[House Hearing, 119 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
THE RISE OF ANTI-ISRAEL EXTREMIST GROUPS
AND THEIR THREAT TO U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY
=======================================================================
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
COUNTERTERRORISM AND
INTELLIGENCE
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
JUNE 11, 2025
__________
Serial No. 119-19
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Homeland Security
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
61-402 PDF WASHINGTON : 2025
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
Mark E. Green, MD, Tennessee, Chairman
Michael T. McCaul, Texas, Vice Bennie G. Thompson, Mississippi,
Chair Ranking Member
Clay Higgins, Louisiana Eric Swalwell, California
Michael Guest, Mississippi J. Luis Correa, California
Carlos A. Gimenez, Florida Shri Thanedar, Michigan
August Pfluger, Texas Seth Magaziner, Rhode Island
Andrew R. Garbarino, New York Daniel S. Goldman, New York
Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia Delia C. Ramirez, Illinois
Tony Gonzales, Texas Timothy M. Kennedy, New York
Morgan Luttrell, Texas LaMonica McIver, New Jersey
Dale W. Strong, Alabama Julie Johnson, Texas, Vice Ranking
Josh Brecheen, Oklahoma Member
Elijah Crane, Arizona Pablo Jose Hernandez, Puerto Rico
Andrew Ogles, Tennessee Nellie Pou, New Jersey
Sheri Biggs, South Carolina Troy A. Carter, Louisiana
Gabe Evans, Colorado Robert Garcia, California
Ryan Mackenzie, Pennsylvania Al Green, Texas
Brad Knott, North Carolina
Eric Heighberger, Staff Director
Hope Goins, Minority Staff Director
Sean Corcoran, Chief Clerk
------
SUBCOMMITTEE ON COUNTERTERRORISM AND INTELLIGENCE
August Pfluger, Texas, Chairman
Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia Seth Magaziner, Rhode Island,
Tony Gonzales, Texas Ranking Member
Morgan Luttrell, Texas J. Luis Correa, California
Gabe Evans, Colorado Daniel S. Goldman, New York
Ryan Mackenzie, Pennsylvania Pablo Jose Hernandez, Puerto Rico
Mark E. Green, MD, Tennessee (ex Nellie Pou, New Jersey
officio) Bennie G. Thompson, Mississippi
(ex officio)
Natalie Hurst, Subcommittee Staff Director
Brittany Carr, Minority Subcommittee Staff Director
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
Statements
The Honorable August Pfluger, a Representative in Congress From
the State of Texas, and Chairman, Subcommittee on
Counterterrorism and Intelligence:
Oral Statement................................................. 1
Prepared Statement............................................. 4
The Honorable Seth Magaziner, a Representative in Congress From
the State of Rhode Island, and Ranking Member, Subcommittee on
Counterterrorism and Intelligence:
Oral Statement................................................. 5
Prepared Statement............................................. 7
Witnesses
Mr. Kerry Sleeper, Deputy Director of Intelligence and
Information Sharing, Secure Community Network:
Oral Statement................................................. 9
Prepared Statement............................................. 11
Mr. Oren Segal, Senior Vice President of Counter-Extremism and
Intelligence, Anti-Defamation League:
Oral Statement................................................. 13
Prepared Statement............................................. 15
Mr. James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., Private Citizen:
Oral Statement................................................. 27
Prepared Statement............................................. 28
Ms. Julie Fishman Rayman, Senior Vice President of Policy and
Political Affairs, American Jewish Committee:
Oral Statement................................................. 31
Prepared Statement............................................. 33
THE RISE OF ANTI-ISRAEL EXTREMIST GROUPS AND THEIR THREAT TO U.S.
NATIONAL SECURITY
----------
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
U.S. House of Representatives,
Committee on Homeland Security,
Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:34 a.m., at
Room 310, Cannon House Office Building, Hon. August Pfluger
[Chairman of the subcommittee] presiding.
Present: Representatives Pfluger, Greene, Evans, Mackenzie,
Magaziner, Goldman, Hernandez, and Pou.
Mr. Pfluger. The Committee on Homeland Security,
Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence will come to
order. Without objection, the subcommittee may recess at any
point.
The purpose of this hearing is to examine, unfortunately,
the growing threat of antisemitism within the United States
particularly as it relates to the circumstances surrounding the
killing of Israeli embassy staff in Washington, DC, as well as
assessing the current counterterrorism measures in addressing
the threat of antisemitic violence targeting Jewish Americans
and foreign diplomats on U.S. soil.
I now recognize myself for an opening statement. I want to
thank my colleagues. I want to thank our witnesses and all who
have joined us for today's important hearing on a deeply
troubling and persistent issue, one that strikes at the very
core of our national values. We convene today in the shadow of
a deeply unsettling trend, the continuing rise in antisemitic
attacks across the United States.
This alarming pattern has been brought into sharp and
painful focus by the recent incidents in Washington, DC,
Boulder, Colorado, and, unfortunately, many other events. Here
in our Nation's capital just a few blocks away from where we
sit right now, 2 young and innocent lives were taken in a
brutal attack at the capital Jewish museum following an event
for young Jewish professionals.
In Boulder, Colorado, several individuals were severely
injured in a horrific act of violence during a peaceful
demonstration meant to highlight the plight of Israeli hostages
still being held by Hamas.
Most recently, anti-ICE rioters in Los Angeles and, in
fact, many other cities have attacked Federal agents, torching
streets, defacing property, and assaulting officers for
enforcing the law, an attack on our very core of law and order
that is related to the subject that we are talking about today.
In Paramount, agents deployed tear gas and flashbangs to
disperse violent mob. President Trump has responded decisively
sending National Guard troops to restore order and protect the
public. Instead of standing with law enforcement to protect
communities, Governor Newsom dismissed the deployment,
downplaying violence altogether. This reckless refusal to
acknowledge the severity of the crisis undermines public safety
and sends a message that lawlessness will be tolerated in
certain places throughout our country.
Last week, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula released a
video calling for attacks on U.S. soil specifically targeting
Government officials, specifically targeting Members of
Congress. Companies tied to the war in Gaza, and Jewish
institutions were also called for with violent attacks. The
group's leader even cited recent attacks here in the District
of Columbia as examples to follow.
This should be a chilling reminder. Antisemitic, might we
say anti-Jewish, hate is not only rising, it is being
weaponized by foreign terrorist organizations and inspiring
violence right here in our homeland. These incidents are not
isolated; they reflect a broader and deeply troubling surge in
antisemitic rhetoric and violence, both on-line and in our
neighborhoods.
As the numbers continue to rise, fear has taken hold in
many Jewish communities nationwide. For the fourth consecutive
year, antisemitic incidents have increased in all 50 States.
This is not a localized problem. It is a national crisis.
We cannot talk about national security without addressing
the policies that allowed this environment to take root.
When President Trump took office in January we quickly saw
the truth: What we had been told for 4 years--that our hands
were tied by current laws--was a lie. We didn't need more
legislation. We needed a leadership that was willing to secure
the border and enforce laws that were already in existence.
While this new leadership led to historic lows in illegal
border crossings, the danger we now face comes not from those
trying to get in but from those that are already here. For 4
years the Biden administration opened the floodgates allowing
millions to pour across our border unchecked. Among them were
individuals who now exploit weak immigration enforcement and
thrive in a system that refuses to apply existing laws in
certain communities, laws that were meant to protect us from
exactly this kind of hate and violence.
Last year, right here on this committee, I confronted
Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about these very dangers. I warned
about people already living among us people, people who had
been radicalized, emboldened, and driven to hate, and today we
are seeing this threat materialize right before our eyes. These
heinous acts of hatred or not only attacks on individual lives,
they are assaults on the very principles of religious freedom,
safety, and security that formed the foundation of our
democracy.
What is worse, this hatred is not confined to dark corners
of the internet or lone extremists. It is now showing up in our
institutions and places that should be safe and inclusive, our
schools and our universities, have become breeding grounds for
antisemitism.
Jewish students are being harassed, intimidated, and in
some cases physically attacked, often with little to no
response from university leadership. This is a fact. This is
happening. Literally, dozens of people have reached out to my
office, people that I don't know, that I have never met, that
have said that this is happening. Nothing has been done at some
of these universities and institutions.
This failure to act is not neutrality. It is complicity.
Let me be absolutely clear that anyone who refuses to call out
these hate-filled actors, who fails to condemn their vile
actions loudly and unequivocally is no longer a bystander. They
are complicit. Silence and apathy in the face of antisemitism
is not neutrality. It is permission to continue to act that
way, and it enables the hate to spread and the violence to
escalate.
We will no longer tolerate cowardice or indifference when
Jewish lives are under threat. The Jewish community has long
been a vibrant and integral part of the Nation's fabric, yet
today too many Jewish Americans are now living with an ever-
present fear for their families, their institutions, and their
future simply because of who they are and what they believe.
This hearing is an opportunity to confront the threat head-
on. It is a chance to hear directly from Jewish leaders, from
law enforcement officials, and community experts on the front
lines and to ask ourselves and to determine what more Congress
and our Government can do to respond effectively and prevent
this type of behavior from continuing to grow in this country.
President Trump has issued a vital Executive Order to
combat antisemitism on college campuses and to protect Jewish
students. Yet despite these steps, wide-spread harassment of
Jewish students at dozens of universities has persisted.
Whether it means improving how we track and report hate
crimes, investing in stronger security for at-risk communities,
or expanding education to dispel antisemitic myths, one thing
is clear. Action is not optional. It is imperative.
Our purpose today is clear: To understand the root causes
of this rise in antisemitic violence; to hold accountable those
who would perpetrate and enable it; and to strengthen our
response to protect vulnerable communities, communities that
should not be vulnerable or subjected to this kind of fear,
threat of violence, and, might I say, terrorism. We must
examine how we can all work together to confront hate and build
resilience.
This hearing is a call to action to reaffirm that hatred
and bigotry have no place in America and to ensure that every
citizen can live without fear of discrimination or violence. I
look forward to hearing from our witnesses, from our experts,
and working together with colleagues on this committee to forge
a path that promotes safety, justice, and unity.
My hope today is that those that serve on this this
committee, regardless of party affiliation, will boldly condemn
the actions that have led to violence against the Jewish
community, the actions that just a couple of short weeks ago
took the lives of 2 young innocent Americans, the actions that
have threatened our communities in places like Boulder,
Colorado.
One thing is going to be absolutely clear today. There is
no room for antisemitism in the United States of America, not
in Washington, not in Boulder, nowhere. We will know today
where this committee stands.
This committee was formed in the wake of 9/11 as a result
of the most horrific terrorist attack that our Nation has
suffered, and we have to get a grip right now in this committee
on what continues to drive those that would perpetrate this
violence inside the United States.
We have to understand and also recognize that there are
people that were let into this country over the last 4 years
that have a tie to radical groups like al-Qaeda, like ISIS, and
that still affiliate with these groups and are prone to
radicalization and do want to do harm to many communities,
including our Jewish community.
I want to thank the witnesses for being with us this
morning, and I yield back.
[The statement of Chairman Pfluger follows:]
Statement of Chairman August Pfluger
June 11, 2025
Good morning and thank you to my colleagues, our witnesses, and all
who have joined us for today's important hearing on a deeply troubling
and persistent issue--one that strikes at the core of our national
values.
We convene today in the shadow of a deeply unsettling trend: the
continuing rise in antisemitic attacks across the United States. This
alarming pattern has been brought into sharp and painful focus by the
recent incidents in Washington, DC, and Boulder, Colorado.
Here in our Nation's capital, just blocks from where we sit, 2
young and innocent lives were taken in a brutal attack at the Capital
Jewish Museum following an event for young Jewish professionals.
In Boulder, Colorado, several individuals were severely injured in
a horrific act of violence during a peaceful demonstration meant to
highlight the plight of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas.
Most recently, anti-ICE rioters in Los Angeles have attacked
Federal agents--torching streets, defacing property, and assaulting
officers for enforcing the law.
In Paramount, agents deployed tear gas and flash-bangs to disperse
violent mobs. President Trump responded decisively, sending 2,000
National Guard troops to restore order and protect the public.
Instead of standing with law enforcement to protect communities,
Governor Newsom dismissed the deployment, downplaying the violence
altogether. This reckless refusal to acknowledge the severity of the
crisis undermines public safety and sends a message that lawlessness
will be tolerated.
Last week, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula released a video
calling for attacks on U.S. soil--specifically targeting Government
officials, companies tied to the war in Gaza, and Jewish institutions.
The group's leader even cited recent attacks here in the District of
Columbia as examples to follow. This is a chilling reminder:
antisemitic hate is not only rising--it's being weaponized by foreign
terrorist organizations and inspiring violence right here at home.
These incidents are not isolated; they reflect a broader and deeply
troubling surge in antisemitic rhetoric and violence--both on-line and
in our neighborhoods. As the numbers continue to rise, fear is taking
hold on Jewish communities nationwide.
For the fourth consecutive year, antisemitic incidents have
increased in all 50 States. This is not a localized problem--it is a
national crisis.
We cannot talk about national security without addressing the
policies that allowed this environment to take root. When President
Trump took office in January, we quickly saw the truth: what we had
been told for 4 years--that our hands were tied by the current laws--
was a lie. We didn't need more legislation. We needed leadership that
was willing to secure the border and enforce the laws already in
existence.
And while this new leadership led to historic lows in illegal
border crossings, the danger we now face comes not from those trying to
get in--but from those already here. For 4 years, the Biden
administration opened the floodgates, allowing millions to pour across
our border unchecked. Among them are individuals who now exploit weak
immigration enforcement and thrive in a system that refuses to apply
existing laws--laws meant to protect us from exactly this kind of hate
and violence.
Last year, I came before this committee to confront Secretary
Alejandro Mayorkas about these very dangers. I warned about the people
already living among us--people who have been radicalized, emboldened,
and driven to hate. Today, we are seeing this threat materialize before
our eyes.
These heinous acts of hatred are not only attacks on individual
lives--they are assaults on the very principles of religious freedom,
safety, and security that form the foundation of our democracy.
What's worse, this hatred is not confined to dark corners of the
internet or lone extremists. It is now showing up in our institutions--
in places that should be safe and inclusive. Our schools and
universities, have become breeding grounds for antisemitism. Jewish
students are being harassed, intimidated, and, in some cases,
physically attacked--often with little to no response from university
leadership. This failure to act is not neutrality--it is complicity.
Let me be absolutely clear: anyone who refuses to call out these
hate-filled actors, who fails to condemn their vile actions loudly and
unequivocally, is no longer a bystander--they are complicit. Silence
and apathy in the face of antisemitism is not neutrality--it is
permission. And it enables the hate to spread and the violence to
escalate. We will no longer tolerate cowardice or indifference when
Jewish lives are under threat.
The Jewish community has long been a vibrant and integral part of
our Nation's fabric. Yet today, too many Jewish Americans are now
living with an ever-present fear--for their families, their
institutions, and their future--simply because of who they are and what
they believe.
This hearing is an opportunity to confront the threat head-on. It
is a chance to hear directly from Jewish leaders, law enforcement
officials, and community experts on the front lines--and ask ourselves,
and to determine what more Congress and our Government must do to
respond effectively?
The Trump administration issued a vital Executive Order to combat
antisemitism on college campuses and protect Jewish students. Despite
these positive steps, widespread harassment of Jewish students at
dozens of universities across the country has persisted.
Whether it means improving how we track and report hate crimes,
investing in stronger security for at-risk communities or expanding
education to dispel antisemitic myths--one thing is clear: action is
not optional, it is imperative.
Our purpose today is clear: to understand the root causes of this
rise in antisemitic violence, to hold accountable those who perpetrate
and enable it, and to strengthen our response to protect vulnerable
communities. We must examine how we can all work together to confront
hate and build resilience.
This hearing is a call to action--to reaffirm that hatred and
bigotry have no place in America, and to ensure that every citizen can
live without fear of discrimination or violence.
I look forward to hearing from our witnesses and working together
with my colleagues to forge a path forward that promotes safety,
justice, and unity.
Let this hearing make one thing absolutely clear: there is no room
for antisemitism in the United States of America. Not in Boulder,
Colorado, not in Washington, DC, not anywhere.
Thank you to all our witnesses for being with us this morning, and
I look forward to the discussion ahead.
Mr. Pfluger. I will now yield to the Ranking Member, the
gentleman from Rhode Island, Mr. Magaziner, for his opening
statement.
Mr. Magaziner. Thank you to the Chair for calling this
important hearing.
I thank our witnesses for being here today. I want to begin
by honoring the memories of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim,
who were senselessly killed last month following the American
Jewish Committee's annual Young Diplomats Reception here in
Washington. They were a young couple who had their whole lives
ahead of them, including a planned engagement. I know that
every Member of this subcommittee extends our deepest
condolences to their families and friends.
We also grieve for the victims of the horrific attack in
Boulder, Colorado, who had Molotov cocktails thrown at them
while walking in support of hostages held by Hamas. Both of
these incidents were antisemitic terrorism, and we must clearly
call them out for what they are. We must condemn them.
The same is true in the arson attack on Pennsylvania
Governor Josh Shapiro's home a few weeks ago.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, in 2024, there
were nearly 10,000 reported antisemitic incidents across the
United States, a 5 percent increase from 2023 and the highest
number on record since the ADL began tracking antisemitic
incidents 46 years ago.
Antisemitism exists throughout our society. It can be found
on the left, on the right, in the middle, and it must be called
out everywhere. But while it is true that Jews in America face
the threat of antisemitic violence throughout our country, it
is also true that the Jewish people have friends and supporters
throughout our country.
In the year 1790, President George Washington visited the
Touro Synagogue in my home State in Newport, Rhode Island, and
prayed with the local Jewish congregation to demonstrate his
wish that America would be a country welcoming of all faiths
and specifically the Jewish faith.
Now, this is personal for me as well as the son of a Jewish
father and a Catholic mother. I have family who were driven out
of their home countries due to antisemitic violence. I have
experienced personally, as have other Members of my family,
antisemitic harassment here in the United States. It is a daily
fact of life, unfortunately.
I am concerned about our Government's ability to counter
the rise of antisemitic violence. I want to make sure that our
Government is doing everything that it can to stamp this out
and to keep people safe.
That is why I am concerned that President Trump has fired
staff across the Federal Government who are tasked with
investigating cases of violent antisemitism and other forms of
hate, including over 100 employees at the DHS Office for Civil
Rights and Civil Liberties tasked with investigating and
stamping out violent antisemitism and other domestic violent
extremism, some 250 attorneys, about 70 percent of the Justice
Department's Civil Rights Division, and at least 240 staff at
the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.
Let's be clear. Antisemitism on college campuses is a real
problem that must be dealt with. The way you deal with that is
by strong oversight from the Department of Education, including
the Office for Civil Rights, which has been gutted, not by
cutting off funding for medical research.
President Trump recently installed Thomas Fugate to serve
as the director of DHS's Center for Prevention, Programs, and
Partnerships. For those of you who don't know, this is the
office that is tasked with partnering with local law
enforcement, nonprofit organizations, churches, synagogues,
private-sector organizations to prevent hate-driven violence.
Mr. Fugate is a 22-year-old who just graduated college with
no counterterrorism, national security, or law enforcement
experience. I bring this up not to be partisan because, again,
there is antisemitism on all sides of the political spectrum.
Believe me I know that. But I genuinely am concerned that this
sends a signal about how serious the administration actually is
in doing the work of stamping out antisemitic hate and
violence.
Words are nice but actions are important and personnel is
important as well. If the administration takes combating
violent extremism seriously, why put this man in charge of the
office tasked with preventing domestic violent extremism? We
need an answer to that. People want to know.
We also want to know why the FBI has transferred agents and
intelligence analysts out of the domestic terrorism section and
canceled the development of a national domestic terrorism
incident database. Again, the policies matter.
I hope that this will be an opportunity for us to course
correct and to surge resources toward those agencies that are
tasked with stamping out domestic violent extremism, including
antisemitic violence. We should be surging resources to those
agencies, not gutting them.
It is a tragedy that it has taken the deaths of 2 innocent
people and the severe injuries of a dozen others to remind some
people of the importance of cracking down on domestic violent
extremism, including antisemitic violence in this country. We
should be increasing the Federal Government's focus on
preventing violent extremism, not cutting funds and not
shifting personnel away from those efforts.
I hope in light of these terrible events that the
administration will reconsider, shift resources, and put the
very best people in charge of the agencies tasked with doing
this important work.
I hope we can use this hearing as an opportunity to hear
from our expert witnesses on how the Federal Government can
disrupt the surge in violent antisemitic extremism that we have
seen since October 7 and stop the normalization of antisemitism
and enhance the safety of the Jewish community in our country.
We cannot lose anyone else to antisemitic hate. Full stop.
I thank our witnesses again. I look forward to hearing from
you, and I yield back.
[The statement of Ranking Member Magaziner follows:]
Statement of Ranking Member Seth Magaziner
June 11, 2025
I want to begin by honoring the memories of Yaron Lischinsky and
Sarah Milgrim, who were senselessly killed last month following the
American Jewish Committee's annual Young Diplomats Reception here in
Washington. Yaron and Sarah were a young couple who had their whole
lives ahead of them, including a planned engagement. I know that every
Member of this subcommittee extends our deepest condolences to their
families and friends. I also grieve for the victims of the horrific
attack in Boulder, Colorado, who had Molotov cocktails thrown at them
while walking in support of the hostages held by Hamas.
Both of these incidents were antisemitic terrorism--we must clearly
call them out for what they are, and we must condemn them. The same is
also true in the arson attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's
home.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, in 2024, there were 9,354
reported antisemitic incidents across the United States, a 5 percent
increase from 2023 and the highest number on record since ADL began
tracking antisemitic incidents 46 years ago. Antisemitism exists
throughout our society. Antisemitism can be found on the left, the
right, and the middle and must be called out everywhere. But while it
is true that Jews in America face the threat of antisemitic violence
throughout our society, it is also true that the Jewish people have
friends and supporters throughout our society.
In the year 1790, President George Washington visited the Touro
Synagogue in my home State of Rhode Island, and prayed with the local
congregation to demonstrate his wish that America would be a country
welcoming of all faiths, including specifically the Jewish faith. I am
concerned about our Government's ability to counter the rise of
antisemitic violence we are seeing.
President Trump has fired staff across the Federal Government who
were tasked with that investing cases of violent antisemitism and other
forms of hate, including: 131 employees at the DHS Office for Civil
Rights and Civil Liberties. Some 250 attorneys or around 70 percent of
the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. At least 240 staff at
the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.
