impact on national security.Lawmakers heard from Kerry Sleeper, Deputy Director of Intelligence and Information Sharing at the Secure Community Network (SCN), who delivered a sobering assessment of escalating threats against Jewish Americans.“This threat environment has resulted in three horrific recent attacks against the Jewish community, and it is only growing,” Sleeper testified.The incidents he referenced—violent attacks in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Washington, D.C.; and Boulder, Colorado—have added urgency to calls for stronger security measures and national coordination.Sleeper said that antisemitic threats have surged following the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks in Israel, with extremist rhetoric proliferating online and manifesting in real-world violence.SCN analysts, he noted, identified more than 6,000 violent threats against Jewish targets on social media in the week following a deadly May 21 shooting outside the Capitol Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., where two Israeli embassy staffers—Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim—were killed.Read Trump notifies Congress as US resumes military action against Iran“These trends are fueled by a persistent ecosystem of anti-Israel networks operating in the U.S. and online,” Sleeper told the subcommittee.He warned that extremist content often glorifies violence and encourages copycat behavior.After a June 1 Molotov cocktail attack targeting pro-Israel demonstrators in Boulder, SCN analysts documented online praise of the attacker—further amplifying the risk of repeated acts.Sleeper, a former FBI Assistant Director with deep experience in intelligence and interagency coordination, leads SCN’s 24/7 Jewish Security Operations Command Center (JSOCC).The center works closely with the FBI, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and local law enforcement to track threats and respond in real time.In his testimony, Sleeper disclosed that SCN analysts have responded to nearly 700 Threat Triage Level (TTL) incidents in 2025 alone—already surpassing the total for 2024.Each TTL represents a potential threat requiring assessment and action, underscoring what Sleeper called “the rising threat environment and the operational demand placed on our analysts.”Despite ongoing collaboration with federal agencies, Sleeper expressed concern over the lack of a national intelligence framework specifically addressing antisemitic threats.In April 2024, SCN formally requested that DHS’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis develop an Intelligence Operations Strategy, including an analytic cell with six core functions—ranging from rapid threat assessment and bulletin dissemination to enhancing Suspicious Activity Reporting.Read Graham’s death leaves Israel with ‘almost no recourse’ in Congress, former Israeli envoy says“Little materialized from that request,” he said.Sleeper concluded with a call for a comprehensive national strategy to confront antisemitic violence.He urged the creation of a multi-agency task force—including representatives from federal, state, and local law enforcement—to focus on analyzing threats to Jewish communities in context and coordinating actionable responses.These could include strike teams capable of arresting individuals actively plotting targeted violence.He also acknowledged the critical role played by non-governmental partners such as SCN, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and the Center for Internet Security (CIS), which he said are “filling a void left by the federal government’s lack of comprehensive focus on this rapidly emerging threat.”While praising partnerships with agencies like the FBI, Sleeper emphasized the need for federal leadership: “Law enforcement is working hand-in-hand with us to protect their Jewish communities, but there is no national strategy.”Founded in 2004, SCN is the official safety and security organization of North America’s Jewish community, operating under the auspices of the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.It partners with more than 500 Jewish institutions and hundreds of law enforcement agencies nationwide. Read WATCH: Lindsey Graham's storied legacy of defending Israel American antisemitismCongressSecure Community NetworkWashington D.C.
