FBI Director Christopher Wray told a Senate committee on Tuesday that the Hamas attack on Israel could spin off violence by Islamic radicals inside the United States, and he said several times in the hearing that Americans should be “vigilant.”
“We assess that the actions of Hamas and its allies will serve as an inspiration the likes of which we haven’t seen since ISIS launched its so-called caliphate years ago,” Wray said, referring to the Islamic State terror group during a hearing in the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. “It is a time to be concerned. We are in a dangerous period. We shouldn’t stop going out, but we should be vigilant.”
Hamas and other radicalized Islamist groups have ramped up their calls for attacks on Americans and the U.S., Wray said. The agency is specifically concerned about lone-wolf individuals who are not associated with any organization but act in response to the war in Gaza, which began when Hamas crossed into Israel and slaughtered over 1,400 Jews.
He said the agency is receiving an increased number of tips from Americans and that the agency has several active investigations into people associated with Hamas.
Although Jewish people make up 2.4% of the population in the United States, they are targets of about 60% of religious-based hate crimes, Wray said, adding, “That should be jarring to everyone.”
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told the committee that his department is also seeing an increased number of threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab Americans ever since the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
“Hate directed at Jewish students, communities and institutions add to a preexisting increase in the level of antisemitism in the United States and around the world,” Mayorkas said.
New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan said Jewish leaders have told her that worshipers are now afraid to go to synagogues. That statement was echoed by Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott.
“I know our Jewish families all across my state and all across the country are pretty scared to death right now,” Scott said.
“This is not a time for panic, but it is a time for vigilance,” Wray told the committee. “We shouldn’t stop conducting our daily lives, going to schools, houses of worship, and so forth, but we should be vigilant. You often hear the expression, ‘If you see something, say something.’ That’s never been more true than now, and that’s partly why the American people are reporting more tips and leads to us and we’re pursuing those threats and leads.”
No kidding. Are they actually capable of it?
Uhhhhhh how bout we get vigilant about our southern border. Fighting age males from third world countries have been pouring into the US since mumbles took over. Not to mention all the afghan refugees that landed here on midnight flights, pointing out that these people have an ingrained hatred for America is of course racist, so no one wants to try and stop it.
Remember when chuck Schumer stood in front of the tv cameras and said America didn’t have 5 billion to spend on a border wall? Do you remember being called a domestic terrorist for not wanting biological males to share the girls bathrooms and locker rooms?
The current administration wants nothing more than to tear down America of the past, meaning of course, yes there’s gonna be a lot of terroristic acts brought to our cities but they won’t be called that. The media will keep the perpetrators race and motive out of the story, cuz “racism”. This is what the 81 million wanted.
I feel the need to point out that without the longstanding and inexplicable US kneejerk support and subsidization of the foreign nation of Israel, the Arab world would have little or no grudge against the USA in the first place, and we would not be facing this threat of terrorism from them today.
“For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.”
So it’s our fault for the support of Israel’s prevention of destruction from the Arabs? If that’s the logic, therefore by everyone else’s non-conversion to Islam is now our fault too. 🤦 Just pointing that out.
Nonsense. The very first war this nation fought as a new country was the Barbary Wars, against muslim states that took our sailors prisoner and told President Jefferson that Quran allowed them to do this to infidels. There has never been in a time in the last 250 years or so when the votaries of the so called prophet have not had it out for western culture and any form of government that wasn’t a theocracy. Only once Jefferson sent our navy over to the Mediterranean to bomb them into submission did the insanity stop.
Maybe I need to point out that we are not facing any current threat from Barbary pirates?
Your lumping of all Moslems into one basket reeks of racism and bigotry.
Oh, and by the way, when did (radical) leftists develop such a lust for war?
I thought it was those on the right-wing who were supposedly the warmongers?
It is clear that you don’t know much about Islam, or the current active slave trades in the world today. Being critical of a religion that explicitly endorses the oppression, enslavement and destruction of non-believers (i.e. infidels) has nothing to do with racism or bigotry; It’s about not being dumb.
Islam is not a “race”; its a religion made up of many ethnicities, so you’re claims of racism are pure ignorance on your part. I don’t wish for war, and I’m no big fan of what’s going on in the middle east, especially since, at its core, it is a religious war and therefore a war based on pure irrationality.
There is a core radical element of Islam that ultimately wants the whole world to be ruled by a single caliphate, whilst there are elements in Israel and in this country who want a Judaeo-Christian theocracy in the West. Both of these options are unacceptable to me and all theocratic fascists that wish for such a reality are my enemies and should be yours too. I don’t wish to “love my enemies”, I want to destroy them.
Wow, a radical leftist AND a neocon, all in one package!