President Trump recently installed Thomas Fugate to serve as the
director of DHS's Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships--this
is the office tasked with partnering with local law enforcement and the
private sector to prevent hate-driven violence. Mr. Fugate is a 22-
year-old who just graduated college with no counterterrorism or
national security experience. If the administration takes combating
violent antisemitism seriously--why put him in charge of the office
tasked with preventing domestic violent extremism.
The administration has also transferred FBI agents and FBI
intelligence analysts out of the Domestic Terrorism Section and
canceled the development of a national domestic terrorism incident
database. We should be increasing the Federal Government's focus on
preventing violent extremism, not cutting funds and shifting personnel
away from those efforts. Decreasing Government personnel dedicated to
preventing violent extremism including antisemitic violence, undermines
efforts to counter antisemitism.
I hope that in light of the terrible events in Washington and in
Boulder, that the administration will reconsider, and shift resources
back into combatting antisemitism. I hope to discuss how we can disrupt
this surge in violent antisemitic extremism, stop the normalization of
antisemitism, and enhance the safety of the Jewish community and other
targeted groups.
Mr. Pfluger. I thank the Ranking Member.
Other Members of the committee are reminded that opening
statements may be submitted for the record. I am now pleased to
introduce 4 distinguished witnesses before us on this very
topic, but I first ask that they rise and please raise their
right hands. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you will
give before the Committee on Homeland Security of the U.S.
House of Representatives will be the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Thank you. The record reflects that the witnesses have
answered in the affirmative.
[Witnesses sworn.]
Mr. Pfluger. I would now like to formally introduce them.
Mr. Kerry Sleeper currently serves as deputy director of
intelligence information sharing at Secure Community Network.
In this role he coordinates with DHS, FBI, and many other
governmental and nongovernmental agencies to provide 24/7
coverage for SCN's national Jewish operations command center.
Mr. Oren Segal serves as senior vice president of counter
extremism and intelligence at the Anti-Defamation League and
oversees the Center on Extremism, the Center for Technology and
Society, and law enforcement teams.
Dr. James Carafano is a leading expert on national security
and foreign policy challenges and has previously served as the
Heritage Foundation's vice president of foreign and defense
policy studies.
Finally, Ms. Julie Rayman is a senior vice president of
policy and political affairs at the American Jewish Committee.
She has helped launch the bipartisan Task Force for
Antisemitism, the Congressional Caucus on Black-Jewish
Relations, and the Congressional Hellenic Israel Alliance.
Again, thank you to all the witnesses. I will now recognize
you in order. We have your written statements and we appreciate
those. If you can please summarize those in 5 minutes, and
there is a clock to alert you of the timing.
Mr. Sleeper, you are now recognized for your opening
statement.
STATEMENT OF KERRY SLEEPER, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE AND
INFORMATION SHARING, SECURE COMMUNITY NETWORK
Mr. Sleeper. Chairman Pfluger, Ranking Member Magaziner,
and Members of the subcommittee, thank you. My name is Kerry
Sleeper, and I currently serve as Secure Community Networks'
deputy director of intelligence and information sharing. I
oversee SCN's 24/7 Jewish security operations command center
and lead our intelligence coordination efforts with Federal,
State, and local law enforcement, as well as with our Jewish
communal security partners.
I sincerely appreciate your invitation to testify on this
critical matter. America's Jewish community is under attack,
and we need to take decisive action to save lives and mitigate
the escalating threats. The threat of targeted violence being
faced by the Jewish community is complex and continues to
evolve. This threat will likely persist for several years.
As recently as last week, our analysts have observed a
notable increase from foreign terrorist organizations aligned
media that appears to be doubling down on calls for attacks in
the United States and Jewish targets. These groups appear to be
coordinating efforts and amplifying shared narratives to
encouraged these acts of violence.
These groups are evidently trying to take advantage of the
morbid appeal of the recent attacks in the District of Columbia
and Boulder by violent extremists to incite followers to commit
additional violent acts in retribution for the on-going war in
Gaza.
These violent trends are fueled by a persistent ecosystem
of anti-Israeli networks operating in the United States and on-
line. Groups such as the Students for Justice in Palestine,
Within Our Lifetime, Unity of Fields, and on-line propaganda
hubs such as the emerging ISNAD network, consistently amplify
messaging aligned with foreign terrorist organizations and
Iranian-backed information operations.
While not all are directly tied to designated foreign
terrorist organizations, they help blur the lines between
protest and incitement, justifying, glorifying, and promoting
violence against the Jewish or Israeli community in the name of
Gaza.
Now, I'd like to briefly describe how SCN manages threats
against the Jewish Israeli community. Our analysts work
tirelessly to identify, analyze, and communicate threats to
life directed to the Jewish community found on-line. Threats to
live are defined as threats to kill or maim a victim with the
perpetrator being assessed to have the intent and capability to
carry out the threat.
Our analysts utilize state-of-the-art technology and
keyword algorithms to search the surface, deep, and dark web
for threats specifically targeting the Jewish community.
Last year, our analysts identified approximately 500
threats to life that they shared with the FBI's National Threat
Operations Center. This year SCN is on track to surpass 700
threats to life, a 40 percent increase reflecting both a rising
threat environment and the operational demand placed on our
analysts and infrastructure.
Even these efforts illustrate only a portion of the threats
facing the Jewish community. Following the 21st May shooting
outside the capital Jewish museum in the District of Columbia,
SCN analysts identified approximately 6,000 violent threats
targeting the Jewish community posted on social media in just a
1-week period of time.
SCN has issued strategic warnings for over a year that the
war in Gaza would have serious domestic implications, including
a surge in anti-Israeli, anti-Jewish, and antisemitic attacks,
many of which have now materialized as our analysts had warned.
Our analysts assessed that the as the conflict continued,
Jewish and Israeli communities in the United States would face
elevated threats from pro-Palestinian or anti-Israeli violent
extremists.
Over the past 20 months, every analytic brief SCN has
produced has warned of this rising threat, exacerbated by on-
line incitement from Iranian-linked groups and designated
foreign terrorist organizations, including Hamas, Hezbollah,
al-Qaeda, and ISIS, in which it promoted and justified violence
against Jewish civilians globally under the banner of
retaliation for Israel's military action in Gaza.
If our adversaries are coordinating their actions, so must
we. We are long overdue for a national strategy to specifically
combat targeted violence against the Jewish community. To date,
our community's front line for defense against these acts have
been nonprofit organizations like the one you see in front of
you, including Jewish communal security organizations.
While we have done a remarkable job in identifying threats
and to protect our community's facilities and people, we need
to recognize that we have nonprofits operating on donations who
are defending against foreign terrorist organizations and
extremist groups who are constantly pounding the drum beat of
kill the Jews.
Today's threat to the Jewish community requires a clearly-
defined national strategy that identifies and leverages
resources from Federal, State, and local governments, as well
as Jewish communal security organizations and groups like you
see in front of it today.
We have seen numerous instances of groups adversarial to
the Jewish community hosting plan documents on how to attack
our community. It's time we had a plan to protect our
community. I would respectfully suggest that this committee,
with your focus on intelligence and counterterrorism and your
demonstrated interest in protecting the Jewish-Israeli
community, would well be positioned to drive the development of
a national strategy.
Finally, this is the appropriate forum to thank the FBI
fusion centers and our State and local law enforcement partners
across the Nation for their unwavering support and constant
vigilance in protecting the Jewish community in these perilous
times. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Sleeper follows:]
Prepared Statement of Kerry Sleeper
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Dear Chairman Pfluger, Ranking Member Magaziner, and Members of the
subcommittee. My name is Kerry Sleeper, and I currently serve as the
Secure Community Network (SCN)'s deputy director of intelligence and
information sharing. I oversee SCN's 24/7 Jewish Security Operations
Command Center and lead our intelligence coordination efforts with
Federal, State, and local law enforcement, as well as Jewish communal
security partners.
Prior to my role at SCN, I served as a deputy assistant director
and then assistant director for the FBI for 7 years. My primary role
was to enhance the sharing of counterterrorism threat intelligence
between the FBI and its many partners. Prior to that, I served 30 years
with the Vermont State Police, retiring as the commissioner of public
safety and State homeland security advisor.
SCN was founded in 2004 under the auspices of The Jewish
Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major
Jewish Organizations. SCN supports the safety of Jewish communities
across North America. We work with 50 national Jewish partner
organizations, 146 Jewish Federations, and more than 350 independent
communities, in addition to hundreds of law enforcement organizations
and the multifaith community, fostering security collaboration across
public, private, nonprofit, and academic sectors.
I sincerely appreciate your invitation to testify on this critical
matter. America's Jewish community is under attack, and we need to take
decisive action to save lives and mitigate the escalating threats. My
esteemed colleague from ADL has provided you with the data to allow you
to understand the scope of the threat we face from anti-Israeli
extremist groups. What I would like to do now is describe how we at
SCN, working with key partners, assess, manage, and mitigate the
threat.
Analysts at SCN's Jewish Security Operations Center work tirelessly
to identify, analyze, and communicate Threats to Life (TTLs) found on-
line. TTLs are defined as threats to kill or maim a victim, with the
perpetrator being assessed to have the intent and capability to carry
out the threat. Our well-trained and talented analysts utilize state-
of-the-art technology and keyword algorithms to search the surface,
deep, and dark web for threats specifically targeting the Jewish/
Israeli community.
Last year, SCN analysts identified approximately 500 TTLs that they
shared with the FBI's National Threat Operations Center via an API
(Application Programming Interface). The privileged API connection to
the FBI enables real-time transfer of high-priority threat
intelligence, allowing for rapid mitigation by the FBI. This year, SCN
is on track to surpass 700 TTLs, a 40 percent increase, reflecting both
the rising threat environment and the operational demand placed on our
analysts and infrastructure. Our capability to protect the Jewish
community is greatly enhanced by our working relationship with the FBI
at both the Headquarters and Field Office levels.
SCN's comprehensive threat management process for TTLs is
intentionally redundant to ensure maximum situational awareness. When
our analysts can identify a named subject and/or location, we
simultaneously notify the FBI, DHS, the appropriate State fusion
center, local law enforcement, as well as the appropriate Jewish
security director or regional director in that area of responsibility.
This multi-channeled alerting mechanism ensures comprehensive
coordination across jurisdictions and agencies, and that mitigation
efforts can begin immediately.
Even these efforts illustrate only a portion of the threats facing
the Jewish community. Following the 21 May shooting outside the Capitol
Jewish Museum in DC, SCN analysts identified approximately 6,000
violent threats targeting the Jewish community posted on social media
in just a 1-week period.
SCN has issued strategic warnings for over a year that the war in
Gaza would have serious domestic implications, including a surge in
anti-Israeli, anti-Jewish, and antisemitic attacks, many of which have
now materialized as our analysts had warned. Our analysts assessed that
as the conflict continued, Jewish and Israeli communities in the United
States would face elevated threat levels from pro-Palestinian or anti-
Israeli violent extremists. Over the past 20 months, every analytic
brief SCN has produced has warned of this rising threat, exacerbated by
on-line incitement from Iranian-linked groups and designated foreign
terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and ISIS, which have
promoted and justified violence against Jewish civilians globally under
the banner of retaliation for Israel's military action in Gaza.
Multiple recent attacks, each with unique perpetrators, nonetheless
shared the same ideological trigger, rage against Israel's military
actions in Gaza channeled into violence against visibly Jewish targets
domestically. The April 13 arson attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh
Shapiro's residence in Harrisburg by Cody Balmer, the murder of Yaron
Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim by Elias Rodriguez outside the Capitol
Jewish Museum on May 21, and the June 1 firebombing attack at a rally
to remember Israeli hostages by Mohammed Soliman all reflect this
pattern. Each attacker framed their actions as retaliation for Israel's
military actions in Gaza.
These acts did not occur in a vacuum. Across these cases, SCN
analysts identified on-line praise, glorification, and calls for
replication, raising our concern about copycat attacks.
These trends are fueled by a persistent ecosystem of anti-Israel
networks operating in the United States and on-line. Groups such as the
Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Within Our Lifetime (WOL),
Unity of Fields, and on-line propaganda hubs such as the emerging ISNAD
Network consistently amplify messaging aligned with Hamas, Hezbollah,
al-Qaeda, ISIS, and Iranian-backed information operations. While not
all are directly tied to designated foreign terrorist organizations,
they help blur the lines between protest and incitement, justifying,
glorifying, and promoting violence against the Jewish community in the
name of Gaza.
In April of this year, SCN hosted a nationwide Passover threat
brief in conjunction with the National Fusion Center Association and
Jewish security organizations, highlighting our growing concern that
the Gaza conflict was further inflaming domestic radicalization, asking
for enhanced vigilance by law enforcement in light of the increased
likelihood of a targeted violent attack against the community.
One month later, SCN facilitated another nationwide threat brief in
conjunction with the FBI, Major Cities Police Chiefs Association, and
Jewish security organizations after the shooting outside the Capitol
Jewish Museum in the District of Columbia. We expressed our concerns
that the shooting had the potential to inspire other like-minded
violent extremists to mobilize to violent action against the Jewish
community, a term we refer to as a copycat. Our analysts quickly
observed wide-spread on-line praise of the shooter and the framing of
the attack as a justified act of revenge, and messages encouraging
others to replicate the attack.
Last week, after the fire-bombing attack in Boulder, SCN again
hosted a nationwide post-critical incident conference call with the
FBI, Major Cities Police Chiefs, Major County Sheriffs of America, the
National Fusion Center Association, and Jewish Security Directors. We
expressed our concern that this was the second targeted attack against
the Jewish/Israeli community in a little over a week. On-line rhetoric
again praised the attacker, further amplifying copycat concerns. Again,
our primary concern was that of copycats inspired by the latest act of
targeted violence against the Jewish-Israeli community.
Since October 7, SCN has produced and disseminated nearly 200
threat bulletins and intelligence situation reports and has coordinated
numerous national or regional briefings with law enforcement and Jewish
security leaders. These efforts have helped prevent attacks, mobilize
resources, and inform law enforcement. But the pace, scale, and
complexity of the current threat environment are not sustainable
without a robust and sustained Federal partnership.
SCN's analysts recognized shortly after the 10/7 attacks in Israel
that the Jewish and Israeli community in the United States faced a
rapidly-escalating threat from violent extremists inspired by the war
in Gaza. SCN recognized that help from DHS I&A in understanding,
assessing, and managing the complex threat actors that included Iran,
Foreign Terrorist Organizations, Homegrown Violent Extremists, and
Domestic Violent Extremists, all coalescing around a common vision of
terrorizing the Jewish and Israeli community, could significantly
improve the safety and security of the community.
On April 1, 2024, SCN requested senior I&A leadership develop a
Current Intelligence Operations Strategy focused specifically on
protecting the Jewish/Israeli community in the homeland in a post-10/7
threat environment. Little materialized from that request. DHS I&A is a
critical component of our domestic intelligence enterprise, we need I&A
to work closely with us to mitigate the threat we are discussing today.
The intelligence strategy we proposed over a year ago would have
specifically focused on protecting the Jewish community with the
development of an analytic cell that would have performed 6 analytic
functions:
1. Develop and communicate timely awareness from all available
sources of intelligence, those threats, foreign and domestic,
that could have an impact on Jewish-Israeli safety and security
in the homeland.
2. Rapidly assess those threats for domestic Jewish security
implications.
3. The timely communication of those threats to the appropriate
Federal, State, and local law enforcement, as well as Jewish
security organizations.
4. Based on threats, timely dissemination of products, bulletins,
or advisories should include collection emphasis messages to
ensure our Federal, State, and local law enforcement, as well
as Jewish security partners, are collecting against the
appropriate threats.
5. A renewed emphasis on Suspicious Activity Reporting and
collection directed to Federal, State, and local law
enforcement, recognizing the vulnerability of the Jewish
community.
The threat of targeted violence being faced by the Jewish-Israeli
community is complex and continues to evolve; this threat will likely
persist for at least the next decade. This threat facing the Jewish-
Israeli community involves nation-state adversaries (Iran), foreign
terrorist organizations, as well as violent extremists with mixed
ideologies, and requires a comprehensive all-of-government strategy.
The essential work being done by groups like SCN, the Center for
Internet Security (CIS), ADL, and several other Jewish communal
security organizations plays a crucial role in safeguarding Jewish
communities across North America, but we are filling a void left by the
Federal Government's lack of comprehensive focus on this rapidly-
emerging threat. Our key law enforcement partners, like the FBI, fusion
centers, and State and local law enforcement, are working hand-in-hand
with us to protect their Jewish communities, but we all lack a national
strategy. We need a clearly-defined and comprehensive national strategy
to protect the Jewish community from acts of targeted violence. That
strategy should be developed with input from Federal, State, and local
law enforcement as well as non-governmental agencies like SCN, CIS, the
ADL, and our Jewish security partners. Finally that strategy should be
managed by a task force comprised of the above representatives with the
specific focus of identifying and clarifying the threat regardless of
its origin, analyzing the threat for context in the Jewish community,
communicating the threat to law enforcement to law enforcement,
providing suggestions on protective actions to protect the community
based on intelligence, and coordinating strike teams across the country
to arrest individuals threatening the Jewish community with acts of
targeted violence.
I would respectfully suggest that this committee, with your focus
on intelligence and counterterrorism, and your demonstrated interest in
protecting the Jewish-Israeli community, would be well-positioned to
drive the development of a strategy and implementation of a task force
to protect the Jewish community.
Thank you.
Mr. Pfluger. Thank you, Mr. Sleeper.
I now recognize Mr. Segal for his opening statement.
STATEMENT OF OREN SEGAL, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF COUNTER-
EXTREMISM AND INTELLIGENCE, ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE
Mr. Segal. Chairman Pfluger, Ranking Member Magaziner, and
distinguished Members of the subcommittee, thank you for the
opportunity to testify today. My name is Oren Segal and I serve
as senior vice president of counterextremism and intelligence
at ADL.
My team works to track, expose, and disrupt extremism,
antisemitism, and hate every single day across the ideological
spectrum on-line and on the ground. I'm here today because the
Jewish community in this country is not just facing elevated
threat, but one of the most diverse and complex threat
landscapes in recent memory. We have experienced a surge in
violent antisemitic attacks included calculated mission-driven
violence.
In the past 12 months, ADL has documented 9 terror plots or
attacks in the United States motivated by antisemitism, more
than the previous 4 years and a half combined. Three weeks ago,
a young couple was murdered outside the capital Jewish museum
here in Washington, DC. The suspect who reportedly shouted,
``Free Palestine'' after the attack posted a manifesto
rejecting nonviolence.
Ten days ago in Boulder, an attacker also shouted, ``Free
Palestine'' at a peaceful vigil while attempting to burn his
victims alive with Molotov cocktails and a flamethrower. My
team also uncovered videos posted on Telegram recorded by the
suspect in Boulder before the attack in which he declared that
God is greater than the Zionists, greater than America.
Two months ago, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's home
was targeted by a fire bomb on the night of his Passover seder.
Each one of these horrific incidents was an attack on the
entire Jewish community.
As if that's not bad enough, these attacks have been
justified, celebrated, and normalized by groups operating on
American soil, as well as across digital platforms. They fuel
an environment where targeted attacks against the Jewish
community become increasingly likely.
While the grievances driving the violence are often framed
as opposition to Israel, they frequently include expressions
dehumanizing Jews and Zionists. They also include support for
terror groups. When Jews are blamed for the policies of the
State of Israel it's not only antisemitic. It is dangerous.
Let me be crystal clear. Criticism of Israel or its
policies is not antisemitism. Mere criticism does not factor
into our data. But when Jewish individuals and institutions are
targeted with protests, vandalism, harassment, and violence
that is classic antisemitism.
That type of hate has been a driving force behind the surge
of incidents we have documented in the United States,
especially since the October 7 massacre by Hamas. In 2024 ADL
documented over 9,000 antisemitic incidents of assault,
vandalism, and harassment, the highest number we have reported
in 45 years of tracking.
For the first time the majority of those incidents
referenced Israel or Zionism. On campuses and in cities around
the country, we've seen flags of terrorist organizations
alongside slogans calling for globalizing the Intifada or
bringing the war home.
On-line platforms like Telegram, among others, enable
foreign terrorist organizations to share and promote their
propaganda to thousands across the United States and around the
globe. Groups like Samidoun, Unity of Fields, and even some
Students for Justice in Palestine chapters have crossed a
dangerous line amplifying terrorist propaganda. Some of those
groups are even supported by fiscal sponsors with little
oversight.
The time to act is now and Congress should take the
following 5 steps.
Increase funding for the nonprofit security grant program
to protect at-risk houses of worship, schools, and community
centers.
Invest in community-based violence prevention, such as
DHS's CP3.
Empower the interagency task force to combat antisemitism,
ensuring it has a mandate and resources to coordinate across
Federal agencies.
Pass the Antisemitism Awareness Act and the Holocaust
Education and Antisemitism Lessons Act to strengthen the
accountability in our education system.
Finally, address hate on our digital platforms by enforcing
transparency and cracking down on violations of material
support laws.
Despite years of warnings and mounting data, antisemitism
and the violence that it animates continues to be dismissed,
minimized, and politicized. Too many families are asking the
ADL is it safe to be Jewish in public?
While Jewish communities are strong and resilient, they
cannot be expected to bear this burden alone. We need leaders
to condemn antisemitism without hesitation. The Federal
Government has the tools and the responsibility to act. Thank
you and I look forward to your questions.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Segal follows:]
Prepared Statement of Oren Segal
introduction
For more than a century, ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) has
worked to combat antisemitism and hate in all forms. Today, ADL is a
global leader in fighting antisemitism, exposing extremism, delivering
anti-bias education and monitoring and fighting the spread of hate in
our communities and on-line.
On October 7, 2023, the terrorist group Hamas committed mass
atrocities against thousands of people in Israel, including murder,
torture, dismemberment, and rape. Hundreds were kidnapped and 56 remain
hostages in Gaza to this day. In the wake of this massacre--the
deadliest day for the Jewish community since the Holocaust--
antisemitism has surged around the world, in our communities, on
college and university campuses. ADL is devoted to countering these
trends.
The ADL's Center on Extremism (``COE'') is tracking and monitoring
the latest trends and reactions from extremist groups and movements--
from groups that are glorifying terrorism as a legitimate form of
resistance to the white supremacists and others who celebrated Hamas's
attack on Israel and threatened further violence.
COE often provides critical intelligence to law enforcement,
helping them prevent and respond to hate crimes and antisemitic
incidents, identify emerging threats and disrupt extremist violence.
Last week, ADL reached out to law enforcement after our researchers
discovered that a pro-terror Telegram channel was sharing multiple
videos purportedly recorded by Mohamed Soliman, the firebombing suspect
in the Boulder, Colorado attack, in which he affirmed his motivations
for his alleged assault. This intelligence provided a valuable lead for
investigators as posts in the Telegram channel claimed to have received
the videos ``from a private source close to the hero.''
