The FBI, together with the Department of Homeland Security and the National Counterterrorism Center, published a statement maintaining the terrorism threat alert level throughout the Christmas holidays. This threat alert was announced in October after Hamas attacked Israel.
In that same month, the head of the FBI, Cristopher Wray, assured on different occasions that an attack inspired by the Hamas raids could occur in the United States. Since then, the climate of antisemitic tension has reached historic levels in the country, according to the same source.
According to authorities, the danger to public safety refers especially to "lone actors inspired by a range of ideologies due to their accessibility and symbolic nature" seeking to carry out violent actions during the Christmas season. Celebrations in public spaces with large crowds of people could be "attractive" to these lone actors. Authorities did not refer to any specific group or any specific and planned action by a terrorist group.
At the center of these potential attacks is the American Jewish community.
Since the HAMAS attack on Israel on 7 October, various foreign terrorist media organizations have called for lone actor attacks in the United States. Racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists (RMVEs) have also increased calls for violence and celebrated attacks on the Jewish community.
As a result of this situation, the DHS and FBI have called on the population to remain vigilant and cautious in the face of potential threats. They ask citizens to report any threats of danger, violence or suspicious activity to the authorities. Wray issued these same recommendations in October.
Religious communities
The federal agencies assured in their statement that several resources and special measures have been deployed to deal with threats of attacks during Christmas. In particular, these efforts focus on the country's Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities.
The FBI and DHS said they would "continue to engage directly with leaders in these communities" to ensure their safety and to best use the preventive resources deployed this Christmas season.
