Kirby: Antisemitic Threats are ‘Dangerous,’ But There’s Obviously Also a Rise in Anti-Muslim Hate

HARLOW: “I do want to ask you about what’s happening here at home, and specifically John on college campuses. Jewish students at Cornell University — and this is just one example, by the way — were targeted in these online threats that included threats to shoot Jewish students at their kosher dining hall, so that buildings now closed off. We’ve seen a number of anti-Semitic threats since the war began here. How does the White House characterize the threat to our Jewish community here at home? And what will the White House do to try to keep them safe?”
KIRBY: “That threat’s rising, Poppy, no question about it. I mean, in 2022, there were more anti-Semitic events in this country than there had been since 1979. In this year ‘23, we continue to see that rise. It’s dangerous. It’s unacceptable, anywhere in the world, certainly here in the United States of America. And so what we’re doing is we’re working very closely at a federal level with state and local authorities to be able to better identify threats to the Jewish community and disrupt them before they can — they can — they can actually take action. We’re working on that very, very hard. Now, there’s obviously also a rise in anti-Muslim hate and — and activity as well. We’re watching that very, very closely. But this is unacceptable — unacceptable in the United States of America in 2023.”