Since January 2024, COE's Threat Monitoring Unit has reviewed
hundreds of thousands of on-line threats. These reviews and other
investigative efforts generated hundreds of law enforcement alerts that
were distributed to law enforcement and that were not only followed by
at least 9 arrests, but other forms of disruptions including gun
seizures and mental health holds. While the decisions to take these
actions are law enforcement's alone, we believe the information ADL
provided assisted them in this process.
In addition, the ADL's Center for Technology and Society (``CTS'')
is conducting on-going research and pushing on-line platforms to ensure
they are resourcing their trust and safety efforts to meet the moment.
ADL's Education team is publishing resources for students,
teachers, parents, and families regarding antisemitism and the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict. ADL's International Affairs team is working with
Jewish communities across the globe to document and combat the spike of
antisemitism being experienced worldwide. Our National Affairs team is
helping to drive key policy solutions on campus, in the halls of
Congress, and with the Executive branch, in close coordination with our
partners.
current trends
Antisemitism In The United States
We are witnessing a deeply alarming and unacceptable rise in
violent antisemitic attacks across the United States--acts of violence
that are increasingly inspired, justified, and celebrated by extreme
anti-Israel groups operating on American soil.
The tragic events in Washington, DC and Boulder, Colorado are not
isolated. They are part of a disturbing pattern: individuals
radicalized by extreme rhetoric--including on-line--who then act on
those views with deadly intent. The targeting of Jewish institutions,
individuals, and communities is escalating. In the last year alone, ADL
tracked more violent plots and attacks against Jews in the United
States than the previous 4\1/2\ years combined.
This rising tide of antisemitism--often couched in anti-Zionist
language and amplified through social media--is a direct threat to
Jewish Americans and a growing concern for our national security.
Since 1979, ADL has compiled an annual Audit of Antisemitic
Incidents (``the Audit'') that includes both criminal and non-criminal
acts of harassment and intimidation, including distribution of hate
propaganda, threats, and slurs, as well as acts of vandalism and
assault.
In 2024, ADL tabulated 9,354 antisemitic incidents. This is the
highest number on record since ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents
45 years ago. It also represents a 5 percent increase from the previous
year, a 344 percent increase over the past 5 years, and an almost 900
percent increase over the past decade.
For the first time in the history of the Audit, a majority (58
percent) of all incidents contained elements related to Israel or
Zionism in 2024. Many of these incidents took place at anti-Israel
rallies, where protesters' messaging crossed the line into
antisemitism: glorifying antisemitic violence, supporting designated
terrorist organizations like Hamas, and calling for the annihilation of
Israel. Out of more than 5,000 anti-Israel protests tracked by ADL,
2,596 involved antisemitic elements or incidents in the form of chants,
signs, or speeches. The remaining protests--for which we could not
confirm if they contained documented expressions of antisemitism--were
not included in the Audit.
Antisemitic incidents at colleges and universities were up 84
percent last year--a particularly steep rise. These made up nearly 1 in
5 cases nationwide, with around 1,700 incidents. Campus antisemitism
extended far beyond the highly-publicized protests, with Jewish
students and faculty experiencing direct verbal harassment, targeted
vandalism, and even physical violence.
While incidents decreased slightly (-14 percent) at Jewish
institutions, they remained elevated compared to pre-October 7, 2023
levels (189 percent higher in 2024 than in 2022). Jewish organizations,
particularly synagogues, were targeted with hundreds of bomb threats.
Congregants were harassed and even assaulted while at or in the
vicinity of Jewish institutions, and some anti-Israel groups escalated
their tactics, protesting Jewish religious and cultural institutions on
dozens of occasions.
Criticism of Israel or its policies is not antisemitism. Mere
criticism does not factor into our data. But when Jewish individuals
and institutions are blamed for Israeli policy--and targeted with
protests, vandalism, harassment, or violence--that is classic
antisemitism. Glorifying Hamas terrorists, calling for the eradication
of Israel, or targeting Jewish individuals and institutions under the
guise of anti-Zionism--that is antisemitism.
Recent Violence
A June 5, 2025 DHS, FBI, DOJ, NCTC Joint Intelligence Bulletin
announced a continuing threat to Israeli and Jewish institutions and
their supporters and advised security partners to remain vigilant for
threats.
Since January 2020, COE has documented 16 terrorist plots or
attacks targeting Jews, Zionists, or Jewish institutions in the United
States. Notably, 9 of those incidents occurred within just the past
year (July 2024 to June 2025), marking a sharp increase compared to the
7 incidents recorded over the previous 54 months (January 2020 to June
2024).
The Jewish community has experienced a surge of antisemitic
violence in recent weeks. The 3 attacks that occurred in the past 2
months--including 2 less than 2 weeks apart--are part of a concerning
trend of violent anti-Israel and anti-Zionist rhetoric becoming violent
action.
On April 13, 2025, Cody Balmer allegedly broke into Pennsylvania
Governor Josh Shapiro's residence in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and set
multiple fires. He then called 9-1-1, referred to Shapiro as a
``monster'' and blamed him for Palestinian deaths in the Israel-Hamas
war.
On May 21, 2025, Israeli Embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and
Sarah Milgrim were shot and killed as they were leaving an AJC
(American Jewish Committee) Young Diplomats event at the Capital Jewish
Museum in Washington, DC. As suspect Elias Rodriguez was taken into
custody, he shouted, ``Free, free Palestine.'' In the immediate
aftermath of the shooting, the COE researchers connected Rodriguez,
with a high degree of certainty, to an X account and an apparent
manifesto which outlined the reasons for the attack.
The X posts and the text of Rodriguez's alleged manifesto--which
was shared under the heading ``Escalate For Gaza, Bring The War Home,''
slogans commonly used by anti-Israel activists, particularly in more
extreme, militant spaces--reflect an apparent trajectory of
radicalization since Hamas's October 7, 2023 terror attack on Israel.
Extreme anti-Israel sentiments shared on X over the past 20 months
include content praising U.S.-designated terror organizations and their
leaders, declaring ``Death To Israel,'' and calling a Jewish individual
a ``zionazi [sic].''
In the manifesto posted on the X account on the night of the
shooting, the author stated that non-violent protests against Israel's
actions in Gaza have been insufficient and included a section about
``the morality of armed demonstration,'' concluding that in 2025, armed
action seems like ``the only sane thing to do'' to protest Israel.
Less than 2 weeks after the D.C. shooting, on June 1, 2025 in
Boulder, Colorado, there was a targeted attack on a ``Run for Their
Lives'' event--a weekly gathering organized by the local Jewish
community to raise awareness for the remaining hostages held in Gaza by
Hamas. Suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman allegedly used a makeshift
flamethrower and Molotov cocktails to injure at least 15 people.
Soliman indicated his motive for the attack in comments made at the
scene and in subsequent interviews with law enforcement, including
yelling ``Free Palestine'' during the attack and later stating ``We
have to end Zionists.'' He also said he wanted to ``kill all Zionist
people and wished they were all dead.'' Soliman told law enforcement
that he intentionally targeted the ``Zionist Group'' and had been
planning the attack for a year. He also stated that he previously tried
to purchase a gun, but resorted to the firebombs because he was
prevented from buying a firearm due to his immigration status in the
United States.
Increasingly since Hamas's antisemitic October 7 attack, the word
``Zionist''--someone who believes in the Jewish people's right to self-
determination--has come to be used as a slur among anti-Israel
activists, commentators, and antisemites across the political spectrum,
and as a codeword for a Jewish or Israeli person (or anyone deemed
supportive) often with dehumanizing comparisons or calls for harm. This
language can be used to obscure antisemitic actions and rhetoric: the
vast majority of Jews around the world feel a connection to Israel, so
attempts to disparage or target ``Zionists'' are, in practice,
targeting Jews. Rodriguez's and Soliman's violent actions show where
this harmful rhetoric can lead.
Other terrorist plots and attacks targeting Jews, Zionists, or
Jewish institutions since 2022 include:
December 28, 2024. Gainesville, Florida.--The FBI arrested Forrest
Pemberton of Gainesville, Florida and subsequently charged him in a
plot to travel to the south Florida offices of the American Israel
Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a pro-Israel advocacy group, with the
intent of harming people there, possibly in a suicide attack.
December 17, 2024. Fairfax, Virginia.--FBI agents arrested an
Egyptian citizen and George Mason University student, Abdullah Ezzeldin
Taha Mohamed Hassan, and charged him with plotting to perpetrate a mass
casualty attack at the Israeli consulate in New York City.
October 26, 2024, Chicago, Illinois.--Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi
allegedly shot a Jewish man walking to his synagogue and then opened
fire on responding police and paramedics. Local authorities later filed
felony hate crime and terrorism charges against Abdallahi, saying that
evidence from his phone indicated that the suspect planned the shooting
and intentionally sought to target Jews. Abdallahi was found dead of
apparent suicide in his jail cell in November 2024.
September 4, 2024, New York, New York.--As part of a two-country
investigation, Canadian authorities arrested a Pakistani citizen,
Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, while he was trying to cross the border into the
United States, allegedly as part of a planned mass shooting against a
Jewish target in New York to support ISIS.
August 14, 2024, Orlando, Florida.--Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, a
Jordanian citizen, was arrested in August 2024, on suspicion that he
sought to target businesses that he believed were supportive of Israel.
Hnaihen pled guilty on December 20, 2024, to 4 counts of threatening to
use explosives and one count of destruction of an energy facility.
July 16, 2024, New York, New York.--Federal authorities charged
Michail Chkhikvishvili, a citizen of the Nation of Georgia, with
soliciting hate crimes and mass violence. According to authorities,
Chkhikvishvili attempted to recruit others to poison Jewish children
and commit a mass casualty attack in New York City. He also allegedly
encouraged bombings, arson, and poisonings against Jews, racial
minorities, and homeless people.
November 29, 2023, Las Vegas.--Police officers arrested a 17-year-
old Las Vegas resident on incendiary device and terrorism charges after
the teenager allegedly announced to an on-line group of ISIS supporters
that he was about to begin ``lone wolf operations'' in Las Vegas
against ``the enemies of Allah,'' promising to ``make sure the zionists
[sic]'' would know he was a supporter of the Islamic State. A search of
his home reportedly discovered explosive components, bomb-making
manuals and evidence suggesting he was considering different attacks
and targets.
November 18, 2022. New York, New York.--Authorities arrested white
supremacist Christopher Brown and, in November 2024, he pleaded guilty
and was sentenced to 10 years in State prison for possessing a firearm
as part of a plan to ``shoot up'' a Manhattan synagogue. His
accomplice, Matthew Mahrer, was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for
helping Brown procure and hide the firearm.
June 17, 2022. Struthers, Ohio.--Alerted by the FBI, police in
Struthers, Ohio, arrested a teenager livestreaming a video in which he
allegedly announced he was going to kill his father and take his van,
then shoot at Black people before conducting a mass shooting at a
synagogue. Police allegedly found 2 handguns that had racist and
antisemitic symbols and messages on them, as well as a document
variously described as a journal and a manifesto. The teen admitted to
police that he was a white supremacist. He has been charged with
terrorist threats, domestic violence, inducing panic and threatening
violence, and possessing criminal tools.
June 10, 2022. Brookhaven, New York.--Authorities arrested Matthew
Belanger in Long Island, New York, on weapons charges. Prosecutors say
Belanger was a white supremacist who, while a Marine, plotted to attack
a synagogue in New York, as well as to engage in homicide and sexual
assault--he allegedly planned to rape white women to increase the
number of white children. Belanger was allegedly a member of the
accelerationist white supremacist group Rapekrieg.
January 15, 2022. Colleyville, Texas.--British citizen Malik Faisal
Akram took 4 people hostage at Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in
Colleyville, Texas, claiming to have weapons and bombs. He subsequently
demanded that suspected al-Qaeda courier Aafia Siddiqui be released
from the nearby Federal prison where she was being held. After a day-
long ordeal, the hostages were able to escape the building, and Akram
was killed by law enforcement. Akram apparently chose the location
because, he claimed, ``America only cares about Jewish lives.''
Antisemitism On-Line
Violent rhetoric on-line has turned into violent action in our
streets. The attacks on the Jewish community in Washington, DC and
Boulder, Colorado, have in turn been celebrated on-line and even used
to encourage further violence.
Following both the D.C. and Boulder attacks, numerous anti-Zionist
groups and influencers glorified the suspects and justified their
violent actions. Other antisemites and extremists also seized the
opportunity to promote antisemitic and conspiratorial reactions.
Prominent groups and leaders who condemned the attacks were met with
significant criticism or mockery from large segments of the anti-
Zionist movement.
Additionally, data collected by COE suggests that people react to
these violent physical world attacks by engaging in on-line
antisemitism. In the 7 days following the D.C. attack, ADL documented a
344 percent surge in the number of daily antisemitic threats on
Telegram. These responses followed a predictable pattern, as COE
research has previously shown that acts of violence against Jews and
Israelis, such as Hamas's October 7 attack, can lead to noticeable
upticks in violent antisemitic discourse and threats on Telegram.
D.C. shooting suspect Elias Rodriguez was cheered by various
extreme anti-Zionist groups, such as the New York-based Bronx Anti-War
Coalition, which wrote on X, ``What Elias Rodriguez did is the highest
expression of anti-Zionism,'' and added on Telegram, ``We need more
Elias Rodriguez in the world.'' MontCo for Palestine, a Pennsylvania-
based anti-Israel group that has a history of pro-terror rhetoric,
posted a similarly supportive statement on Instagram that read, in
part: ``The question is not whether violence against the architects of
this horror is justified. The question, searing and inescapable, is why
there hasn't been more of it.'' United Liberation Front for Palestine,
a California-based, far-left anti-Zionist group, shared a post about
the shooting on its Instagram account and added the caption, ``MAY ALL
ZIONISTS BURN.''
Rodriguez's alleged manifesto was turned into a printable,
distributable zine by multiple anti-Zionist groups. One such example
was created and shared by Unity of Fields, a far-left anti-Zionist
network that supports the targeting of ``Zionist'' individuals and
institutions, which reproduced Rodriguez's words in a zine that also
included prominent imagery of a gun. The group also made printable
stickers depicting Rodriguez and the slogan, ``Courage is contagious,''
a call for further violence. In a series of posts online, Unity of
Fields repeatedly affirmed its support for Rodriguez.
Familiar responses followed the Boulder firebombing, with many
anti-Zionists justifying suspect Mohamed Soliman's alleged actions and
downplaying the antisemitic violence. Language equating the victims
with ``Nazis'' and the hostage awareness event with a ``Nazi rally''
was shared by various users, a common rhetorical tactic among anti-
Zionist activists that was also widespread after the D.C. shooting.
As with the D.C. shooting, right-wing extremists and other
conspiracy theorists again seized on the Boulder violence to promote
their own antisemitic beliefs. Many claimed that both attacks were a
``false flag'' or a ``Jew hoax'' intended to make Jews and Israel look
sympathetic, tighten relations between Israel and the United States,
rationalize going to war with Iran, or justify measures cracking down
on antisemitic hate speech or dissent regarding the Israel-Hamas war.
Arabic-language accounts have also shared positive commentary about
the recent violence, particularly the Boulder attack. Videos allegedly
recorded by Soliman shortly before the Boulder attack began circulating
as antisemitic pro-terror propaganda on Telegram the day after the
firebombing. The videos were shared in the antisemitic, Arabic-language
and pro-terror Telegram channel, Taufan al-Ummah--a channel whose name
translates to ``Flood of the Ummah,'' a reference to the Al-Aqsa Flood,
Hamas's name for its October 7, 2023 terror attack on Israel.
The channel, which has 30,000 followers, encourages violence in the
name of the destruction of Israel, including praising Elias Rodriguez
and lauding Hamas operations both in the West Bank and against civilian
targets within Israel. On June 2, 2025, moderators of the channel
shared the 2 videos allegedly recorded by Soliman in the ``last moments
before carrying out the attack on the Zionist dogs in America,'' an
apparent reference to his attack in Boulder. They claim to have
received the videos ``from a private source close to the hero.''
Beyond D.C. and Boulder, antisemitism driven by extreme anti-
Zionist sentiment has proliferated on-line since October 7 across
platforms. Influential accounts and channels play a significant role in
disseminating extreme antisemitic and conspiratorial content. One such
example is Resistance News Network (RNN), a radical antisemitic, anti-
Zionist English-language Telegram channel that shares violent content
of attacks on Israelis and provides English translations of communiques
and propaganda from U.S.-designated terror groups. RNN content is often
shared by anti-Israel groups, including influential groups like
Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Unity of Fields (UoF).
Bias in digital spaces
It is no question that digital spaces--AI learning models, social
media, video games and their adjacent platforms--are contributing to
the surge in antisemitism, allowing it to spread and become normalized.
Meta just this year decided to limit its proactive enforcement against
hate speech. ADL research has also found that Large Language Models, or
LLMs, show signs of anti-Israel and antisemitic biases.
Wikipedia.--Wikipedia has inadequate enforcement tools and policies
to prevent antisemitic bias. ADL examined how 30 volunteer editors have
been able to insert anti-Israel and antisemitic bias into pages on
contested topics. Wikipedia is an important tool for web searches and
training AI models, making antisemitic bias in its contested topics a
critical issue that warrants policymaker attention.
Large Language Models (LLMS).--Many major LLMs show signs of
antisemitic and anti-Israel bias in their responses. ADL tested
products from Google, Meta, Anthropic, and OpenAI; all showed that they
have a long way to go before they can be a trusted resource for users
on these topics. For example, the question that Meta's Llama LLM
performed most egregiously on was whether or not it agreed with the
great replacement conspiracy theory. With LLMs poised to play an
important role in both our economy and our educational systems, these
companies need to take responsibility and do better. Companies need to
formulate more effective standards, make those standards public, and
hold themselves and the industry accountable.
Trust and Safety Features.--In January 2025, Meta decided to loosen
content restrictions on its platforms (Instagram, Threads, Facebook,
WhatsApp), thus allowing hate and antisemitism to flourish with little
to no consequence. ADL researchers showed that when Meta rolled back
its automated removal of hate speech, antisemitic comments on the
Facebook posts of Jewish Members of Congress soared. Similarly, X has
shown lax enforcement. ADL researchers identified a manifesto that can
be attributed with a high degree of certainty to Elias Rodriguez still
available on the platform on June 6, more than 2 weeks after the D.C.
attack.
In another alarming trend, Meta is not hiding that they are taking
action on less ``violent and incitement content.'' Meta's data shows
that they acted on 8.7 million pieces of ``violent or incitement''
content from January to March 2024 and only 3.4 million pieces of
content in the same category January-March 2025. In a time where both
on-line and off-line antisemitism are surging, intentionally allowing
more violent content on platforms would be deeply troubling.
Extremism in On-line Gaming.--Antisemitism and extremism in digital
spaces--such as on-line video games--is experienced by millions of
Americans. ADL researchers found that when people playing video games
publicly identified themselves as a member of a marginalized group,
they experienced far more hate. On-line video game companies should be
held to the same--or higher standards--than ``legacy'' social media
companies that receive far more attention from policy makers.
Governments have an important role in reducing on-line
antisemitism, hate, harassment, and extremism, which have become all
too commonplace. The proliferation of on-line hate has resulted in the
normalization of this abusive behavior and the degradation of our
democracy and public safety, including through the suppression and
silencing of diverse voices and the glorification of hateful rhetoric
and violent extremist acts. Crucially, on-line antisemitism, hate,
harassment, and extremism may incite off-line violence, including
copycat acts of domestic terrorism.
Threats From Foreign and Domestic Actors
Domestic Extremism and Terrorism
In addition to the 9 terrorist plots and attacks over the past
year, antisemitic and anti-Zionist actors have been arrested for a
range of incidents and hate crimes, including assault, possession of
illegal weapons and destructive devices, plots to harm other
marginalized communities, solicitation of murder, and destruction of
energy facilities.
May 7, 2025, New York, New York.--Prosecutors indicted Tarek
Bazrouk for allegedly assaulting Jewish Americans multiple times in New
York during pro-Israel rallies. According to law enforcement,
``Bazrouk's phone was also littered with pro-Hamas and pro-Hezbollah
propaganda, showing his support for organizations that have murdered
thousands of Jews and Israelis.''
April 23, 2025, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.--A Federal grand jury
returned a superseding indictment against 3 Pittsburgh residents,
Mohamad Hamad, Tayla Lubit, and Micaiah Collins, on charges of
conspiracy, defacing and damaging religious property (Chabad of
Squirrel Hill) in July 2024, and making false statements. The
indictment alleges that during this same period, Hamad and Collins
manufactured and possessed destructive devices.
March 10, 2025, Brentwood, California.--Noah Kanaye Bauer was
arrested in September 2024 after allegedly bringing a 3D-printed pistol
to a grocery store and charged federally in March 2025 for allegedly
possessing a machine gun conversion device. A judge ordered him held
without bail after prosecutors cited his on-line history of
antisemitic, racist, and extremist content, including Chat-GPT
inquiries about Jews, guns, and past mass attackers. He reportedly
expressed antisemitic beliefs during police interviews, stating that
Jews control American politics, own the porn industry, and are ``kind-
of ruining the country.''
January 27, 2025, Crescent, Pennsylvania.--According to a press
release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Aiden Andrew Harding was
indicted by a Federal grand jury on a charge of possession of material
depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor. During a February
detention hearing, evidence was introduced demonstrating that Harding
had antisemitic and violent extremist ideologies and had posted on-line
about his interest in ``political and revenge-driven'' mass casualty
events, like the attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.
January 4, 2025, Beverly Massachusetts.--Matthew Scouras, who
allegedly had an illegal cache of guns and a Nazi flag in his home, was
arrested after posting on-line threats to rape Jewish women and
inciting others to shoot people outside of synagogues. He has been
charged with multiple firearm charges and threats to destroy a place of
worship.
December 18, 2024, Stewart County, Tennessee.--The FBI arrested
Gunner Joseph Fisher for plotting a mass murder at a Nashville mosque.
Fisher, who reportedly admired other mass shooters with white
supremacist Brenton Tarrant being his favorite, was charged with
communicating a threat to commit mass violence. According to the
criminal complaint, the FBI discovered a video on Fisher's phone
showing him railing and using slurs against Jews and Muslims and quotes
him as saying, ``And I, Gunner Joseph Fisher, am going to take care of
them both.''
December 7, 2024, Laguna Beach, California.--Nicholas Tasooji was
arrested for assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly ramming his
car into an Israeli man in front of a nightclub. Tasooji and other
assailants were allegedly involved in an argument with the victim and
his friends. One of the assailants reportedly yelled slurs and
attempted to block the victim and his friends from entering a taxi.