You are really quite a piece of political work, cman.
Jeff,
Do you use the spelling Moslem instead of Muslim for a reason? You of course know there is a difference in the spelling and that the way you’ve chosen to spell it is telling, very telling.
Jefferson is a political and social agnostic who spends his time insulting people who simply have a different opinion than him without ever really taking a position on anything. His bravery knows no bounds. The worst thing about him is that I’d be willing to bet he’s never changed his opinion on anything or would certainly never admit it. I’m not sure which of those possibilities is worse.
Steve, I use the spelling “Moslem” because that is what I learned, and always saw and read, up until not too many years ago, when suddenly “Muslim” became all the rage, for whatever reason.
As to what you believe my almost random choice of the word “Moslem” instead of “Muslim” is supposed to be telling, I cannot imagine — maybe that questioning the medical and political establishments somehow makes me an “anti-semite”? Only your condescending and fevered mind can inform us on that matter.
Arrogance: an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions.
Jeff,
It’s telling in that words have meanings and definitions, something I’m glad to see you are finally taking an interest in. From your writing ability, or disability as it were, it’s telling that you frequently use words you do not understand or know how to use properly.
Not long ago you were wholly ignorant as to what the acronym SCOTUS stands for, not long ago you were wholly ignorant as to what the definition of a vaccine is, not long ago you were wholly ignorant as to what the word delusional means, not long ago you were wholly ignorant as to what the term ad hominem fallacy is. Using the word Moslem instead of Muslim is another telling moment.
telling: having a striking or revealing effect
OK, Covidian Stalwart, a.k.a. Steve-0, do tell us your perception of the difference between the word “Moslem” and the word “Muslim”, and what, in your chaotic and irrational mind, you believe to be my intended meaning for using the one over the other.
This should be highly amusing.
Jeff,
Your latest response is also very telling, I never said anything about your intended meaning. I asked the reason for your spelling of the word Moslem versus Muslim and then I stated that the reason you gave was also telling.
The fact that you continue to lash out using words you do not understand is, once again very telling. You clearly need to look up a few more words that you do not understand the meanings of. Like most leftist you seem to have a real difficulty in understanding that words have meanings and they are specifically defined…your understanding, or lack thereof, doesn’t change that.
So, condescending doublespeak and weasel-like evasion, once again, are you only responses. How typical, how Steve-O.
Jeff,
Not sure what to tell you here. I can explain it for you, but I can’t understand it for you.
No! Say something to whom? Read what led up to the Lewiston, ME shooting. Lots of people saw something, and they said a lot more than merely “something” to several branches of every level of government. Government elites have body guards, and they don’t fly commercial.
Law-abiding people need to go everywhere armed and ready, and safely. Don’t use alcohol or other drugs when armed. Assign a few people to be alert at gatherings. Dry fire for 5 minutes (or more) every day.
“…….we should be vigilant……..”
We have been, including watching government corruption.
The FBI’s feckless and partisan beltway leadership has purposefully averted their “vigilance” from the oft-reported foreign (China, again) corruption and tax offenses of the Biden crime family. Today, Director Wray asks us citizens to be vigilant. Fair enough, but the director should also be vigorously leading a critical investigation of his own organization for its malfeasance and misfeasance prior to the 2020 election. Something is rotten in the FBI.
What makes me sick is the fact that our liberal government keeps going to bat for the alphabet people of our nation but is slow to go to bat for the Jewish community. I know for a fact that the percentage of one is larger than the other, and the statistics listed in this article are wrong. Jews have been the target for much longer than the gays – and are a much larger population within our nation. The only difference is the Jews don’t want to target themselves by waving a rainbow flag all over the place. At this point in society and history, the Jews have an extreme and valid fear about being targeted for who they are and what they believe. If Americans really cared, everyone would have a menorah displayed in their window… they’d stop pandering to the rainbow people and recognize what it really means to be hated and wrongly targeted by their own neighbors.
What is Alaska doing to show we welcome and support the Jewish population??? Basically nothing. What is Alaska doing to show they support the alphabet soup? A whole heck of a lot. Doesn’t seem right to me.
If we must remain vigilant then why are the resources of the FBI going to target real Americans? The FBI for one was not created by an Act of Congress they were instituted by an EO. Yes, they have been funded by Congress since, but they should direct their resources to the original intent and that is finding perpetrators of crime not domestic terrorist as they like to call Patriotic American Citizens that are worried because of the creep of Globalism.
‘A time for vigilance’ to put your butt in jail for many crimes against the American people. You are among the worst of the worst criminals of our time.
Secret police are an anathema to a constitutional republic. If we want to return to the constitution all the alphabet agencies have to go.
