ATLANTA — FBI Atlanta issued a warning of a significant spike in antisemitic and Islamophobic threats since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
Numbers the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Center on Extremism released this week show a 388% rise in antisemitic incidents in the U.S., following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Incidents include harassment, vandalism, and assault.
The ADL says 312 cases were reported between Oct. 7-Oct. 23 and nearly half were directly linked to the war.
Metro Atlanta has seen the impact of the war. Just last week, a Georgia Tech Jewish fraternity house was vandalized, with someone writing “free Palestine” under a “we stand with Israel” banner.
Chabad of Cobb Rabbi Ephraim Silverman believes social media is amplifying threats.
"I think today with social media, certain fringe groups have a bigger loudspeaker than they used to have and an ability to get their word out more. A lot of people in the Jewish community feel disappointed and feel let down or feel the outright anti-Semitism, the double standard, the bias towards Israel," he said. "There's a lot of hurt, and there's a lot of concern about that."
Muslim Americans are facing similar struggles, according to new numbers released by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
CAIR reports it has received 774 Islamophobic complaints against Palestinians and Arabs since Oct. 7.
Executive Director for CAIR Georgia Azka Mahmood said while they are prepared to tackle these situations, it’s disheartening.
"We have not seen levels of Islamophobia this high since 9/11. It’s been 21 years since 9/11. We should not be repeating those mistakes," she said. "A lot of American Muslims are really suffering from PTSD-like fear because they feel so triggered that it seems exactly like the post 9/11 times."
Mahmood added that they’ve seen cases of Islamophobia at Georgia schools and mosques.
"We have seen several very disturbing instances of Islamophobia on a physical, emotional, and social level," she said. "We have students who are being doxed for simply saying that they stand with Palestine. We have influential people in the state equating pro-Palestinian sentiments with anti-Semitic and pro-Hamas sentiments, which is extremely dangerous and puts a target on Muslims."
Mahmood said that some of these incidents are in direct response to what people are seeing online and is taken out on Muslims in the community.
"It is fear mongering. We have seen school districts and workplaces issue baseless threat alerts based on international messages that have not even been verified. And that has also created a very tense situation for students that schooled Muslims at work," she explained.
Rabbi Silverman said it is important each side grows with pride, instead of fear.
"This is the time to get up and be proud," he said. "Put a mezuzah in the door, light a Chabad candle, do something to express your Jewish pride. That is the ultimate best response. Light always wins over darkness. What’s important is that we need to be respectful of every human being. There are lots of good people out there. We need to be kind and understanding of every human being that’s critical."
Both sides agree that now is the time to speak up.
"We should equally condemn violence on the other side and come together and try to solve this painful problem as human beings first," Mahmood stated. "No one set of lives is more precious than the other."
FBI Atlanta full statement on antisemitism, Islamophobic
“The FBI is continuing to monitor threats associated with the Israel-HAMAS conflict, both in the United States and overseas. As the conflict continues, the FBI has seen an increase in reports of threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities and institutions, raising our concern that violent extremists and lone offenders motivated by or reacting to ongoing events could target these communities. We take all potential threats seriously and are working closely with our law enforcement partners to determine their credibility, share information, and take appropriate investigative action. As we are communicating with our law enforcement partners, faith communities, and others, this Public Service Announcement is being released by the FBI and DHS to the American public to help protect our communities. We ask members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement or contact their local FBI Office: www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices. Tips can also be submitted to tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL FBI.
The FBI Atlanta Division is working closely with our law enforcement partners across Georgia to share information and identify and disrupt any threats that may emerge in our communities. To report information in Georgia, contact FBI Atlanta at 770-216-3000, or submit a tip to tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL FBI.”