Tasooji then allegedly entered his car and rammed the victim with it,
causing serious injury.
November 5, 2024, Washington, DC.--Austin Martin Olson, of
Westland, Michigan, was arrested after he allegedly walked into the
U.S. Capitol with a flare gun, torch lighter, bottles of fuel and a
letter he said he intended to deliver to the U.S. Congress. Olson was
apprehended while trying to go through the visitor center screening
process, after Capitol Police noticed he smelled like fuel and spotted
suspicious items in the X-ray machine. He has been charged with
possession of a prohibited weapon, unlawful activities, and disorderly
conduct. ADL analysts found that Olson had an on-line history that
included a range of antisemitic, anti-Israel, and anti-Government
views.
October 31, 2024, Margate, Florida.--John Lapinski was arrested on
Federal charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and
possessing an unregistered gun suppressor. Police responding to a
report of shots fired found firearms and spent shell casings. With a
judge's approval, a search of the home found multiple firearms, body
armor, smoke grenades, suspected silencers, and a clipboard containing
a list of ``targets'' including a synagogue, a Jewish cemetery, and a
Jewish sandwich shop. Lapinski pleaded guilty on April 23, 2025 to
weapons-related charges, including possession of a firearm by a
convicted felon.
September 9, 2024, Elk Grove, California.--Federal authorities
indicted 2 leaders of the on-line white supremacist group known as the
Terrorgram Collective on numerous charges, including solicitation of
murder of a Federal official, solicitation of a hate crime and
conspiracy to provide material support for terrorism. Arrested were
Dallas Erin Humber and Matthew Robert Allison. Terrorgram publications
frequently demonize Jews and other marginalized communities and glorify
violence committed against these communities. The collective's
propaganda included a list of ``high-value targets'' for assassination,
many of whom are Jewish.
August 29, 2024, Yonkers, New York.--Ahmed Al Jabali was arrested
for allegedly stabbing a Jewish man at his barber shop in Yonkers.
According to the victim, Al Jabali shouted, ``I want to kill you, you
[expletive] Jew,'' then stabbed the barber with a pair of scissors
several times. Al Jabali allegedly shouted several more antisemitic and
anti-Israel comments during the attack. He was charged with attempted
murder as a hate crime. On May 29, 2025, Al Jabali pled guilty to
second-degree assault as a hate crime and was sentenced to 6 years in
prison and 3 years of supervised release.
August 10, 2024, Brooklyn, New York.--Vincent Sumpter allegedly
carried out a stabbing attack in front of the headquarters of the
Chabad-Lubavich movement in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn.
Sumpter allegedly yelled, ``Free Palestine'' and ``Do you want to
die?'' at the victim, a member of the Orthodox Jewish community, before
stabbing him in the chest. Sumpter was charged with second-degree
assault as a hate crime.
July 10, 2024, Newark, New Jersey.--Federal agents arrested Andrew
Takhistov at Newark Liberty International Airport, charging him with
soliciting the destruction of energy facilities. He reportedly said
that his ``ultimate dream'' was to use a rocket to attack a synagogue.
June 11, 2024, Prescott, Arizona.--Mark Adams Prieto was indicted
on Federal firearms charges in connection with an alleged plot to
conduct a mass shooting against Black people at a rap concert to incite
a race war before the 2024 Presidential election. Prieto also allegedly
discussed other targets, such as Jews or Muslims.
May 29, 2024, Brooklyn, New York.--Asghar Ali was arrested after
allegedly attempting to ram several Orthodox Jewish men with his car by
a yeshiva in the Canarsie neighborhood. Ali reportedly shouted
antisemitic slurs during the attack. He was charged with 10 crimes,
including attempted murder as a hate crime.
Terrorist Symbols and Support for Terror Groups at Anti-
Israel Demonstrations
Activity at or surrounding anti-Israel protests frequently crosses
the line into antisemitism through a number of concerning expressions.
Protesters have consistently displayed justification or
glorification of antisemitic violence, including framing terror attacks
against Israel and the Jewish community as justified ``resistance.''
Many openly express support for U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist
Organizations (FTOs)--including Hamas, Hezbollah, Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and the
Houthis--by cheering on their actions in speeches, glorifying them on
signs held at protests, and waving flags or wearing headbands featuring
their logos.
These pro-terror expressions are not limited to a few individuals
on the sidelines of rallies. Rather, in numerous cities and towns
across the country, references to these terrorist groups and their
violent actions have been proudly embraced and amplified.
Protesters have celebrated the anniversary of Hamas's antisemitic
October 7, 2023 terror attack on Israel and glorified the terrorist
group leaders who masterminded the attack. Protesters have frequently
used imagery that implies support for terror, including the inverted
red triangle, a symbol popularized by Hamas to mark targets, or images
of paraglider, a reference to Hamas's use of paragliders to infiltrate
Israel during its October 7, 2023 attack.
Anti-Israel protesters often glorify and celebrate notorious
individual terrorists, both on-line and on the ground since the October
7 attack. These expressions are particularly visible following the
assassinations of major terror figures, such as Hamas leader Yahya
Sinwar in October 2024, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in September
2024, and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in July 2024. Other notorious
terrorists often venerated by anti-Israel protesters include Abu
Obaida, spokesperson for Hamas's military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-
Qassam Brigades, and Leila Khaled, a longtime active PFLP leader who is
well-known for her role in the hijacking of 2 civilian airliners in
1969 and 1970.
Many protests feature rhetoric widely interpreted as a call to
destroy Israel through slogans like ``Death to Israel'' or ``From the
river to the sea, Palestine will be free,'' alongside rhetoric
explicitly marginalizing Jews with a connection to Israel, such as,
``We don't want no Zionists here.'' Classic antisemitic tropes are also
often seen at anti-Israel protests. These include imagery referencing
blood libel, conspiracy theories about ``Zionist media'' manipulation
and equating swastikas with Stars of David--a direct attack on Jewish
religious symbols.
Anti-Israel Groups
There are numerous anti-Israel groups in the United States that
espouse a range of views that stretch beyond legitimate political
criticism of the State of Israel and cross into antisemitism. Prominent
groups include Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the Party
for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), which in 2024 were the 2 most
active organizers or co-sponsors of anti-Israel protests where
antisemitic incidents occurred based on ADL's 2024 Audit of Antisemitic
Incidents.
Other notable anti-Zionist groups who frequently organize protests
at which antisemitic incidents occurred include Jewish Voice for Peace
(JVP), the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), the Democratic Socialists
of America (DSA), Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), American
Muslims for Palestine (AMP), the ANSWER Coalition, the US Palestinian
Community Network (USPCN) and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization
(FRSO).
There are also a number of particularly radical, localized groups
that consistently advocate for anti-Israel activists to escalate their
tactics, including by engaging in violence, vandalism, and other so-
called ``direct actions.'' These groups include Within Our Lifetime
(WOL), Unity of Fields (UoF), Bronx Anti-War Coalition and others.
Although the membership or physical footprint of these groups is not as
large as some of the other organizations in the anti-Israel movement,
they have an outsized influence when it comes to disseminating extreme
rhetoric, including content that is shared on-line and directly impacts
strategies used on the ground.
Below is a brief overview of some of the most notable anti-Israel
groups in the United States:
Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) is the most prominent and
active anti-Israel and anti-Zionist student group on college campuses
in the United States, consisting of some 275 chapters across the
country. SJP has been a central organizing node for anti-Israel rallies
both on and off campus--including the wide-spread student encampment
trend in 2024, which saw a surge in antisemitic incidents and sentiment
on campuses and extreme demands to dismantle or severely limit
essential Jewish communal and academic infrastructure at universities.
SJP chapters have also been proponents of ``escalation'' tactics
like occupying buildings, engaging in vandalism, disrupting operations,
blocking access to public spaces, among other such actions. In their
published materials and social media posts, SJP has encouraged ``not
just slogans and rallies, but armed confrontation with oppressors'' in
Israel. Some chapters have explicitly endorsed violence and attacks on
civilians. The group has also called for chapters to bring this
resistance to the United States by ``dismantling Zionism'' on its
campuses and ``challenging Zionist hegemony.''
Although many SJP chapters state that they reject antisemitism,
they regularly demonize Jewish students who identify as Zionists,
despite that a connection to the State of Israel is an important part
of many Jews' religious or cultural identities. SJP's insistence that
one cannot be a good Jew while still being a Zionist is a blatant
effort to constrain the Jewish identities of their fellow students and
can turn campuses into hostile places for Jewish students. These groups
make no distinction between criticism of Israeli government policies
and the very existence of the State of Israel.
National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) and some
individual SJP chapters have hailed and defended Hamas's October 7
attack. Many chapters have shared explicit pro-Hamas or other FTO
rhetoric on social media, including through the promotion of FTO
statements and images featuring members of FTOs, at times with weapons.
SJP has encouraged ``not just slogans and rallies, but armed
confrontation with oppressors'' in Israel. Some chapters have
explicitly endorsed violence and attacks on civilians. The group has
also called for chapters to bring this resistance to the United States
by ``dismantling Zionism'' on its campuses and ``challenging Zionist
hegemony.''
The Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) is an anti-capitalist
socialist party in the United States that was established in 2004 when
its members splintered from the Workers World Party. PSL advocates for
socialism to replace capitalism and incorporates extreme anti-Zionism
as a core part of its organizing platform. PSL has dozens of affiliated
chapters nationwide and regularly collaborates with leading
organizations in the United States anti-Israel movement. Its activities
include organizing protests and nominating candidates for local and
Federal elections.
PSL frequently expresses extreme anti-Zionist and pro-terror views.
In the first 18 months after Hamas's October 7, 2023, terror attack on
Israel, for example, PSL sponsored or co-sponsored over 1,700 anti-
Israel rallies around the United States; the majority of these rallies
featured antisemitic rhetoric, including expressions of support for
Hamas's attack, belligerent calls to ``smash Zionism,'' paraphernalia
of U.S.-designated terror groups and more.
Washington, DC, shooting suspect Elias Rodriguez was previously
affiliated with PSL, as well as its frequent collaborator, ANSWER
Coalition, and participated in multiple PSL and ANSWER protests in
Chicago from late 2017 through early 2018. After the shooting and
Rodriguez's past affiliation came to light, PSL attempted to distance
itself from Rodriguez.
Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) is an anti-Zionist activist
organization with chapters across the United States and Canada. PYM
frequently organizes protests and other events, often in partnership
with groups like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Jewish
Voice for Peace (JVP). PYM consistently promotes extreme antisemitic
rhetoric online and on the ground, including expressing support for
U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).
PYM frequently engages in inflammatory rhetoric about Zionism,
including calls to stigmatize and ban Zionists from community spaces.
PYM often uses slogans and imagery which both demonize Zionism and
Zionists and bring to mind classic antisemitic tropes. For example, a
PYM banner frequently seen at Washington, DC-area rallies after the
October 7 massacre reads, ``Zionism is fascism, Colonizers out of DC,''
with imagery of a fist holding a snake's tongue. Similar snake imagery
is also frequently used on PYM posters and banners nationwide alongside
the slogan, ``Unity in confronting Zionism.'' To mark the anniversary
of Hamas's October 7 attack, PYM shared created graphics depicting
scenes from the attack, including of a Palestinian man standing atop an
Israeli military vehicle after Hamas broke through the border fence,
that were widely disseminated throughout the anti-Israel movement
nationwide.
Within Our Lifetime--United for Palestine (WOL) is a New York-
based, radical anti-Israel organization founded in 2015 that routinely
expresses support for violence against Israel and calls for the
abolition of Zionism. Since Hamas's October 7 attack, WOL and its co-
founder and leader Nerdeen Kiswani have continued to share extreme
anti-Zionist and antisemitic positions on social media and at anti-
Israel protests as well as in webinars and reports.
Some of the most heinous antisemitic rhetoric and incidents seen in
New York City since October 7 have been perpetrated by WOL supporters
and members, including vociferously demanding the expulsion of Zionists
from New York society. Since October 7, WOL has hosted or co-sponsored
dozens of anti-Israel rallies many of which included explicit support
for violence against Israeli civilians by U.S.-designated Foreign
Terrorist Organizations and affiliated individuals. WOL also expressed
enthusiastic support for Iran's unprecedented April 13, 2024, drone-
and-missile attack on Israel.
Unity of Fields (UoF), formerly Palestine Action U.S., is a radical
far-left, anti-Zionist ``direct action network'' that engages in calls
for violence against those it considers supportive of Israel or
Zionism, or ``complicit'' in Israel's alleged actions, and promotes
aggressive, targeted protests and the defacement of property belonging
to Jewish and non-Jewish organizations and individuals. It has claimed
``direct actions'' of vandalism and disruption to U.S. sites belonging
to a leading Israeli weapons maker and has endorsed and publicized such
acts against Jewish targets like a synagogue and businesses owned by
Jews.
Unity of Fields openly celebrates the October 7, 2023, massacre and
other terror attacks against Israelis and is explicitly supportive of
terror organizations and terror group leaders. The group also supports
violence committed against ``Zionists'' worldwide, and justified the
murders of the young couple later identified as 2 Israeli Embassy staff
members at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, on May 21 2025.
It also encouraged further violence in response to that attack.
Unity of Fields' stated mission is disrupting and ``dismantling
zionism [sic] and U.S. imperialism'' through ``militant direct
actions.''
Funding of Anti-Israel Groups
The eruption of mass protests and activities across the United
States immediately following Hamas's October 7 terror massacre, and in
the 20 months since, has raised important questions about the funding
sources of the anti-Zionist and anti-Israel groups behind the unrest,
particularly those groups that promote explicitly antisemitic and pro-
terror messaging.
According to COE research and analysis of 990 filings and other
publicly-available information such as grant announcements and grantee
lists, some of the leading organizers receive money from the same
donors who prioritize anti-Israel projects as well as from progressive
and left-of-center institutional funders who view anti-Israel advocacy
and education as part of their broader intersectional organizing. A
number of them received funding after the October 7 attack.
Some groups organizing the protests are fiscally-sponsored projects
of registered 501(c)(3) organizations that lend their tax-exempt status
to the project (which would likely otherwise not have the capacity to
operate) and help with administrative tasks like managing donations.
A prominent example of this kind of funding vehicle is WESPAC, a
non-profit organization that has served as a major node in the
operations of groups such Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).
Another example is the Alliance for Global Justice (AFJG), an
Arizona-based organization that has served as a fiscal sponsor to
Samidoun and the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural
Boycott of Israel (PACBI). AFJG has been blocked from collecting
donations via credit card companies since February 2023 following what
it described as an ``attack by right-wing media'' on its financial ties
to Samidoun, an anti-Zionist group sanctioned by the U.S. Government as
a sham charity acting on behalf of the U.S.-designated terror group the
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The U.S.
Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned
and added Samidoun to the Specially Designated Nationals list in
October 2024 for being owned, controlled, directed by, or having acted
for or on behalf of the PFLP.
Crowdfunding has also been a key component of protest and campus
organizing, with local groups and individuals raising funds for
students and activists through various platforms.
State-Sponsored and Foreign Terrorism
For decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been the world's
leading state sponsor of terrorism, antisemitism, and Holocaust denial
and distortion. It has waged a relentless campaign against Jewish
communities worldwide--murdering Jews from Europe to Latin America.
Through terror proxies, it continues to spread violence and hatred
against Jews and the United States, united under the chants of ``Death
to America! Death to Israel!''. The Iranian regime even plotted attacks
on American soil, including against President Trump before the 2024
election.
Jewish communities are also facing increasing threats from state-
sponsored antisemitic campaigns, which aim to sow discord. For example,
Iranian State media networks such as Press TV and HispanTV consistently
broadcast antisemitic conspiracy theories, glorify designated terrorist
groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, and promote Holocaust denial.
Leaders from across the Islamic Republic of Iran's proxy network
have openly identified Western public opinion--and especially campus
protests as--part and parcel of their strategy to demonize Israel and
by extension, Jews across the globe. For example, on November 11, 2023,
Hassan Nasrallah, the late secretary general of Hezbollah said in a
public address ``[ . . . ] the demonstrations happening in Washington,
New York, London, Paris, and Western European countries [are important]
because [they] put pressure on [the] enemy and on those who protect the
enemy.''
Campus protests have consistently been framed by the Iranian regime
and its terrorist proxies, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, as part of a
``global uprising'' against Israel, deliberately blending the language
of both far-left revolutionary politics and far-right antisemitic
conspiracy theories with their own religious extremist aims, in an
attempt to influence Western audiences.
Qatari and Turkish state-funded media networks, including but not
limited to Al-Jazeera and TRT, have contributed to the spread of false
narratives by regularly platforming antisemitic, anti-U.S., and pro-
Hamas, and pro-Iranian-regime commentators.
In addition to foreign actors influencing and even funding efforts
within United States, extremist groups use terror attacks on Jews in
the United States to further fuel the flames of hate. We have seen
numerous social media channels linked to Hamas and ISIS, with hundreds
of thousands of followers, use the murders of Yaron Lischinsky and
Sarah Milgrim in Washington, DC and the attempted incineration of Jews
in Colorado as propaganda materials. Shortly after the Boulder attack
one pro-terror Telegram channel posted, ``You can attack Jews all on
your own, with whatever you can find,'' they say, ``follow the example
of these `heros.' ''. Meanwhile, ostensibly mainstream news networks--
in both English and Arabic--soften or lionize the images of those
behind such attacks, or attempt to use them for political purposes
unrelated to what should be the fundamental issue: Jews are not safe.
policy recommendations
1. Secure the Jewish Community
Fund the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) at $500
million in the annual appropriations bill to meet the urgent
and growing demand. In 2023, only 43 percent of applicants
received funding. Without sufficient funding for this program,
Jewish communal institutions must make impossible decisions.
Houses of worship must choose between prayer books and
bulletproof windows. Schools must decide between staff and
alarm systems. Community centers must decide between athletic
equipment and security guards.
2. Prevent and Prosecute Antisemitic Crimes
Support the interagency Task Force to Combat Antisemitism so
the Federal Government can coordinate and aggressively
prosecute antisemitic hate crimes, harassment, and extremist
violence. Whether under President Trump or President Biden,
there has been bipartisan recognition that fighting
antisemitism requires a whole-of-Government approach.
Restore funding to the FBI and DHS to disrupt domestic
terror plots and for grant programs like the Center for
Prevention Programming (CP3) that provide local prevention
frameworks to off-ramp individuals before they choose violence.
CP3 in particular is a pivotal initiative in countering
domestic extremism and antisemitic violence, providing grants
to community-based programs aimed at building resilience,
preventing radicalization, and offering alternatives to
individuals at risk of engaging in extremist activities.
3. Eradicate Antisemitism in Education
Ensure the enforcement of Title VI by the U.S. Department of
Education by sufficiently funding the Office for Civil Rights
(OCR), so that it has full capacity to investigate complaints
alleging antisemitic harassment and discrimination.
The Antisemitism Awareness Act which ensures the Department
of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) continues using the
International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working
Definition of Antisemitism when investigating antisemitic
harassment and discrimination on college and university
campuses.
Issue new regulations and guidance pursuant to Executive
Order 13899 to specifically address campus antisemitism.
Additional regulations and guidance, such as Dear Colleague
Letters, would help ensure civil rights laws are enforced to
protect Jewish students. For instance, guidance that includes
further examples of how rhetoric targeting Zionists can be
harassment tied to shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics
would be a critical resource.
Pass the Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons (HEAL)
Act to direct the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to conduct a
study on Holocaust education across States, local educational
agencies, and public K-12 schools, giving us a clearer
understanding of what is being taught and where there are gaps.
4. Disrupt Amplifiers of Hate
Hold social media, messaging, and gaming platforms
accountable for spreading antisemitic hate, disinformation, and
incitement.
Compel transparency from digital platforms to ensure that
companies clearly articulate their policies on hate,
harassment, and misinformation; apply those policies
consistently; and allow both the public and lawmakers to
understand how and whether they are enforced.
Rigorously enforce robust terms of service for digital
social platforms, particularly those prohibiting cyber hate and
antisemitism. These policies must address the evolving and
specific ways antisemitism manifests on-line, including
Holocaust denial, conspiracy theories, and the glorification of
antisemitic violence.
5. Combat Hate Crimes and Improve Data Collection
Fund DOJ grant programs such as the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act
and the Community-based Approaches to Prevent and Address Hate
Crimes Program that assist State and local efforts to prevent,
investigate, and respond to hate crimes, with a focus on
training, victim support, and public education.
Fund DOJ grant programs such as the Matthew Shepard and
James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Program, that support Federal,
State, and local law enforcement agencies in collecting,
reporting, and acting on hate crime data.
Pass the Improving Reporting to Prevent Hate Act of 2025 to
strengthen credible and accurate reporting of hate crimes.
6. Confront Domestic Terrorism with the Tools it Requires
Domestic terrorism--including against Jewish individuals and
institutions--remains one of the most persistent and under-addressed
threats to our national security. To meet the moment, law enforcement
and homeland security agencies must be equipped with the tools,
resources, and mandates necessary to detect, disrupt, and respond to
these threats.
Pass the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act (DTPA)--this bill
would authorize dedicated offices within the Department of
Justice and Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI, to
analyze, monitor, and respond to the threat of domestic
terrorism--including antisemitic and ideologically motivated
violence. DTPA would also require regular threat assessments
and establish training and grant programs to support State and
local efforts.
7. Investigate Potential Material Support for Foreign Terrorist
Organizations
We have documented a deeply troubling trend in which U.S.-based
extremist groups--including some individual Students for Justice in
Palestine (SJP) chapters, National SJP, Unity of Fields, Within Our
Lifetime (WOL), and others--have publicly aligned themselves with
Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and
the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). These groups
have disseminated content glorifying terrorism, promoted imagery of
armed militants, circulated statements from designated FTOs, and
encouraged direct action in the United States that mirrors the rhetoric
and tactics of these terrorist organizations.
We must enforce laws against material support for foreign
terrorist groups and dismantle financial networks--including
on-line crowdfunding--that fund antisemitic extremist conduct
and propaganda. It is illegal to knowingly provide material
support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist
organization--including funds, services, expert advice or
assistance, and coordinated efforts that facilitate their
goals.
The Department of Justice should examine whether individuals
or organizations in the United States have provided material
support to U.S.-designated terrorist groups.
Congress and the IRS should also investigate--consistent
with due process--whether nonprofit organizations like WESPAC
and the Alliance for Global Justice through their fiscal
sponsorship of certain domestic groups have served as conduits
for funding terrorist and extremist groups.
conclusion
We are at a dangerous inflection point. The rise in antisemitic
incidents and attacks in the United States is not only a threat to
Jewish communities--it is a threat to our national security and our
democratic values. The convergence of violent extremism, antisemitic
ideology, and on-line radicalization is fueling an unprecedented threat
environment that demands urgent action.
