Hatred toward Jews, Muslims on the rise amid Israel-Hamas war

(NewsNation) — Increased security is the new norm at Jewish places of worship due to a surge in hate crimes around the world and in the U.S. amid the Israel-Hamas war.

Earlier this week, FBI Director Christopher Wray said antisemitism in the U.S. is reaching “historic levels.”

“We definitely believe that there is a heightened risk of potential violence here in the U.S., especially from lone actors inspired by any number of foreign terrorist organizations,” Wray said during a Senate hearing Tuesday.

Wray warned the Israel-Hamas war may be used as an excuse to conduct attacks against a number of groups, including “Jewish Americans, Muslim Americans, Arab Americans, etc.”

Alarming threats have already surfaced at some of the country’s elite colleges.

Patrick Dai, a 21-year-old student at Cornell University, was arrested Tuesday for making online threats to Jewish students on campus.

Dai is facing federal charges after allegedly calling for the deaths of Jewish people on an online discussion site. He’s accused of threatening to “shoot up” the dining hall that caters to a predominately kosher student population located near the Cornell Center for Jewish Living.

The Anti-Defamation League estimates antisemitic incidents in the U.S. are up nearly 400% over the same period last year.

Muslim Americans have also faced violence since the war broke out.

Earlier this week, a Chicago-area man accused of murder, attempted murder and a hate crime pleaded not guilty in the fatal stabbing of a 6-year-old Muslim boy, Wadea al-Fayoume. The attack also left the boy’s mother, Hanaan Shahin, seriously injured.

Authorities said 71-year-old Joseph Czuba attacked the victims because of their Muslim faith and as a response to the war between Israel and Hamas.