Anti-Semitic threats and acts of violence in the U.S. are surging amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, fueled by supporters of the terrorist group Hamas.
Such threats pushed organizers of an annual pro-Israel gathering in Texas to abruptly and indefinitely postpone their event.
‘The first [summit] was held in Nashville and, ironically, was nearly canceled due to threats from pro-Hamas thugs.’
The Israel Summit — hosted by HaYovel and its media initiative, the Israel Guys — was scheduled to be held in Dallas, Texas, from June 9 to 11.
HaYovel expected to host over 1,000 attendees but instead announced this week that it would postpone the summit, after the organization received numerous threats from American pro-Palestine and pro-Hamas groups.
Luke Hilton, HaYovel’s chief operating officer, told Blaze News that the heightened threat levels forced the organization to switch venues twice mere days before the event.
Israel Summit 2024. Image Source: HaYovel
“Indirect and direct threats were issued both against our organization, the Israel Summit, and against the venue who were hosting us,” Hilton stated.
The organization estimated that the “overwhelming security burden” would have cost “hundreds of thousands of dollars.” HaYovel highlighted the “sobering reality” that “peaceful, pro-Israel gatherings in America increasingly require extraordinary security measures to remain viable.”
The second venue, which initially agreed to cover the needed security, pulled the plug days ahead of the event, citing “escalating safety concerns and mounting external pressures,” according to HaYovel.
Despite “full cooperation and assistance” from the sheriff’s department, the Texas Rangers, and the FBI, the organization felt it had no choice but to postpone the summit.
Hilton revealed further details about the threats to Blaze News, noting that they began with pro-Palestinian activist groups on social media.
“Then, according to law enforcement and intelligence, they moved to the dark web to avoid further detection,” he explained. “The threats used language such as ‘we need to target’ the Israel Summit and the host venue.”
“Statements to target any Jew or Christian who is standing with Israel cannot be understood any other way than a direct call for violence,” Hilton stated, citing the recent deadly shooting in Washington, D.C., of two Israeli embassy staffers and the terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, that caused multiple injuries.
The organization still hopes to host the event on a new date and at a different venue within the coming months.
Yet, this is not the first time the Israel Summit has faced threats.
“Next week’s summit was set to be our second annual event. The first one was held in Nashville and, ironically, was nearly canceled due to threats from pro-Hamas thugs. Dave Ramsey stepped in at the last minute, hosting the summit at his headquarters in Franklin, [Tennessee],” Hilton told Blaze News.
‘The ongoing Israel-HAMAS conflict may motivate other violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators with similar grievances to conduct violence against Jewish and Israeli communities and their supporters.’
David Friedman, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel and the founder of One Jewish State, was one of the speakers slated to present at the 2025 Israel Summit. He reacted to its postponement in a post on X.
“This is America in 2025. A pro-Israel conference scheduled for Dallas this week (where I was scheduled to speak), which sold over 1000 tickets, was forced to cancel because of threats from violent Jihadists,” Friedman stated. “When [President Donald Trump] says we need to take our country back, this is a good example of what he means!”
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Israel Summit 2024. Image Source: HaYovel
Trump had previously pledged to vigorously combat the nation’s escalating anti-Semitism by “aggressively” prosecuting terrorist threats against the Jewish community and deporting Hamas sympathizers.
On Thursday, Trump’s FBI released a public service announcement regarding elevated threats toward Israeli and Jewish communities, noting the murder of the embassy staffers and the attack in Boulder.
“The ongoing Israel-HAMAS conflict may motivate other violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators with similar grievances to conduct violence against Jewish and Israeli communities and their supporters,” the agency warned. “Foreign terrorist organizations also may try to exploit narratives related to the conflict to inspire attacks in the United States. The FBI and DHS therefore urge the public to remain vigilant and to report any threats of violence or suspicious activity to law enforcement.”
When reached for comment about the threats posed against the Israel Summit organizers and host venues, the FBI Dallas Field Office told Blaze News, “The FBI works with our law enforcement partners every day to detect and stop acts of targeted violence. Our goal is always to get ahead of threats. We remind members of the public that if you observe any suspicious activity to quickly report it to law enforcement. The FBI remains committed to working with our partners to protect our communities against acts of violence and other threats.”
Hilton called the escalating anti-Semitic threats a “wake-up call for Americans.”
“We believe that this is a wake-up call for Americans to take action and come together to publicly stand with Israel and the Jewish people in the U.S. today,” he told Blaze News.
The Dallas County Sheriff’s Department, the Dallas Police Department, and the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.
Joseph MacKinnon contributed to this story.
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