We are grateful to this committee for shining a spotlight on the
growing danger posed by anti-Israel extremist groups and their
potential to inspire violence at home. ADL stands ready to work with
Congress, the administration, and other partners to advance the
policies and resources needed to protect the Jewish community and
counter the broader threat of hate-fueled violence.
Mr. Pfluger. Thank you, Mr. Segal.
The Chair now recognizes Dr. Carafano for his opening
statement.
STATEMENT OF JAMES JAY CARAFANO, PH.D., PRIVATE CITIZEN
Mr. Carafano. Thank you. I want to thank the committee for
addressing this vital issue, and I have a statement for the
record which I will super briefly summarize. It starts with a
really big confession. I sadly have many, many decades of
experience in the national security, Homeland Security, and
counterterrorism space to draw on, and so when I was asked for
this hearing I just started with one very simple question. So
from that perspective of what's worked and hasn't worked over
decades, and if your goal is to reduce the threats of terrorism
in the United States and enhance public safety, what are the
single most important things you could possibly do?
I boil it down to one on this issue and that is to focus on
the Venn diagram, on the nexus of activities between violent
action and the planning and organization in support of
execution that enable and make them possible, and that is
principally material support.
I have a number of recommendations for the record, but I
just want to focus on what I think are the 2 really important
buckets that if we get nothing right in this between the
Congress and the administration, that these are the ones that
they have to get right. The first one is you have to put
maximum effort into the investigatory actions of material
support and related criminal activity, like RICO crimes and
organized support for public violence at the Federal, State,
and local level.
The real sweet spot is connecting the 3 of those together
is to maximize the benefits of each of them. So I would point
out, for example, something like the 287(g) program which
Congress enacted, which when it was originally designed for
State and local cooperation with Federal law enforcement, but
in the initial--when this program was first introduced many of
the law enforcement agencies that participated in it were
actually focusing on counterterrorism. Florida, for example,
was a great innovator and advocated this. So, it is a perfect
program to illustrate how you can bring those resources and
authorities together to really expand your investigatory
actions. I think what the committee asked to ask is are there
other areas we can expand this in, not just in terms of
immigration enforcement and not just in the DOJ space, but in
the homeland space and under the authorities of Homeland
Security and possibly in other areas as well, Commerce,
Treasury, and so on.
The second area is cutting one of the most vital sinews in
the connection between material support and violent action, and
that is terrorist travel. Everybody remembers the 9/11 report.
Very few people remember that the 9/11 Commission considered
terrorist travel such a vitally important task that they wrote
a whole separate volume just on that.
So, I think any of the range of activities which are really
designed to thwart malicious travel and presence and entry in
the United States are extremely efficacious in helping diminish
the capacity to provide material support and reducing the
likelihood of terrorist actions.
So, border and immigration and immigration enforcement,
deportations, denial and revocation of visas, I think all of
these are absolutely critical support for this. I just want to
end by thanking the committee for having this hearing and
taking this mission on because truly you are doing God's work.
Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Carafano follows:]
Prepared Statement of James Jay Carafano
June 11, 2025
My name is Dr. James Jay Carafano, Ph.D. I am the senior counselor
to the president of the Heritage Foundation and the E.W. Richardson
Fellow at The Heritage Foundation. The views I express in this
testimony are my own and should not be construed as representing any
official position of The Heritage Foundation.
Thank you for the opportunity to appear before the committee today
and address this vital topic. In my testimony, I would like to (1)
argue that the most important step the U.S. Congress and this
administration can take in addressing terrorist risks to the homeland
related to the operations of domestic antizionist and antisemitic
groups and influencers is to emphasize, expand, and fully empower
national efforts to identify, disrupt, and prosecute those individuals,
organizations, and networks conducting material support to terrorism;
(2) make the case that action is important not just for
counterterrorism but broadly to support American national security and
foreign policy priorities; and (3) identify the programs and
initiatives, based on risk-informed assessments, that best support
these goals, as well those actions that are less efficacious and, in
some cases, counterproductive.
expertise and experience
I have over 25 years of experience in homeland security and
counterterrorism policies and related fields. In 2003, I established
the homeland security research portfolio at the Heritage Foundation,
and, for over a decade, oversaw all the foundation's research and
public policy proposals related to national security and foreign
policy. All our research, including extensive work in the fields of
homeland security and counterterrorism is publicly available at
www.heritage.org/. I also coauthored the first major textbook on the
field of homeland security (McGraw-Hill 2005). I served on the
Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council for 3 different
secretaries of Homeland Security and was the head of the President-
elect's transition team for the Department of Homeland Security in
2017. I was also a member of the Advisory Panel on Department of
Defense Capabilities for Support of Civil Authorities and the advisory
board for the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review. In addition to the
foundation's work and research efforts, over the years, the Heritage
Foundation has partnered with a number of research institutions, both
in the United States and globally, to better understand and offer
constructive non-partisan analysis and policy recommendations. These
organizations have included the Center for Strategic and International
Studies, George Washington University, the Aspin Institute, the Hudson
Institute, the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, the American
Enterprise Institute, the U.S. Army War College, the Naval Post-
Graduate School, and many others, including research institutes in
India, Israel, Hungary, Italy, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and
several other countries.
Further, in the wake of the October 7, 2003 terrorist attacks on
Israel, Heritage, in partnership with others, established the National
Task Force To Combat Anti-Semitism (https://
www.combatantisemitismtf.org/). The task force consists of volunteers
including over 100 organizations and individuals seeking to identify,
highlight, and combat the malicious groups behind antisemitic activity
while working to bolster Americans' physical safety, religious liberty,
civil society, and vital interests abroad, particularly relations with
the State of Israel. Together, we facilitate information-sharing and
crisis response efforts between groups through collaborative working
groups and strategies.
Finally, in 2024, the research team at the Heritage Foundation
published Project Esther: A National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism
(https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/report/project-esther-national-
strategy-combat-antisemitism). Project Esther provides a blueprint to
counter antisemitism in the United States and ensure the security and
prosperity of all Americans.
The depth of research over the years and extensive network of
associates working directly in the space of combatting antisemitism and
antizionism deeply informed the recommendations that I have to offer
today.
call to action
As with any aspect of national action, the activities of the U.S.
Government should advance the freedom, security, and prosperity of all
Americans, not sacrificing one priority to advance the others. This
inherent tension, articulated so well in the U.S. Constitution,
challenges our executive, judicial, and legislative leadership to seek
to maximize all 3 outcomes and not accept the compromising of any. In
no area of public policy is this task more essential, and difficult,
than in responding to domestic threats to the homeland where Americans
rightly demand that neither their civil liberties, public safety, or
entrepreneurial spirit are compromised and that national policies be
suitable, feasible, and acceptable, producing the best outcomes.
Without question, one group of activities that is a clear and
present danger to liberty, safety, and our economy is providing
material support terrorism. In law, providing material support is a
bright a red line as the act or threat of terrorist attacks. Material
support directly threats public safety--encouraging, empowering, and
enabling terrorist activity. Material support to terrorism is not
protected civil activity. The disruptions caused by terrorist actions
and extremist violence impinge by the life and labors of everyday
Americans. On this matter, there can be no partisan debate or agendas.
Further, vigorously disrupting material support to terrorism is
strategically crucial to national counterterrorism operations severing
the most important, influential, and dangerous link between extremism
ideologies, organizations, and networks, and those threatening or
perpetuating violence against everyday Americans. Thus, focusing on
material support is not only an efficacious activity, with the
exception of the directly thwarting terrorist acts and extremist
violence it is the key activity for disrupting the flow of ideas,
resources, assets, and arms into the hands of would-be terrorists.
targeting groups linked to antisemitism and antizionism
Identifying and prioritizing groups, networks, individuals, and
activities as targets of suspected material support to terrorism is a
significant challenge. Extremists' activities are always associated
with political views. It is always tempting to focus on or ignore or
dismiss extremist factions based on their politics. This is a grave
threat to both public safety and undermining the legitimacy of
government action.
A the ``lights were blinking red,'' about threats from al-Qaeda to
the U.S. homeland before 9/11. There are 2 significant reasons why
extremist groups associated with antisemtic activities rise to the top
of groups of concern.
First, there is demonstrable evidence they are affiliated with
individuals who have threatened or conducted terrorist actions or other
incidents of extremist violence. The recent incident in Washington, DC
offers a case in point. As the research of my colleague Mike Gonzalez
points out:
``Terrorists like Elias Rodriguez, who murdered Yaron Lischinsky and
Sarah Milgram at the Jewish Museum in Washington, DC in late May, are
nurtured in their hate by a revolutionary ecosystem composed of
different organisms: fiscal sponsors, funders, and organizers.
``Rodriguez was associated with two leading institutions of the
revolutionary ecosystem, the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL),
and one of its front groups, the ANSWER Coalition, an acronym for Act
Now to Stop War and End Racism.
``He [Rodriguez] attended several marches coordinated by both groups in
2018, and was identified as a member of the PSL. Now that Rodriguez has
been caught committing a heinous crime, however, both groups are
distancing themselves from him.
``Black Lives Matter Chicago also admitted that Rodriguez was a
supporter and took part in several marches. BLM Chicago was one of the
groups that cruelly posted pictures of paragliders with Palestinian
flags after the terrorist group Hamas massacred over 1,200 Israelis on
Oct. 7, 2023, the New York Post reported at the time.''
When we see that even ``lone wolves'' are not really acting
isolated and disconnected from larger networks of support, sympathy,
and encouragement, that kind of connectivity merits the attention of
law enforcement and intelligence services.
Second, there is mounting evidence these groups are conducting
activities that are material support to terrorists. The National Jewish
Advocacy Center has identified several groups including Students for
Justice in Palestine and the Palestine Youth Movement. According to
news reports some have been reported to directly coordinating with
Hamas (https://nypost.com/2025/06/04/us-news/protestor-tarek-bazrouk-
had-link-to-hamas-militants-doj/). Dr. Jonathan Schanzer at the
Foundation for the Defense of Democracies has done extensive working
demonstrating the financial linkages and networks supporting extremist
activities (https://gop-waysandmeans.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/
11/Schanzer-Testimony.pdf), exactly the kinds of activities that
precursors to radical violence and terrorism.
As Michael Gonzalez notes, the spectrum of activities is a
framework for empowering and enabling violent activity. ``This
infrastructure,'' he points out:
``can be best understood if broken down into 4 interrelated components:
1--the `activist organizations' that plan and carry out the protests;
2--the `fiscal sponsors' that give these organizations legal coverage,
and afford them opaqueness; 3--the often deep-pocketed `donors' that
fund the activist organizations through the fiscal sponsors: and 4--
`radical media' groups that amplify the protests and promote them on
social media, and also routinely air propaganda for U.S. adversaries
such as China, Russia, or Cuba.''
Where there is smoke there isn't always a fire, but effective law
enforcement and counterterrorism start by looking where there is
evidence of criminal activity. In this respect, there is ample
information about activities in the antisemitism and antizionism
operating space to warrant serious investigation.
a national security priority
Antisemitism is not just about Jew hate or even hate crimes.
Organizations and networks supporting these activities often espouse
policies that undermine U.S. interests and foreign policies. They are
often supported and linked to both foreign and domestic malicious
actors. Thus, disrupting antisemitic and antizionist networks not only
address material support to terrorism and supports counterterrorism
operations, they can also be a gateway to combating efforts to
undermine or counter other U.S. foreign policy and national security
priorities.
The witch's brew of actors that could be, and are likely involved,
in promoting antisemitic and antizionist extremism in the United States
include adversarial states like China, Russia, and Iran; extremist
Islamist groups including the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and Hezbollah;
terrorist networks including ISS-K and al-Qaeda; and international
organizations that embrace Jew hate.
Efforts to promote violent extremism in the United States appear to
be an organized campaign that transcends just attacking Jews or
demonizing Israel. For instance, Elias Rodriguez was a member of PSL, a
communist party closely associated with the ANSWER Coalition (shares
leadership and some office space with them). ANSWER is financed with
money from Neville Roy Singham, a billionaire who lives in Shanghai,
has close ties to the Chinese Communist Party, and is married to CODE
Pink founder Jody Evans. The on-going LA riots against ICE enforcement
of immigration laws appear to be organized and supported by PSL and
other groups from the same revolutionary ecosystem that mobilized in
support of the BLM riots of 2020 and the pro-terrorism riots of 2023 to
the present.
If there is a structured and well-funded campaign to promote
organized political violence in the United States on demand, it is
difficult to conclude anything but that this represents a clear danger
to public safety and national security.
what works. what doesn't
The United States has decades of experience in combating activities
related to domestic terrorist threats. In that period we have seem
clear winners and losers. The recommendations offered here are based on
an assessment of these activities and initiatives.
1. Federal Operations that that broadly survey social media and
other public data to identify extremist threats or combat
disinformation are inefficient; prone to political abuse; and
undermine the trust and confidence of American citizens.
Programs ought to follow models of intelligence-led policing
and responsible investigatory guidelines that lead responsible
criminal investigations. Further, the U.S. Government loses
credibility when it declares itself the regulator of political
truth. The Government has a responsibility to debunk false
claims when it comes to U.S. Government operations and
activities, that is part of what responsible transparent
governments, but that should be the limit of the scope its
activities in combating extremist thought.
2. Federal, State, and local shared situational awareness and
coordination is valuable. The 287(g) program, for example,
offers a flexible and effective tool for cooperation on matters
of immigration enforcement which often serves as an important
counterterrorism tool.
3. Robust Immigration Enforcement and Border Security is important.
These are valuable instruments for thwarting terrorist travel.
Terrorist travel is a key tool for enabling both terrorist
attacks and material support activity. Lack enforcement in
contrast not only provides more space and freedom of action for
our adversaries it greatly expands the pool of potential
threats that law enforcement and intelligence activities must
survey.
4. Denial and Revocations of Visas is an important tool for
disrupting material support activity. Not all extremists are
engaged in terrorists acts or material support, but many that
other require a visa to come to the United States. Students,
workers, activists, and professionals should leave or be
deported if they have broken the conditions of their status per
U.S. immigration law. Citizens of nations that cannot properly
vet or provide adequate information to the United States or
represent a clear danger ought to be denied the right of travel
to the United States.
5. Aggressive investigation of material support and prosecution of
organizations and networks conducting or promoting antisemitic
or antizionist activity. This is perhaps the most significant
tool for undercutting serious potential terrorists threats in
the United States.
______
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their own and do not reflect the institutional position of The Heritage
Foundation or its board of trustees.
Mr. Pfluger. Thank you, Dr. Carafano.
The Chair now recognizes Ms. Rayman for her opening
statement.
STATEMENT OF JULIE FISHMAN RAYMAN, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF
POLICY AND POLITICAL AFFAIRS, AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE
Ms. Rayman. Can you hear me?
Mr. Carafano. Now you're on.
Ms. Rayman. Now I'm on. OK. I appreciate the opportunity to
be a part of today's very important conversation, and I'm
grateful for your bipartisan leadership in addressing the
antisemitism crisis in our country.
Much has been said about the tragic murders of Sarah
Milgram and Yaron Lischinsky, so I just want to take this
opportunity to say because they were cherished friends of AJC
and because they were murdered outside of an AJC event to,
again, extend condolences to their families and to thank the
Secure Communities Network for the extreme amount of support
and assistance that we've received from SCN since that incident
happened, as well as before.
That attack, as well as the one that followed in Boulder,
simply occurred because their attackers considered all of those
who support Israel's existence, and perhaps even all Jews, to
be proxies of the Jewish State. As we see horrific acts of
violence being committed under the guise of resistance, it's
clear that a disturbing and increasing number of people
consider all Jews to be responsible for Israel's actions and to
somehow therefore be deserving targets of hate, discrimination,
and violence.
On-going investigations into these attacks will reveal how
or whether the perpetrators engaged with or were inspired by
terrorist or anti-Israel extremist groups. Such groups pose
real and rising threats to Jews' safety at home and abroad and
their capacity to incite and facilitate violence transcends
borders.
Groups like Samidoun, which the Treasury Department
sanctioned last year for channeling funds to the Popular Front
for the Liberation of Palestine, carried out a theatrical
performance cosplaying the October 7 attack as recently as this
last weekend in Brussels.
At the same time, while terror-linked groups are one driver
of today's horrific situation, there are many threats facing
Jews that are not directly or indirectly attributable to them.
AJC's State of Antisemitism in America Report in 2024 found
that an equal number of American Jews believe that the
political right and the political left represent an equal
antisemitic threat in the United States today.
Whether from the political right, from the political left,
from Christian nationalism or extremism in the name of Islam,
all threats to Jews' safety and security command a robust
Government response.
There is no question that terror and material support for
terror are illegal. Breaking the law and violating the rights
of others are not legitimate forms of protest, full stop. These
activities must be addressed using the full weight of the law.
However, I also want to be clear. As we seek to counter
these harmful behaviors we have to adhere to the guarantees of
free speech and due process that apply to all people in the
United States. While antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric and
violent antisemitic attacks pose extremely serious challenges,
they must be addressed with different approaches.
Speech, no matter how offensive, is protected. Suppressing
it doesn't just violate our American values and
responsibilities. It allows those who are advocating hate to be
cast as victims.
Your leadership in this is vital. Public leaders on both
sides of the aisle have an obligation to respond promptly and
strongly. Ambiguity is unacceptable. The message must always be
that nothing, absolutely nothing, including events in the
Middle East, can justify antisemitism.
Leaders must categorically reject calls to globalize the
Intifada or resistance by any means necessary because while
some are protesting, others are planning.
In addition to strong specific and public condemnation,
there are other critical ways that Congress can act. The
exorbitant amounts doled out for Jewish communal security are,
in effect, a Jewish tax.
Congress should provide at least $500 million for the
nonprofit security grant program administered by FEMA, which
has been under-, underfunded for years. Support the Center for
Prevention, Programs, and Partnerships, CP3, which strengthens
our country's ability to prevent violent and terrorist
activities. These programs and other anti-terrorism grant
programs must be appropriately resourced and staffed.
To address antisemitism on-line, Congress needs to pass
fundamental reforms to Section 230 of the Communications
Decency Act and press social media platforms to enforce and
strengthen their own policies that relate to anti-terrorism and
incitement to violence.
There is also a real and urgent need for the Government to
adopt a broader, comprehensive strategy to counter antisemitism
and foster American Jewish life. Congressional advocacy in
favor of a national action plan and a point person to lead
interagency coordination can make an important difference in
making this happen.
It is only by addressing antisemitism holistically,
regardless of political or ideological source and inclusive of
both antisemitic rhetoric and violent attacks, that we can
counter this surging antisemitism, which I think we can all
agree is not just a problem that faces American Jews but
affects American society and democracy as a whole.
Thank you and I look forward to your questions.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Rayman follows:]
Prepared Statement of Julie Fishman Rayman
June 11, 2025
Chairman Pfluger, Ranking Member Magaziner, esteemed Members of the
Homeland Security Committee, it is a pleasure to be before you this
morning to testify on ``The Rise of Anti-Israel Extremist Groups and
Their Threat to U.S. National Security.'' I appreciate the convening of
the Counterterrorism and Intelligence Subcommittee for today's
important hearing, and I am grateful for your bipartisan leadership in
addressing the antisemitism crisis facing our country.
I am here in my capacity as senior vice president of policy and
political affairs at American Jewish Committee (AJC), a global, non-
partisan advocacy organization that stands up for Israel's right to
exist in peace and security; confronts antisemitism, no matter the
source; and upholds the democratic values that unite Jews and our
allies.
This hearing occurs on the heels of 2 deeply disturbing antisemitic
attacks that have shaken the American Jewish community to its core.
Tragically, almost 1 month ago, not 1 mile from this very room, AJC
lost 2 cherished members of our community--they were assassinated
outside of the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, following our
annual Young Diplomats reception.
Our event this year was about turning pain into purpose and
featured members of the Multifaith Alliance and IsraeAID for a
discussion on humanitarian diplomacy and how a coalition of
organizations, including interfaith partners, are working together in
response to humanitarian crises throughout the Middle East and North
Africa.
However, at an event intended to build a stronger, more peaceful
world, the mere presence of Jewish participants turned it into a night
of hate-based violence and tragedy.
As the event concluded, Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky were
gunned down, and their attacker yelled ``Free Palestine'' as he was
taken away by law enforcement. Sarah and Yaron were assassinated in our
Nation's capital, murdered while leaving a Jewish event, at a Jewish
museum hosted by AJC, a Jewish organization. What warranted their
murder? It was simply because their attacker considered all those who
support Israel's existence, perhaps even all Jews, to be the proxies of
the Jewish state.
Just last week, American Jews were again attacked for their support
of Israel. Molotov cocktails were hurled at peaceful protestors calling
for the return of the remaining 55 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza,
including an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor. Was this an attack on an
Israeli military target? No--It was an attack on peaceful Jewish
demonstrators focused on the most basic of human rights: freedom from
captivity.
It is past time for society to finally acknowledge and address what
Jews have always known, and especially in the wake of the October 7,
2023, Hamas terror attack: that antisemitic and anti-Zionist language
is dangerous, and when left unchecked, can be deadly.
Throughout the course of the investigations for these 2 attacks, we
will learn how or whether the perpetrators engaged or were inspired by
anti-Israel extremist groups. I want to be very clear--despite this
exceptional threat environment, which is further evidenced by the
recent Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) Public Service Announcement highlighting potential
threats to Jewish and Israeli communities, there is a line between
those who espouse antisemitic or anti-Israel rhetoric and those who act
violently. The two cannot be treated the same.
When such violence does occur, we must ensure the response is
consistent with the rule of law and democratic values. Let me be clear:
terrorism and providing material support for terrorism are illegal.
Similarly, illegal conduct under the guise of political activism is not
protected under the Constitution and demands consequences. Yet as we
seek to curtail these harmful behaviors, we must be steadfast in
affording the guarantees of free speech and due process that apply to
all people in the United States. Responsible enforcement and due
process are fundamental.
Speech alone, no matter how offensive some may find it, is
nonetheless protected. Public protest, when it does not jeopardize the
safety of others or violate the law, is a form of speech that is vital
for democracy and a sign of its health. Law-breaking or violating the
rights of others are not legitimate forms of protest.
