LOS ANGELES — FBI Director Christopher Wray warned of possible antisemitic actions by extremists during the Jewish holiday of Passover, which will begin Monday after sundown.
Wray spoke at a Secure Community Network webinar on Wednesday about Passover preparedness, according to the Jerusalem Post.
He said almost two-thirds of all religious hate crimes are directed at Jews, a group that comprises just 2.4% of the population. He said the FBI opened upwards of three times more anti-Jewish hate crime probes between Oct. 7, 2023, and Jan. 30, 2024, than in the four months prior to Hamas’ attack on Israel.
Wray told webinar attendants this is not a time for panic, “it is a time for continued vigilance.”
The Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told City News Service that they were not aware of specific credible threats to any of the Jewish communities they patrol.
“We are observant always,” said the LAPD’s Drake Madison. “Nothing is coming up on our radar.”
He said each division was handling patrols in its area.
Sheriff’s deputies will be vigilant within normal area patrols, said Sgt. C. Levario.