IMPACT TO VIRGINIA AND AMERICA AT LARGE
Governor Youngkin Executive Directive - Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Religious Bigotry and Protecting the Freedom to Worship in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Summary This directive speaks to the significant increase in antisemitism in the Commonwealth of Virginia following Hamas' terror attacks on October 7. There have been street protests in Richmond with antisemitic slogans and calls for the extermination of the Jewish community in Israel. Tributes to captured children held hostage by Hamas have been destroyed at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Jewish students at William & Mary faced verbal abuse for expressing their faith and mourning the loss of loved ones. The Governor expresses concern for the safety and security of all Virginians, emphasizing the importance of protecting the community centers and houses of worship of the Jewish people, while also recognizing the concerns of the Muslim faith community about potential backlash. The full directive can be view HERE.
DHS and FBI Public Service Announcement - October 25, 2023
Summary
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have issued a Public Service Announcement to warn about potential threats in the United States in response to HAMAS attacks on Israel on October 7 and subsequent events in the region. The announcement highlights concerns about increased threats to American individuals and communities, particularly those in the Jewish, Arab American, and Muslim communities. These threats include hoax bomb threats, violent rhetoric online, and, in one case, a fatal stabbing incident that is being investigated as an anti-Muslim hate crime.
While there is no specific information about foreign adversaries planning attacks on the U.S. homeland, some are trying to exploit the conflict for their own goals. Groups like al-Qaida and ISIS have called for attacks against American targets in predominantly Muslim countries and Jewish communities worldwide. Iranian media outlets have been spreading misinformation and manipulated content about the conflict to provoke strong emotional responses and potentially incite violence among English-speaking audiences.
The history of tensions between Israel and the Palestinian territories, combined with the widespread sharing of graphic content related to the conflict, raises the risk of incitement to violence in the United States. The DHS and FBI urge people to remain vigilant and report any threats or suspicious activity to law enforcement.
Read the full PSA HERE.
FBI Director Wray Warns Terror Threat At “Historic Levels”
Summary
FBI Director Wray, testifying before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, “warned Tuesday that the Israel-Hamas war had raised the potential for an attack against Americans to a new level and escalated threats against Jews and Muslims in the United States.” Wray also said, "foreign terrorist organizations had called for violence against Jews after the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas assailants prompted Israel to besiege and bombard the Gaza Strip, where Hamas is in control.” In addition, Wray stated, "The FBI is tackling the rise in antisemitism through a series of law enforcement efforts including joint terrorism task forces, hate crime investigations, and intelligence sharing.”
Director Wray's full comments can be read HERE.
Virginia Fusion Center Update
The Bridging Divides Initiative describes itself as a non-partisan research initiative that tracks and mitigates political violence in the United States. They have developed an initial list of offline events in the United States related to the Israel-Gaza conflict. The list focuses on attacks, vandalism, fights, or other offline violence or direct threats. It relies on news media and an initial list of events from other monitors. It is a live document, which BDI plans to update biweekly.
The VFC maintains a state of continual communication with our partners and other intelligence agencies, and as of this writing, we have identified no specific threats to our area or the country.
VFC Shield urges members to report any and all suspicious activity to the Virginia Fusion Center HERE.
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