Public leaders on both sides of the aisle have an obligation to
respond promptly and strongly to repugnant anti-Israel and antisemitic
language; however, when overbroad tools are used against those who
espouse it, we will see the discourse necessarily shift away from
condemning speech that crosses the line and endangers Jews and to
whether those sanctioned were victims of censorship.
the state of antisemitism in the last year
Through our annual State of Antisemitism in America Report, AJC has
collected 5 years of comparative data from American Jews and the
general public on their perceptions of and experiences with
antisemitism. We've seen how the number of respondents who say
antisemitism is a serious problem and has increased a lot has grown
significantly over the last 5 years. This data demonstrates that all
Americans, Jewish and non-Jewish, are aware of the growing severity of
the issue. Of the almost 6 in 10 Americans who say antisemitism has
increased over the past 5 years, 88 percent say they are concerned by
this increase.
In the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel,
the world witnessed a dramatic surge in antisemitic and anti-Israel
violence. Reactionary emotions to the horrors of war, anti-Israel
sentiments fell prey to a slippery slope. Rather than serving as a
moment of solidarity to mourn those killed in terror attacks--an
opportunity to unite in the face of hate--alongside the Jewish
community, rhetoric boiled over, and rallies and demonstrations quickly
devolved into open celebrations of antisemitism. Protesters did not
merely voice criticism of Israeli policy: they glorified Hamas a U.S.-
designated terrorist organization, lauded the tactics used to rape and
murder civilians, and chanted slogans such as ``burn the Jews'' in the
streets of capitals the world over. This outpouring of hate was not
limited to the Middle East or to Israel itself--it erupted globally,
targeting Jewish communities from synagogues and schools to sporting
events and residential neighborhoods.
According to AJC's State of Antisemitism in America 2024 Report,
antisemitism reached shocking levels following the October 7 Hamas
attacks, affecting American Jewish behavior and sense of security on a
level that we haven't witnessed before. A staggering 90 percent of
American Jews said antisemitism has increased in the United States
since the Hamas terrorist attacks, while 77 percent of American Jews
report feeling less safe as a Jewish person in the United States
because of these attacks. In consequence, the majority of American Jews
are afraid to be themselves, and many are intentionally concealing
aspects of their identities to avoid being identified as Jewish. For
the first time in the history of AJC's report, the majority of American
Jews (56 percent) changed their behavior in 1 of 3 ways out of fear of
antisemitism. Perhaps most concerning is that one-third (33 percent) of
American Jews say they have been the personal target of antisemitism--
in person or virtually--at least once over the last year. Antisemitism
not only targets American Jewish individuals but also Jewish
institutions and businesses as well. Thirty percent of American Jews
say their institutions were the target of antisemitism in the past 5
years, and 25 percent say that local businesses where they live have
been the targets of antisemitism in the past year.
Hearteningly, 9 in 10 Americans, both Jews and non-Jews, believe
antisemitism affects our society as a whole; everyone is responsible
for combating it.
understanding antisemitism
A comprehensive and nuanced understanding of antisemitism is key to
confronting anti-Jewish and anti-Israel violence. AJC's State of
Antisemitism in America 2024 Report revealed that almost one-third (30
percent) of Americans are not familiar with the term antisemitism and
what it means. This raises concerns because individuals cannot respond
to or prevent something that they do not understand.
That is why the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)
Working Definition of Antisemitism, which provides a clear and concise
description of antisemitism in its various forms, is an educational
tool to help individuals and entities understand how antisemitism is
defined and manifests. And, this is why Congress should swiftly pass
the Antisemitism Awareness Act (H.R. 1007), legislation with strong
bipartisan support, that would ensure the Department of Education
continues to consider IHRA as a useful tool when it seeks to protect
students in educational spaces.
Antisemitism is often described as the world's oldest hatred. While
antisemitism can often be traced back to Christian anti-Judaism, in
which Jews were accused of killing Jesus Christ (deicide charge),
kidnapping and murdering Christian children to use their blood in
rituals (blood libel), and spreading the Black Plague through common
drinking wells, contemporary antisemitism in the United States can be
found across the political spectrum and attributed to various sources.
Antisemitism stems from the far-right, including white supremacy,
white nationalism, and neo-Nazi antisemitism; the far-left, arising
from identity-based politics or anti-Israel antisemitism, including
denying Israel's right to exist; religious extremism such as ISIS,
Black Hebrew Israelites, and Nation of Islam; and from fringe segments
of minority communities, as a form of scapegoating or seeing Jews as an
outgroup or a competitive threat, including competition of victimhood.
when anti-zionism becomes antisemitism
Following the October 7 Hamas attacks, we have witnessed a
disturbing surge in antisemitic violence and rhetoric across the United
States, often masquerading as anti-Zionist activism. The anti-Israel
rhetoric that fueled the demonstrations after October 7 has frequently
crossed the line into classic antisemitism. Protesters and public
figures have revived ancient tropes, commonly including ludicrous
accusations of Jewish control over governments and economies, and
compared Israel's actions to those of Nazi Germany--a particularly
pernicious form of Holocaust inversion that trivializes Jewish
suffering and history. These comparisons and conspiracies, when voiced
by public officials, lend legitimacy to antisemitism and embolden
extremists, leaving Jewish communities increasingly vulnerable.
This global wave of antisemitism, catalyzed and justified by anti-
Israel extremism, has not only endangered Jewish communities but
threatens the very fabric of democratic societies. Antisemitism, no
matter the source, weakens our social cohesion and undermines the
values that bind us together. The conspiracy theories and hate that
animate anti-Israel extremism are the same ones that have fueled
antisemitism for centuries, and are now being amplified by social media
and legitimized by public figures who should know better. When anti-
Israel activism crosses the line into demonization, delegitimization,
or collective blame of Jews, it threatens not only the safety of Jewish
Americans but also the foundational principles of equality and civil
rights for all.
I mentioned the incidents here and in Colorado, but they are merely
the most recent escalation in a long line of growing violence Jews have
been subjected to since the start of the most recent Israel-Hamas
conflict. In November 2023, protesters in Washington, DC, displayed
signs equating Prime Minister Netanyahu to Hitler, with one depicting
him ``eating a Palestinian child''. These comparisons distort Holocaust
history, framing Jews as perpetrators of genocide rather than victims.
In 2024, as the conflict dragged on, synagogues like Park Avenue in
New York City and Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel in Philadelphia were
repeatedly defaced with slogans such as ``From the river to the sea''--
a phrase that can be used to call for the elimination of the State of
Israel and/or ethnic cleansing of Jews living there--and swastikas,
conflating opposition to Israeli policies with attacks on Jewish
identity.
In April 2025, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's home was set
ablaze with him and his family inside, just hours after their Seder
celebrating the first night of Passover. His crime? Being Jewish and
caring about Israel. These incidents, alongside daily harassment of
Jewish-owned businesses and neighborhoods, show how anti-Zionist
rhetoric has been weaponized to justify violence against Jews as a
collective.
The distinction between legitimate criticism of Israeli government
policy and the demonization or delegitimization of Israel and Jews has
been systematically eroded. For instance, when protests against Israeli
policies turn into chants of ``Death to Jews'' or when academic
discussions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict devolve into
personal attacks on Jewish students, it becomes clear that a troubling
new landscape is emerging. This is a landscape where antisemitism often
masquerades as political activism. The rhetoric and actions go far
beyond legitimate criticism of Israeli government policy; they
represent a concerted effort to marginalize and erase Jewish life from
academic and public spaces, often substituting ``Zionist'' or
``Israel'' for ``Jew'' as a socially acceptable form of bigotry. This
phenomenon has resulted in Jews reporting increased fear, behavioral
changes, and a growing sense of isolation as they navigate environments
where anti-Israel sentiment frequently crosses the line into anti-
Jewish hostility.
What must be acknowledged is that alongside distorted, hyperbolic,
and even false anti-Israel narratives and calls for or justifications
of political violence, we are seeing many actors also advance these in
ways and forums that specifically endanger Jews. The challenge now
facing us is to confront this new antisemitism--one that wears the mask
of anti-Israel activism while upholding the principles of free
expression and human rights for all, recognizing that protecting Jewish
communities from discrimination is essential to maintaining democratic
values and genuine dialog about Middle Eastern politics.
antisemitism must be fought in a bipartisan manner
This is an all-hands-on-deck moment we find ourselves in--American
Jews and Americans of all religious and political backgrounds alike. It
does not matter who is perpetrating antisemitism and targeting Jews. We
will be under attack no matter if it is from those on the far-left or
the far-right; as they will find a way to make the Jews the culprits of
whatever they deem to be the ultimate evil in their philosophy. Whether
it is a far-left protester calling us ``baby killers'' while we are on
our way to synagogue, or if neo-Nazis deface a synagogue with swastikas
and other hate symbols, for us the hatred and fear we experience are
the same. Anytime a Jewish person is targeted, it affects every Jew,
because we are all interconnected. But the rising tide of antisemitism
is not just a Jewish problem. It is a threat to our national security,
democracy, and our society.
According to AJC's State of Antisemitism in America 2024 Report, 79
percent of American Jews say the extreme political right represents an
antisemitic threat in the United States today, and 78 percent express
the same sentiment about the extreme political left in the United
States today. Thirty-three percent of American Jews find that the
extreme political right, the extreme political left, Christian
nationalism, and extremism in the name of Islam represent a very
serious antisemitic threat in the United States today.
Fighting antisemitism requires a unified, bipartisan approach that
transcends political divisions and partisan considerations.
Antisemitism affects all Americans regardless of political affiliation,
and the hatred directed at Jewish communities comes from extremists
across the political spectrum--both far-left and far-right actors who
target Jews for different ideological reasons. The charge for elected
officials lies not only in condemning antisemitism when it comes from
political opponents, but also in having the courage to call out
antisemitic rhetoric and actions from within their own parties,
recognizing that such principled stands ultimately strengthen both
their constituencies and democratic institutions. Bipartisan
initiatives, like the House Task Force for Combating Antisemitism,
demonstrate how lawmakers can effectively collaborate across party
lines to address this ancient hatred, ensuring that antisemitism does
not become weaponized as a political wedge issue that further divides
communities. When political leaders unite against antisemitism, they
send a powerful message that protecting vulnerable communities and
upholding democratic values transcends partisan politics and
strengthens our national security. I encourage all members of this body
to join this important task force.
AJC also encourages Members of Congress to engage directly with
Jewish organizations to gain a deeper and more nuanced understanding of
the many forms antisemitism takes in today's society. Essential
resources, such as AJC's Translate Hate glossary, which helps decode
antisemitic tropes and coded language, make it substantially easier to
recognize the historical context of modern manifestations of
antisemitism. We are here to help! By partnering with Jewish advocacy
organizations, lawmakers can learn to better recognize and address
antisemitism's complex roots--from subtle bias to overt hostility,
whether in schools, on-line, or in the streets of our Nation's Capital.
Through open dialog and collaboration, Congress can more effectively
support Jewish communities, promote understanding, and uphold the core
values of inclusion and respect that strengthen our democracy.
antisemitism on-line
Antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric have exploded on-line. On-line
and more specifically, on social media, continues to be the place where
most American Jews experience antisemitism. According to AJC's State of
Antisemitism in America 2024 Report, 67 percent of Jewish adults have
seen antisemitic content on-line or on social media at least once in
the past 12 months, of which 20 percent report that these incidents
made them feel physically threatened. Unfortunately, many do not report
the incidents. The No. 1 reason given by Jewish respondents as to why
they chose not to report antisemitism on-line or on social media was
that they did not believe any action would be taken.
Antisemitic content on social media platforms regularly surges
after attacks on the Jewish community, as it did after October 7.
Immediately following the antisemitic attacks in Boulder and
Washington, celebration of these attacks, including comments such as
``what goes around comes around,'' ``long live the intifada,'' and
``resistance'' appeared in posts and in the comments sections across
all major social media platforms such as Meta, X, TikTok, and YouTube,
according to AJC partner, CyberWell--the world's first live database of
on-line antisemitism.
Additionally, it is important to note that the on-line manifestos
of shooters at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
where 11 worshipers were murdered; mosques in Christchurch, New
Zealand, where 51 were killed; a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, where 23
people were killed; and a supermarket in a predominantly Black
neighborhood of Buffalo, New York, where 10 people were killed, were
inspired by the ``Great Replacement Theory''--a conspiracy theory
rooted in the belief that the white race is under threat of extinction
at the hands of Jews and other minorities. Internet sites such as
4Chan, Reddit, and Discord have allowed those who hold these extremist
views to come together and be inspired by these conspiracy theories to
hold Jewish people responsible for the world's problems.
In his manifesto to explain the attack, the Buffalo shooter blamed
Jews for pushing out whites and accused Jews of believing they were
superior because they called themselves ``God's chosen people.'' ``Why
attack immigrants when the Jews are the issue?'' the suspect asks
rhetorically. His answer: ``They can be dealt with in time.''
To mitigate these issues and strengthen our national security,
there are several avenues Congress can take. Congress should pass
fundamental reforms to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act
and hold social media companies accountable for the spread of
antisemitic and hate-fueled violence on their platforms. Congress
should ensure on-line platforms lose their special immunity if they
utilize an algorithm to amplify or recommend content to a user that
promotes violence and impose stronger transparency requirements on on-
line platforms to prevent algorithmic bias, improve moderation systems,
and enforce community standards. And finally, Congress should pass
legislation requiring social media companies to allow researchers
access to the platform's data, while maintaining users' privacy.
Qualified, independent researchers can help Congress--and the social
media companies themselves--better understand how the platform's
algorithms are spreading antisemitism.
Congress should also continue to publicly hold social media
platforms accountable with enforcing and strengthening their existing
anti-terrorism and incitement to violence policies.
Experts at AJC regularly engage with social media companies on
these issues, provide briefings and policy recommendations, and serve
as a trusted flagger or early warning partner, which allows us to
escalate harmful content and alert the companies to changing trends in
antisemitism. AJC would be happy to brief Members of Congress to ensure
you remain updated on the latest data and can develop comprehensive
policies that can make these platforms safer for all users.
addressing security threats
Just as we can do more to educate and train people to understand
antisemitism and anti-Zionism, more also needs to be done to protect
Jewish communities from physical threats. Our State of Antisemitism in
America 2024 Report data found that, for American Jews who are
affiliated with a Jewish institution, 30 percent said their
institutions were targeted by graffiti, threats, or attacks in the last
5 years. Nearly one-third of a minority group's institutions have been
threatened. And as alarming as that number is, even more American Jews
think their synagogue, their campus Hillel, their JCC, or their kosher
market might be next. For American Jews who are affiliated with a
Jewish institution, 70 percent said their institutions have increased
security measures since October 7, 2023.
Congress should support community-based violence prevention
programs and encourage local law enforcement to build stronger ties
with synagogues, Jewish community centers, Jewish day schools, and
other Jewish institutions and organizations--and vice versa. Through
these relationships, Jewish communities can avail themselves of State
and local-level training, technical assistance, and resources to
bolster their security. These local efforts should work in conjunction
with Federal programs such as the Nonprofit Security Grant Program
(NSGP).
The NSGP provides funding for nonprofits at high risk of terrorist
threats and attacks to increase their preparedness and support security
needs. This essential program has been severely underfunded for years,
only fulfilling 42 percent of requests in 2023. Since October 7, 2023,
Jewish institutional applicants to the NSGP have increased as
antisemitic attacks have surged, and fears about attacks have become
pervasive. Congress should provide funding for this vital program by
providing at least $500 million in fiscal year 2026. I want to thank
Congress for its continued bipartisan support for this program, which
strengthens our national security, and is more vital now than ever
before.
More broadly, the threat to Jews and Jewish institutions is not
confined to the United States, it transcends national borders. Groups
like Samidoun, which the Treasury Department sanctioned in October 2024
for channelling funds to the Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine, carried out a reenactment of the October 7 Hamas attack on
Israel in Brussels this past weekend. Similarly, organizations such as
the Russian Imperial Movement (RIM) and members of its leadership were
designated by the Trump administration as Specially Designated Global
Terrorists in 2020. Disinformation and propaganda aimed at inciting
anti-Jewish hatred is prevalent in RIM's digital content, ranging from
centuries-old conspiracies such as the anti-Jewish blood libel trope
claiming Jews kill Christian children and drink their blood to
antisemitic lies tied to current events. This was the first time in
history that the Department of State designated a white supremacist
extremist group. Congress can press the U.S. Departments of State and
the Treasury to designate transnational violent extremist groups as
terrorist organizations in order to limit their ability to recruit on-
line and raise funds.
prevention programs
Law enforcement and security agencies alone are not sufficient to
address the needs of the Jewish community. Efforts to ensure security
for Jewish individuals and institutions must work in conjunction with
broader multidisciplinary efforts to prevent extremist and targeted
violence from further spreading throughout the United States.
Intervention and deradicalization are key to comprehensive preventative
approaches. The Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3)
within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is one such program
that strengthens our abilities to prevent terrorism and targeted
violence through education, partnerships, and training. Critical to our
own national security interests, the Federal Government's approach must
not only be responsive but also proactive in addressing terrorism,
which is why preventative agencies such as CP3 are integral to
countering antisemitic and anti-Israel violence.
Congress should support the mission of the Center for Prevention
Programs and Partnerships (CP3) as outlined when the division was
established in 2021, ensure sufficient funding, and support individuals
with robust knowledge, extensive experience, and deep connectivity to
communities, private partners, and Federal entities that work in
counterterrorism.
Local partners, like AJC, must also contribute to informing
communities about how to prevent ideologically-based violent extremism.
In 2020, AJC, in partnership with Muflehun, a resource center that
designs programs to address complex social challenges, created a
training program that took a community-based approach to confronting
threats motivated by extremism or bigotry. The training was funded in
part by a grant from the Office for Targeted Violence and Terrorism
Prevention within the DHS.
the need for a national coordinator to counter antisemitism
In the United States, while we have a Special Envoy to Monitor and
Combat Antisemitism in the U.S. Department of State, their focus is
abroad. The efforts of the Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism
can be streamlined and amplified by including all Federal agencies.
Additionally, having a point person solely focused on leading
interagency coordination and building infrastructure around combating
antisemitism, including leading and maintaining the process of sharing
Federal Government efforts across agencies and with the Jewish
community, will make countering antisemitism more efficient and
effective.
Congress should work with the administration to appoint a National
Coordinator to Counter Antisemitism so that our Government continues to
take a whole-of-Government approach to fight the scourge of
antisemitism. Congress should also call on the administration to create
a U.S. Government action plan to combat antisemitism and foster Jewish
life.
closing: fighting antisemitism will strengthen our national security
and democracy
This moment is not only about the Jewish community, but also about
the society we live in, and we must find ways to work together in a
bipartisan manner to combat antisemitism and create a better future for
our children and grandchildren. Antisemitism has plagued our world for
thousands of years. It has led to Jews being vilified, isolated,
harassed, chased, expelled, hunted, and murdered. At its core,
antisemitism is a symptom of extremism and the fraying of our shared
social cohesion. When antisemitism is tolerated, it means conspiracy
theories have the air to bloom into something more dangerous and
sinister. It means there is a rot gnawing at the foundation of our
society and that we are at risk of democratic backsliding, extremism,
and dehumanization. And it means that every one of us, not just the
Jewish community, is worse off. Fighting antisemitism will not only
protect the Jewish community in America but also protect our democracy
and national security.
We must be vigilant in distinguishing when anti-Israel activities
cross into antisemitism and have the courage to call them out, issuing
unambiguous and unwavering condemnations. Our Government and law
enforcement must take a firm stand against antisemitic hate crimes and
violence, upholding the law without infringing on individuals' rights
afforded by the U.S. Constitution. To achieve this, it is essential to
have a clear understanding of the nature of antisemitism, its various
manifestations, and its impact on society. Congress plays a vital role
in fostering this understanding, ensuring that hate is not allowed to
proliferate on-line, safeguarding Jewish communities, and investing in
programs that strengthen our society. AJC looks forward to partnering
with you in stamping out this hate once and for all.
Mr. Pfluger. Thank you, Ms. Rayman.
Members will now be recognized in order of seniority for 5
minutes of questioning, and we may elect to do an additional
round of questioning.
I now recognize myself for 5 minutes of questioning. I
appreciate hearing from everyone, especially hearing about free
speech.
Ms. Rayman, your comments are--you are absolutely right
that we have to protect free speech, that we have to be able to
express views no matter whether we agree with them or not and
then acknowledge that there is a line. So, what I want to ask,
because it was it was mentioned by Mr. Segal, is--so, Mr.
Segal, I will start with you.
When somebody at a protest says, ``Free Palestine,'' how
does the Jewish community receive that?
Mr. Segal. Context is always the key with any slogan and
that includes chants of a free Palestine. I think, you know, in
many protests some in the community hear that they don't really
think twice about it. But I think if ``Free Palestine'' is used
to write graffiti on a sukkah or a Jewish institution that's a
very different context.
Mr. Pfluger. Is that a call to violence?
Mr. Segal. ``Free Palestine'' inherently is not calling for
violence on its own but if it's being yelled at when somebody
is trying to burn people alive, you could bet it is.
Mr. Pfluger. OK. Do Jewish students in a rally that seems
to be heating up in a way that is trending toward what could be
physical violence, when somebody screams ``Free Palestine''
with a Palestinian flag is that received by Jewish students on
universities as a rally cry for violence?
Mr. Segal. Yes, I mean, even thought amongst Jewish
students is not monolithic. I think different students may take
it in a different way. I think what is important to focus on is
when those types of sentiments or slogans are used when
targeting specifically Jewish students or other individuals as
elsewhere, that's the context that is really troubling about
that.
Mr. Pfluger. Dr. Carafano, what does, in your opinion, a
rally or a ``Free Palestine'' cry at a protest mean to the
Jewish community?
Mr. Carafano. Right. So, I agree that context is everything
and I think one of the things that we focus on is it is a
difference I think if you are a U.S. citizen in a context of
exercising your legitimate free speech.
In the sense if you are here on a visa as a student or as a
professional and you are promoting extremist ideas in the
United States, you're a guest of the United States.
In the United States it's very clear under U.S. legal
authority that that if you violate the terms of your stay in
the United States you should be removed from the United States.
If you want to come to the United States and you have a
track record of extremist violent statements that the U.S.
Government thinks disqualifies you from entering the United
States, you should be denied entry to the United States. I do
think that those are really important distinctions.
Mr. Pfluger. There is legislation that I am sponsoring and
many others are supporting that gets at the heart of the
overstay of those visas, especially those that would perpetrate
those attacks.
Mr. Sleeper, when you think about the terrorist in the
Boulder, Colorado event, what was this person's mindset? How
did they become radicalized? How did they get to the position
where they are espousing these foreign terrorist organization
ideals and this viewpoint of antisemitic and violent action?
Mr. Sleeper. Thank you, sir. The commonality amongst all 3
events were that the perpetrators condoned their actions in the
name of Gaza. They had all been consuming the same material,
the same information. When you have 3 events, violent events,
targeting the Jewish community within 8 weeks and all 3
offenders say the same thing, use the same terminology, it's
clear that there is a consistent message being conveyed.
