FBI warns American Jews of Passover terror threats

Terrorists “could target large gatherings, high profile events, or symbolic or religious locations for violence,” says FBI director.

By World Israel News Staff

The director of the FBI warned that the U.S. Jewish community is facing increased risk of terror attacks ahead of the upcoming Passover holiday, and that both Iran-linked and lone wolf terrorists who are not affiliated with a specific organization pose a threat.

Speaking at a conference focused on protecting American Jewish communities, FBI director Christopher Wray spoke about the increased need for vigilance and said his agency is working to safeguard synagogues and Passover events.

“We at the bureau remain particularly concerned that lone actors could target large gatherings, high profile events, or symbolic or religious locations for violence – particularly a concern, of course, as we look to the start of Passover on Monday evening,” Wray said, according to a CNN report.

He noted that since the Hamas massacres, there has been an unprecedented spike in incidents of violence and threats towards Jews.

“Between October 7 and January 30 of this year, we opened over three times more anti-Jewish hate crime investigations than in the four months before October 7,” said Wray.

He added that the sheer number of probes launched in recent months are demonstrative of “very real threats to your institutions, to your houses of worship, to your schools and university organizations, and to the individuals in your communities simply for being who you are.”

Wray said that “foreign terrorist organizations” are also a serious risk to Jews outside of Israel, as they urge the targeting of international “Jewish communities both in the United States and Europe.”

On the heels of Iran’s massive aerial attack on Israel, Wray said that the threat posed by the Islamic Republic could reach American soil.

“After the last few days, in particular, the threat posed by Iran itself is very real,” he said.

“We are urging all of our partners here and around the world to stay vigilant” in light of “potential threats that may emerge from Iran or its proxies both overseas and even here in the homeland.”