Week In Review 2-24-2020
The U.S. is facing a growing crisis from white supremacy. This form of domestic terrorism is increasingly linked to groups, individuals, or movements abroad. It is a direct threat to the Jewish community as well as other religious and minority groups.
Former combat veteran Rep. Max Rose (D-NY) has taken the lead in Congress to introduce legislation to deal with this problem. The Transnational White Supremacist Extremism Review (WSER) directs the Department of Homeland Security to develop and disseminate a terrorist threat assessment of foreign violent white supremacist extremist groups.
Rose, who is Chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism, also sent a letter with 39 other Members of Congress to the Secretary of State demanding answers as to why white supremacist extremist groups are not included on the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).
The terrorist attacks on a synagogue in Poway, CA, and a grocery store in El Paso, TX, were inspired by foreign white supremacist groups. There have also been attacks abroad from these same type of groups.
Meanwhile, many of these hate groups have stepped up their propaganda efforts inside our country. According to the ADL, the number of incidents involving the distribution of racist, anti Semitic and anti-LGBTQ fliers, stickers, banners and posters has increased dramatically. Last year there were 2173 reported compared to the 1,214 in 2018. This is the highest number of propaganda incidents ADL has ever recorded.
Other Members of Congress, like Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), are trying to deal with the problem of hate groups. He has introduced The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2020 to enhance the federal government's efforts to prevent domestic terrorism by establishing offices dedicated to combating this threat; requiring federal law enforcement agencies to regularly assess this threat; and providing training and resources to assist state, local, and tribal law enforcement in addressing it.
Rose, Schneider and other JAC candidates are working to protect our country and ensure that we are all safe from domestic and foreign threats. JAC is proud to support them. Make a donation to JAC