That message is targeting the Jewish community and it's
being conveyed by everywhere from foreign terrorist
organizations to nation-state actors like Iran. Their goal is
to do whatever they can do to incite violence against the
Jewish community.
Mr. Pfluger. Thank you.
Ms. Rayman, should those on a visa studying at a university
participating in some sort of protest, so not American citizens
but those on a visa, should they be allowed to burn an American
flag at a university?
Ms. Rayman. I want to start off by saying----
Mr. Pfluger. And scream ``Free Palestine?''
Ms. Rayman. Yes. I want to start off by saying that to be
in America as a resident, as a student, is a privilege. It is
not a right. For those who are not upholding our values or
threatening the safety and security of Americans there needs to
be some process for consideration of removal.
Burning an American flag, shouting ``Free Palestine'' are
elements of that freedom of speech, and there are, as has been
discussed before, a great many interpretations of what that
means, of what those types of messages mean, right?
For many who would say, for example, ``from the river to
the sea,'' right, they're seeing that, ignorantly, as
synonymous for free Palestine, right?
But if you look at where the river is and where the sea is
and if, in fact, what they mean when they say that is that it
is only for Palestinians and not for Jews, that's a very
different message.
Mr. Pfluger. Thank you. I will come back to you. My time
has expired.
I will give you the--I will yield to the Ranking Member and
also if you need an extra minute we can do that.
Mr. Magaziner. I appreciate that. Thank you to the Chair
and to our witnesses for some very good testimony.
I will start with Mr. Segal and your recommendations, which
were very helpful. Your first one was expanding funding for the
nonprofit security grant program. That resonates with me
because I know in my district in Rhode Island we have numerous
synagogues, churches, schools, mosques that have utilized that
program.
This is a Federal program that helps those religious and
community-based organizations get the security upgrades that
they need to keep people safe, cameras, facial recognition, et
cetera.
As of yesterday, and I believe this is still the case, the
Trump administration has still not awarded $210 million of
nonprofit security grant funds from fiscal 2024 and has also
not even noticed the funding for fiscal 2025, an additional
$274 million for availability.
So that is, in total, nearly half a billion dollars that
the administration is withholding in nonprofit security grant
funds, to say nothing of the budget for next year that they
proposed, which is also inadequate.
So, can you just, I mean, help us out here? Part of our job
as Members of Congress is to hold the administration
accountable and to make sure the administration is doing
everything that it can to protect people from antisemitic
violence in this country. Can you just speak some more about
the importance of releasing these grant funds right away and
why the administration needs to act immediately on it?
Mr. Segal. Yes, thank you for the question. You know,
attending an event at a Jewish museum or marching or walking
peacefully to show solidarity with hostages or walking to class
or even just walking down the street in Brooklyn should not be
an act of courage, but that's where we are.
Mr. Magaziner. Yes.
Mr. Segal. So, the community is feeling vulnerable. This is
a crisis moment, and we need to rely on our leaders and the
Government to help protect communities when they are at most
risk. I think that's what we hope people will understand and
that these dollars are going to go not for superfluous issues
but to protect people so that they don't have to be courageous
just to be publicly Jewish.
Mr. Magaziner. That is very well said, thank you. I will
just say again, I mean, I genuinely appreciate that the
administration has stated that cracking down on antisemitism is
a priority. It should be. But the actions need to follow the
words, and a very basic action is to release the nearly half a
billion dollars that Congress has already appropriated for the
nonprofit security grant program so that lives can be saved.
Your second recommendation had to do with the CP3 program.
Again, for people at home who may not be familiar, can you
explain what that is and why it is important?
Mr. Segal. Yes. The Center for Prevention, Programs, and
Partnerships at DHS, the idea there is that it would help
prevent mass casualty attacks and extremism, not just respond
to it afterwards. My sense is that based on some of the work
that was done there they helped save lives.
You know, antisemitism is the lifeblood of many extremist
movements both domestically and globally. So, if we can push
back against the narratives that we know animate people to
violence at the earliest stages, the community will be safer.
That's what CP3 has the potential to do.
Mr. Magaziner. It is about preventing people from becoming
radicalized, especially young, impressionable people. If I
could just again, I mentioned this earlier but this, again, is
the agency that President Trump has appointed this individual
to lead, Mr. Fugate, a 22-year-old who just graduated from
college earlier this year with no law enforcement experience,
no national security experience, no intelligence experience.
So, I think what a lot of us are wondering is why? Why?
Like, there are plenty of qualified people out there. Is this
the best we can do? I think there are some who are speculating
that it is because the administration intends to shut down the
CP3 program entirely and Mr. Fugate is there as a placeholder
while it is wound down.
From what I understand there have been significant firings
and layoffs at CP3, which would support that theory. But yes,
the answer is we don't know.
Now, if this is some whiz kid who is qualified somehow to
lead this important office, then I think we at least ought to
get him in here to ask him some questions about what his vision
and his plans are.
You know, with the extra minute that the Chair was kind
enough to grant me, I will just ask any of our witnesses does
anyone feel comfortable having an individual of Mr. Fugate's
profile and experience leading an office like CP3, given the
charged environment that we are in right now?
Mr. Carafano. Yes, look, I'd just like to say that if you
look at the entire Federal architecture in the 4 years that got
us here, I think it was an abysmal failure.
Mr. Magaziner. Yes, but I am asking about who is in charge
right now.
Mr. Carafano. Well, that's the point, sir, because----
Mr. Magaziner. Yes.
Mr. Carafano [continuing]. You have all these people who
were charged with reducing antisemitism----
Mr. Magaziner. Yes.
Mr. Carafano [continuing]. And anti-Zionism in this
country----
Mr. Magaziner. All right. Mr. Carafano----
Mr. Carafano [continuing]. But for 4 years--for 4 years it
just went up.
Mr. Magaziner. So, I will reclaim my time. I don't think
that justifies, any of this justifies appointing a 22-year-old
with no relevant experience to an agency charged with keeping
us safe, an agency that the ADL has flagged in one of their top
5 recommendations as needing more support not less.
Mr. Carafano. Yes. Sir, I think you've asked the wrong
question.
Mr. Magaziner. With that, I will yield back.
Mr. Pfluger. The gentleman yields.
I now recognize the gentlelady from Georgia Ms. Greene.
Ms. Greene. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
There is a unifying belief of the left, a hatred of America
and Western civilization. Anti-Israel extremism is frequently
part of a broader anti-Western sentiment. It is why so many of
the protesters at the L.A. anti-ICE riots are flying
Palestinian flags while burning the American flag and why Isra
Hirsi, the daughter of a Congresswoman who sits on Foreign
Affairs, Ilhan Omar, said on her Instagram last week, ``from
L.A. to Rafah, there is one common oppressor. Death to the
colonial empire.''
She also drew this connection between ICE enforcement and
L.A. in Israel's war against Hamas. For the left everything can
be reduced to white people oppressing brown people. Whether it
be a BLM riot, a pro-Palestinian encampment, or an attempt to
impede ICE from enforcing Federal immigration laws, these
protests are all organized by the same professional left-wing
activists whose intent is to cause as much civil unrest and
chaos as possible.
Elias Rodriguez, the man who shot and killed 2 Israeli
embassy officials last month, was deeply involved in this far-
left activist ecosystem.
Mr. Carafano, what far-left groups was Elias Rodriguez
involved with?
Mr. Carafano. So, you raise a really important point, which
is why the threat of antisemitism and anti-Zionism in the
United States is a bigger and broader problem because when we
look at the organizations which have supported and encouraged
or discussed these----
Ms. Greene. I am short on time, Mr. Carafano. What
organizations?
Mr. Carafano. Yes. So this is the Party of Socialism and
Liberation----
Ms. Greene. Great.
Mr. Carafano [continuing]. Has also been engaged in
activities like BLM and other riots as well.
Ms. Greene. Now, would that be linked to Neville Roy
Singham? Does that name ring a bell?
Mr. Carafano. He is widely recognized as a major funder of
the organization. That's from Wikipedia, so----
Ms. Greene. Just to go further on who Neville Roy Singham
is, he is the son of a Sri Lankan immigrant and Cuban
immigrant, but in 1974 he was investigated by the FBI for his
ties to groups engaged against the United States' interest.
He was in this group. He is also said to be nearly a
billionaire and gives his money frequently to left-wing
organizations. He is even linked to the CCP.
He currently lives and works in Shanghai. He shares office
space with a Chinese propaganda firm focused on presenting a
positive image of China to the global south. In 2019, he
started a consulting business with Chinese partners active in
the propaganda apparatus of the CCP.
He has provided significant funding to pro-China groups
around the world and even married Jodie Evans, founder of Code
Pink in 2017. She used to be against China but she is not
anymore and she is currently co-authoring a book titled,
``China Is Not Our Enemy.''
You know, what is really insane about this man is he uses
the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund. There are a lot of
Americans that invest their money with Goldman Sachs. But the
Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund is a dark money clearing house
to obscure his identity, Singham's identity, while facilitating
the transfer of substantial sums to nonprofit, things like the
People's Forum which received over $20 million from Singham
through the Philanthropy Fund, and organized anti-Israel
protests across the country and was heavily involved in the
protests at Columbia and the Washington mall.
Singham also funds $20 million through the Goldman Sachs
Philanthropy Group to the Justice and Education Fund which
provides money to pro-China media outlets around the world and,
just as you mentioned, the Party of Socialism and Liberation.
That is the group that is organizing these lovely events
happening in Los Angeles that Democrats call ``mostly
peaceful,'' but the people in Los Angeles call fiery, violent,
and call a war against America.
He also funded, and unbelievably, the pro-Palestinian
protests around the country and on campuses and Elias
Rodriguez, the man who killed the 2 young Israeli diplomats.
Singham coordinated the anti-ICE L.A. protest. Again, this
picture just can't be shown enough.
These have been coordinating these--they have been
coordinating these anti-ICE protests around the world or, I
mean, around the country. More to come is what the Democrats
tell us.
Mr. Carafano, one last question, do you believe China is
funding the war against America?
Mr. Carafano. There's a lot of activity in the public
record that show Chinese money is flowing into many of these
organizations which have been involved in planning and
organizing and supporting these activities. Absolutely.
Ms. Greene. Thank you, Mr. Carafano.
I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Pfluger. The gentlelady yields.
The Chair now recognizes the gentleman from New York Mr.
Goldman.
Mr. Goldman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is a little rich
to be lectured about antisemitism from somebody who could not
even bring herself to vote yes on a antisemitism resolution
that was supported by all but 2 Members of the House of
Representatives.
But we are here, I think, for a very important purpose, and
I do thank the Chairman for raising this issue and calling this
hearing. I was disappointed that the partisan accusations that
somehow President Biden and his administration are responsible
for the rise in antisemitism, when President Biden issued the
first national strategy to counter antisemitism and nonprofit
security grants and the funding for them significantly
increased during the Biden administration.
Now that we have had 3 very serious violent antisemitic
incidents the need for those nonprofit security grants is even
greater, and I was certainly disappointed to see that the
Subcommittee on Appropriations allotted only $305 million for
nonprofit security grants, the same amount in fiscal year 2023
before October 7, before the dramatic rise in antisemitism, and
before the violent events that have occurred over the last
couple of months.
Ms. Rayman, you are here from the AJC, and one of those
tragic violent events occurred and an AJC event. Could you just
briefly, and obviously we express our condolences to you and
the organization and the Israeli embassy, but can you describe
what additional security measures AJC will now need to take
after and as a result of the murders of Sarah and Yaron?
Ms. Rayman. Thank you so much for the condolences and
recognizing AJC's, sort-of, unique place in this horrible
antisemitic landscape that we're all navigating in this moment.
There is, of course, an active investigation into what took
place the night of the murder of Sarah and Yaron so I can't
comment too much on that.
But I can say that we've been in very deep and many
conversations with law enforcement, with the FBI, with the
Secure Communities Network about protocols and have been
largely reassured that the existing protocols that AJC has in
place for our events are parallel to what Jewish community
organizations and advocacy organizations across the board are
using and that we have done everything----
Mr. Goldman. I guess the question, if I could just
interrupt, is----
Ms. Rayman. Please.
Mr. Goldman [continuing]. I am assuming that after this
event where there was terrible violence that you are going to
have to increase security.
Ms. Rayman. Yes.
Mr. Goldman. That will cost money, correct?
Ms. Rayman. Yes. Yes.
Mr. Goldman. That is true for just about every single
Jewish organization, whether it be a synagogue or a nonprofit
like AJC?
Ms. Rayman. Absolutely. There becomes a point where
questions have to be asked. Do we have a program? Do we go on a
trip? Do we engage certain constituencies or is the security
cost simply too high?
Mr. Goldman. Yes. I think that that is worth noting because
last year alone there were almost a billion dollars of
applications through the nonprofit security grant program.
Obviously, there was about $450 million so not all of them
could be granted.
What you are saying and what certainly I have been told by
many synagogues and Jewish organizations is now that these
extremist antisemitic protests that previously had included
intimidation, harassment, some assault but had not crossed over
the line to violence and murder as they now have, are going to
have to increase security.
The Federal program that provides funding for that security
is the nonprofit security grant program. If there were a
billion dollars of applications last year we can only imagine
how much more need there will be this year.
I certainly hope that the Chairman, who I know cares very
deeply about this issue, will encourage his colleagues on the
Appropriations Committee and in leadership of the Republican
Party to dramatically increase the $305 million. Many have been
calling for at least $500 million, which I have also supported
and I know AJC has supported.
It is absolutely essential for the Jewish community that
the nonprofit security grant funding be significantly increased
from last year, not decreased. I am hoping we can work in a
bipartisan way to do that, Mr. Chairman, because I know you do
and many of your colleagues on the other side of the aisle care
very much about the Jewish community. This is essential to the
safety and security of the Jewish community.
I yield back.
Ms. Rayman. Congressman, if I may? If we have just 1 second
I would only say that the nonprofit security program doesn't
just help Jewish communities protect our institutions. It's for
all vulnerable communities. So, as we're increasing this amount
we need to make sure also that it's not at the, at the cost or
at the jeopardy of other communities.
So, we need to not only elevate it to meet the needs of the
Jewish community but make sure that all vulnerable communities
throughout the United States have the capacity to apply for and
receive these important grants.
Mr. Goldman. No question about it. Thank you.
Mr. Pfluger. The gentleman's time has expired.
The Chair now recognizes the gentleman from Colorado, Mr.
Evans.
Mr. Evans. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member for
holding this hearing.
Of course, thank you to the witnesses for coming.
First and foremost, our hearts go out to the Jewish
community for these attacks and antisemitism must be condemned
wherever it rears its ugly head, full stop. But we have to do
more than that.
The antisemitic terrorist attack that harmed Jewish
advocates in Boulder, Colorado on June 1 happened 25 miles away
from my house. As we have talked about, not an isolated
incident, a representative of the surge that we have heard
about of antisemitism in Colorado and across the United States.
Unfortunately per data from ADL, 2024 marked the highest
number of recorded incidents of antisemitism in Colorado's
history. We are now ninth in the Nation. Antisemitism has no
home in Colorado or the Nation.
Again, I would like to thank the Chairman and the Ranking
Member for this hearing so that we can find solutions. I was an
Army veteran of the global War on Terror. I was a cop for over
a decade in the Denver Metro Area and so I know that solutions,
one of the solutions, is effective information sharing between
Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies.
In the case of the Boulder attack, there are several
different nodes at which that attack might have been stopped,
when he was admitted entry into the United States having
previously made many antisemitic statements, when he illegally
overstayed a visa, when he illegally attempted to purchase a
firearm, or again, the uploading antisemitic content to social
media in support of extremists. Unfortunately, some of that
coordination did not occur and the attack was planned over the
course of a year in our backyard.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to enter into the record and
play for the committee just a very short video of some of the
statements made by the Boulder perpetrator before he carried
out the attack.
Mr. Pfluger. So ordered. Let's suspend the time until we
can get the video. When the video starts you can resume the
time.
[Video playing.]
Mr. Evans. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
First question to Mr. Sleeper. In light of statements like
that, overstaying a visa, trying to purchase a firearm, should
that have raised some red flags?
Mr. Sleeper. Yes. Knowing what we do regarding individuals
who may be inclined to pursue the Jewish community as, excuse
me, pursue the Jewish community as a result of their
grievances, yes. Law enforcement and the intelligence community
should be able to focus more acutely to identify issues that
are suggesting an individual contemplating mobilization to
violence.
Mr. Evans. Thank you. Then last question, I have got a
minute and 12 seconds left, you mentioned in your testimony,
fusion centers. How can Federal policies strengthen the
original mission of fusion centers by equipping them with the
tools to detect and respond to these antisemitic or other
terrorist threats? What does that look like in terms of threat
reporting?
Mr. Sleeper. Thank you. Fusion centers play an absolutely
critical role in sharing threat information, timely threat
information across our domestic intelligence architecture. SCN
leverages fusion centers every day we work. When we identify a
threat to life we include fusion centers to ensure that there's
redundancy and sharing that information.
As we look ahead and we develop a strategy to mitigate
targeted violent threats against the Jewish community, the
intelligence component is absolutely essential. We need to
understand what our adversaries are doing.
Most of the discussions we're having today are defensive.
What can we do to protect this? Until we get to the point of we
understand what our adversaries are trying to do, what they're
targeting, and incorporating the fusion centers, working in
conjunction with the intelligence community, Federal, State,
and local law enforcement, then we will have a seamless
perspective on information being shared specifically to this
threat.
Mr. Evans. I yield back.
Mr. Pfluger. The gentleman yields.
The Chair now recognizes the gentleman from Puerto Rico Mr.
Hernandez.
Mr. Hernandez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I represent
probably the largest Jewish community in the Caribbean, and I
take the responsibility very seriously. Jewish people deserve
to live without fear and with the full protection and support
of their government.
Antisemitism has no place in our society, and I stand
firmly with the Jewish community and remain committed to
confronting hate with strength and determination.
Part of my commitment includes investigating and
understanding how antisemitism spreads on-line, how it spreads
through digital spaces like encrypted platforms such as
WhatsApp and Signal or social media platforms such as Facebook,
X, Instagram, YouTube.
Decisions by these companies, and full disclosure, I used
to work for one of them, have an impact. We have seen how
loosening content restrictions at Meta have led to an increase
in antisemitism on-line, for example, a spike in antisemitic
comments on the Facebook accounts of 30 Jewish Members of
Congress.
Now, Ms. Rayman, while I disagree with the idea of
reforming or changing Section 230 because I believe that
Section 230 is what enables content moderation without
liability, I think we can find some common ground with some
minimum level of oversight, right, of moderation. Do you think
that social media companies should reinstate previous policies
around hate speech?
Ms. Rayman. Social media companies have a lot of work to
do, both in terms of reinstating previous policies, increasing
the number of content moderators. There was a trend to have
more humans monitoring social media and looking for problematic
posts. That trend, unfortunately, is changing and without the
humans who are trained to understand what's going on it's much
harder to combat.
With regard to Section 230, I would very respectfully push
back and give an example. You remember the attack in Paris on
the Bataclan Theater in 2015 where 90 were killed. There were
clear examples of how social media had inspired and allowed for
that attack to be facilitated.
An American was killed in that attack and sued the social
media company. The initial court deemed that they were liable
but they could not be found guilty because of Section 230. So,
American lives are endangered because social media platforms
cannot be held liable. No one's saying that they need to be
liable for all of the hatred or all of the ridiculousness that
exists on social media. That's what they're built for in a lot
of ways.
But there need to be some lines. When there's fear of
incitement----
Mr. Hernandez. I am sorry to interrupt because I also have
another topic that I want to move on to but I do agree with the
fact that we do need standards around content moderation. I
would be open to legislation at least requiring some auditing
of whether those companies are enforcing those standards and
their success rates.
Ms. Rayman. Yes.
Mr. Hernandez. But I do think that we need to protect their
intermediary liability status because it is crucial to protect
freedom of expression and also for the platform's functioning.
But, naturally, we can continue this debate for eternity. I
agree with your point that on-line harm can lead to real-world
harm and that is something that we need to guard against.
I would like to switch over to the controversy surrounding
Harvard in the limited time I have left. Now, I understand that
there is much to be done by universities across the country to
ensure that all their students feel safe on campus, but Harvard
has implemented several initiatives to ensure that its Jewish
and Israeli students feel supported and have a strong sense of
belonging.
I disagree with the administration's decision to freeze
over $2 billion in critical funding to a university known for
groundbreaking research and using the pretext of failing to
address antisemitism on its campus is deeply misguided.
My question is for Mr. Segal. Given the ADL's partnership
with Harvard to develop tools and best practices for combating
antisemitism, can you share what measurable impact these
initiatives have had so far in supporting Jewish and Israeli
students on campus?
Mr. Segal. Well, I'll just start by saying, you know, to
effectively combat antisemitism we need to safeguard those
efforts from political exploitation. I would also say that, you
know, banning, you know, foreign students from attending a
university or removing their accreditation, like, that's not
going to solve the antisemitism problem.
Mr. Hernandez. I agree. I think we have to stand strongly
against antisemitism but we also have to stand strongly against
weaponizing antisemitism for political gain.
I yield back.
Mr. Pfluger. The gentleman yields.
We will now enter a second round of questioning. Only those
that were here for the first round will be allowed to ask a
second question. If somebody new who was not here for the first
round comes then they will be allowed to ask but it will be a
single 5-minute period.
The Chair now recognizes--I now right myself for 5
additional minutes of questioning.
Mr. Sleeper, you talked about the threat of future attacks
and you said that you are worried about the attacks that SCN
has predicted that there will be a rise. What about those?
So, we saw in the case of Boulder that this was a visa
overstay issue. Are you worried about those that entered this
country illegally that had a tie to terrorism? Could they also
pose a threat?
Mr. Sleeper. Well, certainly if there's individuals in this
country that have a tie to terrorist organizations they should
be a priority in monitoring ties to terrorist organizations
without a doubt. Yes, sir.
Mr. Pfluger. Do they pose a threat to the Jewish community?
Mr. Sleeper. If there's an individual in this country that
has a tie to a terrorist organization we should consider them a
threat to the Jewish community. Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Pfluger. OK.
Dr. Carafano, when I think about the lawlessness that is
happening across our country in many cities, talk to me about
are these protesters in some cases being paid to go from city
to city to protest, whether it is a ``from the river to the
sea'' mindset or an anti-ICE mindset? Are there common threads
that we see in these protests?
Mr. Carafano. We do see organizations that have in the
public record supported activities including the BLM riots, the
antisemitic riots that we've seen at universities and other
places and people in California. This is undeniable.
Now, the question, you know, as I said my testimony, the
key thing is material support. It's a real crime. It is a red
line.
