The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Homeland Security Department issued a Public Service Announcement on Thursday to stress possible safety concerns related to ongoing threats to Jewish and Israeli communities in the US.
The PSA referenced the Boulder, Colorado, Molotov cocktail attack on pro-Israel advocates on June 1 and the murder of two Israeli Embassy staff at the Capital Jewish Museum in late May.
The statement added that the war in Gaza "may motivate other violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators with similar grievances to conduct violence against Jewish and Israeli communities and their supporters."
Foreign terrorist organizations may attempt to "exploit narratives related to the conflict to inspire attacks," the statement said, calling on the public to remain vigilant and report any threats of violence or suspicious activity to law enforcement.
The attack in Boulder saw 12 individuals burned when a man threw Molotov cocktails and used an improvised flamethrower to target participants at a weekly event raising awareness for the Israeli hostages. One of the victims is a Holocaust survivor.
Two Israeli embassy staff members were shot outside Jewish museum in May
The two embassy staff members, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Miligrim, were murdered in front of the Washington museum on Wednesday, May 21, when Elias Rodriguez opened fire on a group of people as they left an event for young diplomats hosted by the American Jewish Committee, a pro-Israel advocacy group that fights antisemitism.
In addition to two counts of first-degree murder, Rodriguez was charged in a criminal complaint with murder of foreign officials, causing death with a firearm, and discharging a firearm in a crime of violence.