Call for ‘Day of Jihad’ prompts greater vigilance by FBI, Jewish groups

FBI Director Christopher A. Wray on Thursday warned of attacks in the U.S. as security around Jewish institutions ramped up, prompted by an increase in threats against Jews and a former Hamas leader’s call for a global “Day of Jihad” against Israel on Friday.

The heightened alert comes five days after Hamas terrorists stormed across the Gaza Strip’s northern border with Israel and killed hundreds, including at least 27 Americans. Hamas also took an estimated 150 Jewish hostages into Gaza. On Thursday, the White House said 14 Americans are missing, although national security spokesman John Kirby estimated only a “handful” of Americans were likely among the hostages. 

“We cannot and do not discount the possibility that Hamas, or other foreign terrorist organizations, could exploit the conflict to call on their supporters to conduct attacks here on our own soil,” Mr. Wray told a briefing organized by the Secure Community Network, the North American Jewish community’s security organization.

The New York Police Department said in a Thursday memo that “[a]ll uniformed members of the service in every rank, will perform duty in the uniform of the day and be prepared for deployment” on Friday.

“As always, we remain focused on the threat terrorism poses to our country,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “Today, I briefed President Biden and his national security team on the Justice Department’s dedication of critical resources to monitor the potential threat of terrorism here at home.”

Former Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal called on Muslims to “mobilize for jihad” on Friday. Now the head of Hamas’ diaspora office, he called for protests in support of the Palestinians and for neighboring countries to join the fight against Israel.

“[We must] head to the squares and streets of the Arab and Islamic world on Friday,” he said in a recorded statement sent to Reuters.

His call to action came as Israel’s military ramped up its campaign of retaliation for Saturday’s murderous rampage by Hamas, leveling entire neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip. Israel is massing troops for a possible ground operation against the Hamas stronghold and has vowed that a punishing blockage of the enclave — including cutting off access to food, power and other supplies — will continue until Hamas frees the hostages.

“We are seeing and anticipate an increase in hateful rhetoric and calls for violence such as the so-called worldwide day of jihad,” Secure Community Network national director and CEO Michael Masters told the briefing.

He said SCN is “not aware of any direct, credible threats against the Jewish community in the U.S.,” but noted “the situation remains dynamic, and individuals may be motivated to action, whether protest activity or otherwise, with little to no warning.”

The FBI’s annual hate crimes report, scheduled to be released next week, will reflect a rise in antisemitic hate crimes, Mr. Wray said.

“The threats targeting Jewish people in the United States may be coming from all sides, but we’re hitting back full force,” he said.

“Jewish people continue to face repeated violence and very real threats to your institutions and your houses of worship and to the individuals in your community simply for being who you are,” Mr. Wray told the more than 4,200 Jewish community leaders tuned in to the online event.

• David R. Sands contributed to this report.