Washington, United States: FBI Director Christopher Wray, during a congressional hearing, underscored increasing terror threats to the United States. Wray outlined that the recent attack by Hamas on Israel will give a boost to the increasing terror threats to the US since the rise of ISIS nearly a decade ago.
The statement was shared at a congressional hearing on Tuesday.
According to the reports by news agency Reuters, Wray raised concerns regarding the increasing terror attacks against Americans since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. He outlined that the threat posed by homegrown US violent extremists has increased with the passage of time.
FBI Director Wray mentioned, “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 several years ago.”
This statement was made during a hearing with the US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which discussed threats to the United States. The government has highlighted the rise in threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab American communities since the conflict in Gaza began.
Wray further outlined that the attacks on the US Troops have increased during the month of October. It has been expected that the attacks will be launched by Iran-backed militia groups. He further expressed that if the conflict expands, then there is a high chance that attacks on the US by Iran and other states will witness a rise.
Emphasizing the increase of antisemitism, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas outlined that the hate against Jewish students in the United States has added fuel to the fire caused by the recent Gaza conflict.
This week, the White House expressed concern about reports of anti-Jewish incidents happening at the universities of America – which have led university officials to increase security measures.
Republican Josh Hawley slams Mayorkas
Following the comment by Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas, Republican Senator Josh Hawley took a dig at him by asking why the US asylum officer, who was posting anti-Israel social media posts, had not been fired. He further stated that the employee was “celebrating genocide,” according to reports by Reuters.
In the statement, Mayorkas expressed that it would be wrong to suggest that the social media posts represented the beliefs of US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees. He further took a moment to express that his own mother had survived the Holocaust.
In this regard, Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that he asked the Justice Department to support investigators of Israel in their surveying and examining of financial transactions related to Hamas, including involving cryptocurrency.