Now, I'm not accusing anybody of having conducted material
support but the answer is where do you look for material
support? You look for people who are involved in activities
that result in harm to the public, whether it's a terrorist act
or public violence.
Mr. Pfluger. So, when you see communities that fail to take
these protests seriously when they do cross the line of
protected speech to an area where it is not protected,
violence, threats of violence, and those types of things, is
there an incentive in these communities to continue to foment
this type of attitude? Is that leading to the growing danger
and the growing threat across our country?
Mr. Carafano. I mean, I think as a general threat estimate
we could say that a lot of the public, organized public
violence that we've seen in the last half decade, is what we
would call top down, right? It's not like the civil rights
movement. It's not like people saying let's block the bridge in
Montgomery, Alabama. It's people being organized and sent to
the streets.
We're seeing the same people or the same groups organizing
across a range of different issues. So, if you say is there an
external threat of a button to push to say when do we want to
create public discord in the United States and make that
happen, we've seen a series of occasions now where it appears
the answer to that is yes.
Then, as I said, the real question is because we're worried
about public safety, if that crosses over into material support
now you just don't have somebody that's fomenting public unrest
for political motives, for international motives, but you might
have people that are actually creating a physical threat to
American citizens.
Mr. Pfluger. Ms. Rayman, you talked about having both sides
of the ideological spectrum covered. That it doesn't matter,
that there you see it on both sides. But characterize those
that are inciting these violent protests right now. What side
of the political spectrum are they on, the ones that are
screaming ``from the river to the sea'' and ``Free Palestine''
in a way that incites violence in protests?
Ms. Rayman. Certainly what's been, I think, most jarring
for many in the Jewish community over the past few weeks has
been the shift from what we had seen as, sort-of, peaceful but
uncomfortable protest to violent protest. There's no question
about that.
Mr. Pfluger. Which side of the political spectrum do they
lie on?
Ms. Rayman. They're coming from the far left. According to
our survey, I didn't give this statistic before, we ask
American Jews where are you most concerned about the threats?
Thirty-three percent say the far left, 33 percent say the far
right, 33 percent say Christian nationalism----
Mr. Pfluger. Yes. Well, I understand that.
Ms. Rayman [continuing]. And 33 percent say extremism in
the name of Islam.
Mr. Pfluger. What I want to hone in on right now, though--
--
Ms. Rayman. Yes.
Mr. Pfluger [continuing]. Is these protests have been going
on for quite some time, for several years, in fact, and they
have become more violent in nature. So, do you see that same
character in that 33 percent that you just identified on the
far right in the terms of massive amounts of people in massive
protests that go from peaceful to violent?
Ms. Rayman. The really tragic part of what we are seeing in
antisemitism in America today is that we cannot look in only
one direction. Right now it would be very easy to turn all of
our attention to the far left, to the anti-Zionist protesters
and say this is where the threat is coming from now and ignore
every other source of antisemitism.
Mr. Pfluger. Unacceptable in any forum on either side.
Ms. Rayman. We cannot do that. We don't have that luxury.
Mr. Pfluger. I agree, thank you. My time has expired.
I yield to the Ranking Member.
Mr. Magaziner. Thank you.
On that point, I mean, again, I think it is important that
we call out antisemitism wherever it exists and that we act to
prevent violence whatever the motivation. You know, that is
certainly true when protests turn violent on the far left.
It is also true, for example, in Charlottesville, a mass
protest that turned violent replete with chants of ``Jews will
not replace us,'' among other inappropriate and incendiary
slogans. So, we have got to call it all out.
But, you know, one of the dynamics that I find here, and
this has not been the case, I want to thank the Chairman for a
very good conversation and for calling this hearing. I want to
thank all of the witnesses for bringing, I think, good,
actionable recommendations.
But I think one of the things that frustrates some of us,
particularly, you know, those who are Jewish Members of
Congress or who, like myself, don't practice but have Jewish
heritage, is sometimes, you know, we feel that antisemitism is
being used to justify whatever the political agenda is that
someone is trying to push when really what we need to be doing
right now is listening to the Jewish community in this moment
of crisis and asking the Jewish community in America what do
you need?
So in that vein, hearing recommendations from these
panelists is very instructive. I want to make sure that those
recommendations are the center of what we take away from this,
recommendations like fully funding the nonprofit security grant
program and getting the nearly half billion dollars that has
already been allocated out the door to organizations that need
it.
Funding and supporting the CP3 program so that we can
prevent radicalization before it occurs. That is a
recommendation that is actionable that we in Congress can have
influence over that we need and support.
Another recommendation that I noticed in Mr. Segal's
testimony had to do with the Office of Civil Rights in the
Department of Education. I think particularly in the higher
education conversation right now that is important, so I would
like to offer you a moment, you know, Mr. Segal, to explain the
rationale for that recommendation and why it is important.
Mr. Segal. Yes. I mean, we need to, kind-of, attack where
we are seeing antisemitism. I will say it's not only on college
campuses. We're seeing it, you know, throughout our society.
We're seeing it on-line. We're seeing it in the mouths of some
of our leaders.
But I think, you know, when you think about ways to try to
attack this issue before it gets worse, finding ways to deal
with it when people are younger and giving them alternatives is
going to help prevent future issues of antisemitism.
I would just like to say, you know, the attacks of tomorrow
are being incubated today, whether it's in on-line spaces,
whether it is in people feeling emboldened to harass their
Jewish classmates, et cetera. So, the Education Department
being able to focus on Title 6, for example, cases----
Mr. Magaziner. Yes.
Mr. Segal [continuing]. Hopefully will help.
Mr. Magaziner. That is incredibly important. I agree.
Again, just for the record, I stated this earlier, so far this
year the administration has cut at least 240 employees from
that office at a time when we should be surging resources.
The way to deal with antisemitism on campuses is by having
strong Title 6 enforcement, by having the Department of
Education exercise oversight, not by cutting funding to medical
research, not by turning away the best and the brightest from
around the world who want to study in the United States.
So, again, I just want to make sure that we are listening
to what our expert witnesses here are asking us for as a
Congress and that the administration is listening as well.
Look, I do retain optimism. I believe that we can get past
this period of divisiveness and hate that we are living in and
we can build a brighter and better future, but we need to put
the resources in the right places. Support DHS, support law
enforcement, support the people who are doing the work of
enforcing Title 6 do the actual work and put the funding where
it belongs. This is not a time to be pulling back. Yes, going
after hate on-line is absolutely essential.
I will just end on this. The social media platforms will
pretend that they are neutral conduits for speech but when
their algorithms amplify certain kinds of content, content that
promotes violence, content that promotes hate, when their
algorithms do that they are not being neutral. The algorithms
are not neutral on those platforms and therefore they have a
responsibility to exercise their power responsibly. If they
don't, then Congress has a role to step in.
So, thank you all again. I yield back.
Mr. Pfluger. The gentleman yields.
The Chair now recognizes gentleman from Colorado Mr. Evans.
Mr. Evans. Thank you, Chairman. Thank you for the second
round of questioning.
This was something that had come up in the first round and
what I will probably do is I will frame the question and then
we will go down the line and just hear each of your thoughts on
it. As a cop you get to learn all sorts of fun case law and in
this particular case Brandenburg v. Ohio from 1969 is the
current governing SCOTUS case around where does free speech end
and where does criminal action begin.
So just for the sake of framing this, I will read you a
quick synopsis of it, which is that, ``speech may not be
forbidden, advocating the use of force or unlawful conduct,
unless that advocacy is directed to inciting or producing
imminent lawless action or is likely to incite or produce such
a lawless action.''
So, it goes back to the old hypothetical. Is it allowed to
yell fire in a crowded theater? Well, that depends. Is there
actually fire in a crowded theater, then yes, you should
absolutely yell fire in a crowded theater.
But if you yell those exact same words with the intention
of sowing discord, causing lawlessness, somebody gets hurt in a
chaotic evacuation and you knew there was no fire and you did
it out of malicious intent, well then, of course, that is not
protected speech.
So, in the in the case of the discussion that we are having
here, I would just like to go down the line starting with Mr.
Sleeper and hear your thoughts around some of the slogans that
we are hearing, ``Free Palestine,'' ``the river to the sea''
and help break down the things that you are looking for that
would help to define that line between something protected by
free speech or something that is, as it says here in
Brandenburg v. Ohio, calling for imminent lawless action or
likely to incite that imminent lawless action. We have got 3\1/
2\ minutes left.
Mr. Sleeper. Thank you, sir. Our analysts are trained and
managed to a privacy policy. We have a very rigorous privacy
policy at SCN. We are specifically looking for individuals on-
line who are making violent threats to the Jewish community,
not threats, not comments about the Jewish community but
threats to life. Clearly that meets the exemption policy in the
First Amendment. Real threats are an exemption.
Attempts to intimidate and create fear are an exemption, so
that's exactly what we're doing in the sense of staying true to
the Constitution and the First Amendment but still being
effective in identifying individuals intent upon threatening
the Jewish community.
Mr. Evans. Thank you.
Mr. Segal.
Mr. Segal. Yes. I would just say quickly there are 2
elements that we look at. No. 1 is, you know, there is
completely protected speech that can still be very damaging,
not because it's immediate but this is a slow boil. The more
that you dehumanize Jews and Israelis over time, the more that
you normalize the type of language that isolates them and
encourages people to try to attack them, the more likely it is
possible.
So, it doesn't mean the speech is illegal but it means we
still need to do something about that and find some
counteractions.
The second part, real quick, on-line spaces where a lot of
these discussions are starting and that animate what we're
seeing in the real world, include terrorist organizations being
able to share their propaganda, their communiques with a whole
host of people around the globe. That may be a space like on
Telegram to interrupt some of the language that we know is not
only by foreign terrorist organizations but actually is
animating that violence.
So, I'd like to find a way and I would like to work with
any leaders here to find a way to drive a wedge in that space.
Mr. Evans. Thank you.
Dr. Carafano.
Mr. Carafano. The reason why I focus on material support is
because it's an action that we absolutely know stops terrorists
and public violence. As you pointed out in that legal opinion,
there was a bright line there. It is not a free speech issue
period.
Can I just make a very quick comment on your last
question?--which was on the information sharing and State and
local. Because if a 287(g) program had been in place in
Boulder, Colorado, it is very likely that that perpetrator
would have been found and removed for the country.
There was only actually, I think, one 287(g) program. It
was in Teller County. It was actually invalidated by the courts
because it violated State law.
Mr. Evans. No, there--yes, it was invalidated by State law
directly in 2023 because I debated that State law in the State
legislature. Thank you.
We have got 34 seconds left. Ms. Rayman.
Ms. Rayman. I'll be very speedy. I want to echo what Oren
said about whether it's permissible or not. We have a
responsibility to push back against language and rhetoric that
when it seeps into the consciousness of even some, if not all,
can be dangerous and flag for the subcommittee a resource from
AJC called Translate Hate that is a visual glossary of
antisemitic terms and tropes that sometimes hide in plain
sight.
It talks about when they are and when they may not be
antisemitic, and it includes terms like, ``from the river to
the sea,'' ``Globalized the Intifada.'' Happy to provide this
and any other resources after the hearing today.
Mr. Evans. Thank you.
Yield back.
Mr. Pfluger. The gentleman's time has expired.
The Chair recognizes gentleman from New York Mr. Goldman.
Mr. Goldman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As the co-chair of
the bipartisan House Antisemitism Task Force, I think a lot
about how to address antisemitism. I think one of the most
important ways not to address antisemitism is to make it
partisan and to try to place more relative blame on one party
or another party for antisemitism.
I will say, as a member of the Democratic Party, that those
people who espouse rhetoric, the ``from the river to the sea,
Globalize the Intifada,'' also in many cases are anti-American
and anti-democratic. They are not part of the Democratic Party.
They are extremists. I don't know if they are part of any
political party, but I and many of my colleagues disavow them.
They are not part of our party. If you are anti-American and
anti-democratic then you are not part of any party. I hope we
can stop trying to place more blame on one or the other and use
it for partisan gain or political points.
Mr. Segal, I want to go back to I think what is a really,
really important area to discuss, one that I have been focused
on for quite a while, and that is the rise of antisemitic
rhetoric and terrorist action or terrorist conduct and rhetoric
on social media.
Starting in November 2023, I wrote 3 different letters
ultimately to Speaker Johnson asking for an investigation of X
because X had been promoting terrorists on its platform,
notwithstanding its rules and conditions.
Now, Meta has followed X and has decided not to have any
content moderation. According to a recent Tech Transparency
Project Report that you can search for and collate pages and
pages for the Islamic State, for al-Qaeda that are
automatically generated by Facebook when you just list that
terrorist group or you check into a terrorist group.
Now, Facebook says that it bans Islamic State and al-Qaeda
and says that its technology is specially trained to detect
them but that is flatly not the case.
TikTok, of course, has been well-documented to be promoting
antisemitic rhetoric, antisemitic speech, and supporting
terrorist organizations that preach antisemitism and anti-
Israel beliefs.
This is what has radicalized the 3 recent perpetrators of
violence. They have been radicalized on-line. I think your
point about figuring out how to put a wedge in the social media
platforms to prevent the proliferation and the promotion of
that content is essential to combating antisemitism. I am very
interested in working with you.
You know, I urge the Chairman to pick this up because I
think that if we do want to address antisemitism we have to
tackle it on-line because that is unquestionably where people
are radicalized right now.
I guess in the last minute or so, if you could just
describe some suggestions and recommendations for actions that
we could take to do that I would be grateful.
Mr. Segal. Thank you for the question and we would be
delighted to work with your staff on ways to move this forward.
You know, I think the big point here is it's not just the
presence of antisemitism on these platforms. It's the ability
for these platforms to amplify it and for antisemites to
actually monetize those products because of their antisemitism,
right? I mean, that is even beyond just merely having it show
up.
So we need stronger trust and safety parts of these
organizations which have been decimated by some of them. We
need to make sure that there are teams that are actually,
whether it's using automated technologies or human beings,
like, they need to enforce their terms of services, right? I
mean----
Mr. Goldman. I mean, it is that simple, right? They have--
--
Mr. Segal. Yes.
Mr. Goldman [continuing]. Regulation. They have the
restrictions. They are just not enforcing them.
Mr. Segal. Right. You know, ADL, for example, we have a
hate symbols database. We have all sorts of information that if
someone's really looking for antisemitism and hate all they
have to do is train their algorithms on what we provide, which
is publicly available, to identify that hate and then make a
dent into those types of exploitation of their platforms by
antisemites.
But there needs to be a willingness there. They need to
want to put people over profits and, frankly, if they're not
going to do it on their own, I think government needs to step
in----
Mr. Pfluger. The gentleman's time has expired.
Mr. Segal [continuing]. And provide an opportunity for
that.
Mr. Goldman. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the extra time. I
really sincerely hope that we can tackle this issue because it
is incredibly important on the issue of counterterrorism and
antisemitism. Thank you for the extra time.
Mr. Pfluger. The gentleman's time has expired.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman, Ms. Pou.
Ms. Pou. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and to our Ranking Member
Magaziner for holding this very important hearing today. Let me
just begin by indicating that clearly the rise of the
antisemitism in the United States and across the world is
alarming, especially after the October 7 terrorist attack that
antisemitism attacks have increased exponentially.
No one should feel threatened or scared because of who they
are and we must call out antisemitism each and every time that
it rears its ugly head.
Today, I want to point out though that President Trump and
his administration has cut vital Federal programs' funding and
programs that are key in fighting against antisemitism. These
freezes and cuts must be reversed immediately. It is something
I have actually spoken about here in this very committee.
My first question, what I would like to direct it to, I am
sorry, Deputy Director Sleeper. Let me just make reference to
the fact that these nonprofit security grants is a critical
Federal resource that helps organization at a high risk of
terrorism and other extremist attacks improve their physical
security and prepare for the myriad threats they face for
synagogues, mosques, churches, schools, and community centers.
This program is not the only medium to obtain the
protections that they need to keep their community safe.
Unfortunately, as I pointed out, to date the administration has
not released any notice of funding opportunity for the fiscal
year 2025 or conducted its usual public webinar to help
potential applicants understand the grant application process.
Nearly a month ago right here in this room, I pressed
Secretary Noem on when our communities would receive guidance
on this critical funding? Unfortunately, she did not give me an
answer and here we are today still waiting, by the way.
So with that, deputy director, how are the delays in
receiving the notice of funding opportunities, along with the
absence of public-facing guidance like the webinar, impacting
the ability of vulnerable organizations and groups to access
resources necessary to protect their communities?
Mr. Sleeper. Thank you. The nonprofit security grant has
and should continue to be an essential component of a
comprehensive security strategy to secure Jewish facilities.
Ms. Pou. Well, thank you. We obviously know that, but
unfortunately, I just want to stress the fact that that is
still on-going and not released and that is something that we
are all advocating for but, unfortunately, that is still
something that has not happened.
We also recognize that home-grown violent extremists and
domestic terrorists prey on our Jewish community. This is why
our New Jersey Office of Homeland Security identified attacks
from these groups as the highest threat to New Jersey. But
inexplicably, the administration, the Trump administration, is
redirecting counterterrorism personnel and funds that should be
used to fight home-grown domestic terrorism.
For example, the FBI field offices across the country has
been ordered to reassign agents away from our counterterrorism
and counterintelligence. Recent antisemitic attacks at the
capital Jewish museum in Washington, DC and in Boulder,
Colorado, underscore the urgent need to double down on efforts
to combat domestic terrorism and simply not walk away from
them.
So with that said, Mr. Segal, how does redirecting, once
again, Federal resources from the home-grown extremists and
domestic terrorists affects the safety and security of the
Jewish community?
Mr. Segal. It affects the safety and security of the Jewish
community. We need to seize this moment now when the Jewish
community is in a crisis of violence and antisemitic incidents
targeting the Jewish community to make sure that we are using
every opportunity to uplift. Invest in, not contract, funding
in those entities that will help protect the Jewish community.
Ms. Pou. So, I know I have 5 seconds but let me just say I
hope that you are sharing that thought and making that
statement to the front office, the White House, so that these
funds can do exactly what you are talking about and making sure
to protect that because that is not happening.
Mr. Pfluger. The gentlelady----
Ms. Pou. I yield back, Mr. Chairman. Thank you so very
much.
Mr. Pfluger. I am sorry for mispronouncing your name, Ms.
Pou earlier.
I will now recognize Ranking Member for a very brief
closing statement. I will follow as well.
Mr. Magaziner. So, again, I want to thank the Chairman for
calling a hearing on this absolutely essential topic.
Thank our witnesses for doing an excellent job today and
coming, I think, with a very thoughtful and also productive
approach to this hearing and giving us some good
recommendations that we should absolutely consider and act on.
Look, a lot has been said already. I will just say it
again. I think both in Congress and from the administration
when it comes to combating violent antisemitism we need not
just rhetoric but also resources. That is important and it
cannot be overstated.
So, I am going to continue to fight for those resources. I
hope and I expect that we will have bipartisan support in that
effort and that we will all continue to find the inspiration to
call out antisemitic hate wherever it exists, that we will
continue to work together to meet this moment that we are in,
and combat the culture of hate that, unfortunately, has taken
root across much of our society.
I will end, I opened by referencing President Washington's
visit to the Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island. It was
an important signal, you know, 235 years ago from our first
President that he wanted our country to be a place that was
welcoming to all faiths and particularly the Jewish faith.
The building still stands. If you ever find yourselves in
Rhode Island I encourage you to visit it. It is quite moving
and inspirational.
In advance of his visit, he wrote a letter to the
congregation that I will quote from it and from now on, and
hopefully his words can inspire us as it inspired Americans in
his time.
He wrote, ``May the children of the stock of Abraham who
dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the goodwill of
the other inhabitants while everyone shall sit in safety under
his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him
afraid. My the father of all mercies scatter light and not
darkness in our paths and make all of us in our vocations
useful here and in his own due time and way everlastingly
happy.''
With that, I will yield back.
Mr. Pfluger. I think the Ranking Member.
I think our witnesses agree with the Ranking Member on the
thoughtful dialog today with recommendations that are very
helpful.
I will note as an observation that there is a movement in
our country to stifle free speech. It is real. It is happening
in many different places. It is happening in universities. It
is happening, in fact, in the last administration with the
thought of the disinformation board to be run by this
department, the Homeland Security Department, a horrible idea.
So, we balance the safety and security of our citizens with
free speech, and this is a hard thing. The testimony that we
have heard from each of you has been very helpful to balance
that.
When protected speech turns into violence, when it turns
into the threat of violence, when it turns into the inciting of
violence is where we cross over that threshold. We will
struggle with that here.
I am very glad to hear my colleague from New York talk
about those who have made horribly not just insensitive but
false and violent statements from one party or another. In the
case that I believe that my colleague from New York was
referring to those in his own party, and we do need to call out
those who are making egregious and what can be referred to as
inciting violent type of statements.
I don't think it is just funding. I do think we need
funding but it is not just funding. It is policy. It is a
willingness. It is the political will to stand up to an
antisemitic mindset that, unfortunately, has permeated our
society. It is a willingness to prosecute in places that are
not upholding law and order.
Whether it is an anti-ICE protest that turns violent or it
is an antisemitic protest that turns violent, it is an
unwillingness to prosecute those that is way more important
than any sort of funding could ever be. I think we know this
because not a single law changed, not a single amount of
funding changed and the border immediately became secure.
So, yes, we will work on funding where we need it. I agree
with the Ranking Member that where we can put good resources to
use we will.
But what I would really like to call on is, and if this is
equally across the spectrum a problem as has been testified to
today, which I am not sure that I believe that, but if it is
then I hope that we will be able to call it out, because right
now we do see an ideology that has permeated in a far left
mentality that has attracted thousands of people.
I hope that I can count on the Ranking Member to call that
out. If and when we find out that there is an ideology that is
associated with the other side that we can do the same. I think
the safety and security of the Jewish community has been
threatened.
I am glad that we are holding this hearing to figure out
some of the facts with more research to be done to understand
where legislation can be helpful and what we need to do to take
the next steps because this isn't a bipartisan issue. This is a
nonpartisan issue.
It is not just the Jewish community. It is every community
that could be targeted in one way or another. We 100 percent
have to recognize that, but right now it is the Jewish
community that is being targeted and that is unacceptable.
So, I thank the Ranking Member and the Members who joined
this hearing. I thank our witnesses and commit to continuing to
combat this and continuing to find good solutions.
I want to say to the Members of the subcommittee that if
you have additional questions for the witnesses we would ask
the witnesses to respond to those in writing. Pursuant to our
committee rule (VII)E, the hearing record will be open for the
next 10 days.
Without objection, the subcommittee stands adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 12:24 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]
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