‘They’re killing Jews’: Jewish lawmakers in US discuss fears and death threats amid rising antisemitism

In March, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s home was set on fire while his family slept inside on the first night of Passover.

By Jewish Breaking News

Randy Fine figured his biggest worry as a freshman congressman would be learning the ropes on Capitol Hill. Instead, he’s been counting death threats.

The Florida Republican got five in his first week alone. Now he keeps his office locked and has stopped taking leisurely walks between votes, opting instead for the underground tunnel system that connects House office buildings.

“I have two choices. I can go downstairs and take the tunnel, which is theoretically secured, or I can walk out of the building across the street, walk outside, enjoy the weather, see the Capitol, which is not secure. Lately, I’ve been thinking hmm, maybe I’ll take the tunnels,” Fine tells the Washington Examiner.

“It feels like open hunting season has been declared on Jews in America, and we have got to shut it down and stop living in the world that we wish it was.”

Fine isn’t alone. Jewish members of Congress say they’re facing an unprecedented surge in antisemitic threats at a time when violent attacks against Jewish Americans are making headlines across the country.

Last week, a man with a homemade flamethrower injured 12 people at a Colorado rally supporting Israeli hostages, just weeks after two Israeli Embassy employees were shot and killed outside a Jewish community event in Washington, D.C.

In March, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s home was set on fire while his family slept inside on the first night of Passover.

In Colorado and Washington, authorities said the attackers shouted “Free Palestine” during their assaults.

The Pennsylvania arsonist later called his attack revenge for Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.

“They’re killing Jews. I’ve received a lot of threats, other Jewish members have received a lot of threats, so I hope they’re taking it seriously,” Ohio Democrat Greg Landsman tells the Washington Examiner.

Some Jewish lawmakers have lived with heightened security for years. California Senator Adam Schiff said his visibility made him a target long before the current crisis, especially after tangling with Trump.

“We do a good job protecting the building,” Schiff observed. “Much less of a good job protecting the people inside it.”

For Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, whose father fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s, each new attack reopens old wounds. His parents never let him forget the dangers of antisemitism.

“Every one of these [attacks] brings it back,” he said, calling antisemitism “a plague on the nation.”

Still, Fine has embraced his visibility rather than hiding from it. The former Florida legislator known as the “Hebrew Hammer” started wearing a kippah daily after his 17-year-old son urged him to show solidarity with Jewish students feeling unsafe on college campuses.

“I got so many great reactions from people. And then my son’s like, ‘Dad, I think you should keep doing it until the kids feel safe,’ but now I feel like I have a target on my head,” Fine said.

Despite being new on the Hill, Fine is pursuing aggressive legislation to help curb the spread of Jewish hatred such as deporting illegal immigrants, restricting visas from hostile countries, cracking down on campus activities, and designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.

“I’m going to expect action,” he said. “I got that nickname for a reason, and they’re about to find out why.”