Hopefully the FBI will be able to divert some agents from the all-important tasks of making up evidence against Trump, surveilling parents who speak up at school board meetings, and infiltrating Catholic churches, to handle the minor terroristic threats of foreign terrorists like Hamas and Hezbollah…
I agree with Director Wray , it is a time for Vigilance, especially since Mr. Wray and others within our Government have allowed the wolves into our fold. Why? Why have they allowed this?
Chaos, Robert, chaos.
You look back on history and out of chaos emerged a strong leader (most of them tyrants). When there is uncertainty and you can no longer trust or rely on institutions, it pits all against each other and creates a vacuum to allow an individual or group to seize all power with the promise of stability.
How easy was it to suspend individual rights during Covid? How many simply went along to get back to the life and the “normal” they knew? While a lot was promised none of it came about, just more mandates, demands and vilification of those, who did not fall in line.
Because there is a reasonable threat that “wildlife” might attempt to get in my house, I keep my doors closed and locked (among other preparations).
It’s that simple, brandon. Close the dang border.
I’m afraid it’s probably too late. But still needs to be done.
Radical Islamists inside the United States!?!? How in the world did they ever get here??? Oh, that’s right, we invited them in as poor refugees. We even elected some of them to Congress. The stupidity of the American liberal knows no bounds. Next we’ll probably see calls to bring a bunch of Gaza Strip Palestinians into the country…maybe settle them in Nebraska or Maine or some other place where crazy Muslims are underrepresented.
Vigilance would be FIRING you WRAY !
More than Grandpa Bloodstains, Mayorkas needs to be impeached and face genuine punishment.
How about we close the southern border, and how about you quit going after Catholics, J6ers, conservative moms and pops and people at school board meetings who object to radicalism in public schools?
Some how, having a mealy – mouthed lawyer, who happens to also be the head guy at the FBI, saying he will try to protect me in these dangerous times is not very comforting. Wray should have been arrested years ago!
Ted Cruz made an interesting comment. If they FBI is suddenly worried about bad actors over the non existent southern border…
What do they know?
For them to drop the White Supremacy BS even for a minute is very telling.
I had much the same thought and was surprised that Director Wray didn’t immediately “pivot” to talking about white supremacy and the far right. As I note elsewhere, the credibility of the Director and the entire FBI is gone.
I remember early on it came out Grandpa Bloodstains wanted his presidency to go down in history.
Had no clue at the time he was willing to destroy the country to do it.
And all because Orange Man was mean.
Oh I’m vigilant alright. I’m watching all the blatant corruption in government and the media and federal CBP agents allowing and, in some cases, abetting an illegal invasion of our nation’s borders. You can trust government or you can study history, but you can’t do both. We’re being played.
…..while the corrupt FBI vigilantly goes after Donald Trump. Abolish the FBI…….now.
DOJ and FBI are full of mobster Democrats.
Unfortunately, Director Wray and his agency lack credibility. FBI misbehavior over the last five years has been significant and the Director’s response to that misbehavior is embarrassingly weak. I don’t believe the FBI’s warnings and many others may feel the same. Does that concern you, Director Wray? It should.
Securinging our borders would be a good first step and one that even a die-hard Leftist might consider.
I would urge some skepticism of the Directors use of statistics to describe the increase in anti-Semitism. Sixty percent of religious hate crimes seems like a lot. How many religious hate crimes were there, actually? I will fight to the death to preserve religious freedom but we need to calibrate our response to the actual bad acts, not the fear of bad acts.
And never forget we got this Wray treasure from Chris Christie…..
Rep. Jim Jordan: A whistleblower informed us that the FBI pulled agents off child abuse cases to pursue January 6th investigations.
Now it’s been revealed that DHS is pulling agents off similar investigations to make sandwiches for illegal aliens at the southern border.
In the end, when SHTF, you cannot depend on those in uniform to defend your constitutional rights. They will defend their precious….. gold-plated compensation/retirement/health packages. They will be the tyrants that crush you; just like so many times previously in history.
Be vigilant keep an eye on the FBI !!
Wray is wasting his time and our tax dollars.
The FBI(friends brothers inlaws) is the department among others that I would support defunding. Not the police on the street.
Nobody with any credibility listens to anything the Joe Biden weaponized FBI says except for their pals…”The Clintons” and “Obama Klan”.
Hunter Biden would qualify as anyone of their own children with the fondling He has received.
Where is the investigation and punishment for all the past corruption and election interference they have consistently lied about?
We can thank Biden and all his supporters. If anything happens I hope the ones that arranged this get to have a front row seat. Remember 911 and what the US did. What’s the next country we invade because of a planned territory attack with help from our government.
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