Last night, our community lost Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, two shining lights who believed in service to their communities, to a cowardly act of hate-fueled domestic terrorism. The tragic murders of these two innocent young Israeli embassy employees, who were attending an American Jewish Committee event at the Capitol Jewish Museum, are the direct consequence of rising antisemitic incitement in places such as college campuses, city council meetings, and social media that has normalized hate and emboldened those who wish to do harm.
The apparently targeted attack on individuals attending an event at a Jewish museum and hosted by a Jewish organization represents an elevation in the threat level to the Jewish community, broadly, at a time of already heightened threats and issues. The rising level of anti-Jewish incitement, which inevitably leads to violent acts like the one in Washington, DC yesterday, requires governmental action commensurate with the level of danger.
At times such as these, our community comes together to heal, but also to take action. That is why the Jewish community is united in calling for support from the United States government for enhanced security measures. We urgently request that:
- Congress increase Nonprofit Security Grant (NSGP) funding to $1 billion to meet the urgent and growing need and demand. The process is cumbersome and lacks transparency, and should be made more flexible and accessible, and ensure funds are disbursed quickly. Last year only 43% of applicants received funding.
- The government dedicate funding to meet the urgent need for additional security personnel at Jewish institutions, such as day schools and yeshivas, synagogues, Jewish early childhood centers, JCCs, and summer camps.
- The FBI increase its intelligence capabilities to prioritize and thwart domestic terrorism, and receive whatever funding it needs to do so.
- The government increase funding for local police and law enforcement to create capacity for both monitoring and protecting Jewish institutions. The demands on local and state law enforcement far outpace their capacity to meet the need, which disproportionately affects targeted communities like the American Jewish community.
- The government aggressively prosecute antisemitic hate crimes and extremist violence in accordance with the law.
- The government holds social media, gaming, messaging, and other online platforms accountable for amplification of antisemitic hate, glorification of terrorism, extremism, disinformation, and incitement.
All Americans have the right to feel safe and secure. This is a problem not just for the Jewish community, but for every American community. We thank the government and our partners for their ongoing support, and call on them to take action to protect our people and institutions from hate and violence.
American Jewish Committee
Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
Jewish Federations of North America
Alpha Epsilon Pi
American Friends of Likud
American Israel Public Affairs Committee
American Jewish Congress
American Sephardi Federation
American Zionist Movement
AMIT
Anti-Defamation League
ARZA – Association of Reform Zionists of America
B’nai B’rith
BZ Media
Central Conference of American Rabbis
Development Corporation for Israel/Israel Bonds
Emunah of America
Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America
HIAS
Hillel International
Iranian American Jewish Federation
Israeli-American Council
JCC Association of North America
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Jewish Labor Committee
Jewish National Fund-USA
Jewish Women International
Mercaz USA, Zionist Organization of the Conservative Movement
NA’AMAT USA
National Coalition Supporting Eurasian Jewry
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council of Young Israel
ORT America, Inc.
Rabbinical Assembly
Rabbinical Council of America
Religious Zionists of America
Secure Community Network
UJA-Federation of New York
Union for Reform Judaism
Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
WIZO USA
Women of Reform Judaism
Women’s League for Conservative Judaism
Zionist Organization of America
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