D.C. area boosts security on Friday after call for Hamas day of rage

July 2024 · 3 minute read

Police in the Washington region will have an increased presence at places of worship, and some schools plan to close Friday after a former Hamas leader called for supporters to come out for a day of rage, the standard call for demonstrations by the militant group.

D.C. police and Montgomery County police said in statements Thursday evening that there are no credible threats to the area but to expect increased visibility “to help ensure the safety of our community.” Capitol police said they will “enhance security” at the Capitol complex. The Jewish Sabbath begins at sundown Friday, a time when many people gather at synagogues to pray together.

From New York to Los Angeles, police said they plan to increase patrols Friday after the call to action from Hamas. The call for rage comes days after the militant group attacked Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip. At least 1,300 people in Israel have been killed and about 3,300 have been wounded, authorities said. Israel has responded by bombing Gaza, where more than 2 million Palestinians live in a blockaded enclave. Palestinian officials said more than 1,500 people have been killed and about 6,600 injured.

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Over the past year, Montgomery County has reported a spike in antisemitic incidents, such as drawings of swastikas in at least five schools and “Jews Not Welcome” graffiti drawn on an entrance sign to a Bethesda high school. County police also reported a swastika painted at Montgomery Mall last winter. Soon after in Gaithersburg, a Jewish man was assaulted by a group of five young men. They allegedly shouted, “Yeah, do it for Kanye,” referencing the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, who has repeatedly made antisemitic remarks. Spokespeople from Montgomery Public Schools encouraged students to attend class and said their staff “will maintain heightened awareness.”

New York Mayor Eric Adams (D), speaking at an evening news conference Thursday, said there are no credible threats against the city, but he citied a large demonstration planned for Friday in Times Square. He said New Yorkers “must remain vigilant” and that “New York City will do whatever it takes to keep our people safe.”

Leaders of Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, which is based in Rockville, Md., and serves almost 1,000 students, wrote in a message to families Thursday evening that although officials had identified “no specific threat” to students or teachers, they were taking “the unprecedented step of closing our campuses and canceling classes.”

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The school is in close contact with the FBI, Montgomery County Police, the Israeli Embassy and other Jewish schools, head of school Rabbi Mitchel Malkus wrote in the message. “The situation is very fluid, with new information coming at us regularly,” Malkus wrote. “Our goal this week has been to remain calm, supportive, flexible and understanding.”

Officials at Beth El Preschool in Bethesda said it will be hiring an additional security guard during school hours. The preschool, which is part of Congregation Beth El, will also require that doors remain locked at all times, including during pickup and dropoff for religious and preschool sessions.

Neither the temple nor the preschool in Bethesda received any credible threat as of late Thursday evening, Heather Garrett, the executive director of Congregation Beth El, said in an interview. But “out of an abundance of caution, we are taking heightened security measures,” she said. Late Thursday evening, preschool officials announced the school would be closed Friday.

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