The US State Department instructed American diplomatic missions around the world on Wednesday evening to contact the governments of the countries where they operate and call on them to significantly increase security around synagogues, Jewish institutions, and holiday events ahead of the High Holidays.
In an instruction cable sent to US missions, American diplomats were asked to urge governments to deploy, when necessary, police forces, counterterrorism units, or even military personnel at synagogues and locations where prayers and holiday events will be held.
The directive extends beyond securing synagogues themselves. The State Department is also seeking increased protection around Jewish community residential areas and along routes used by worshippers walking to synagogues, noting that they often travel at predictable times and along predictable paths, and may be dressed in ways that identify them as Jewish.
The missions were also instructed to work with local authorities to ensure security briefings and coordination with Jewish institutions, security organizations, and businesses ahead of the holidays. In an unusual measure, the cable also calls for establishing a way to deliver immediate threat alerts on Shabbat and Jewish holidays to observant Jews who do not use electronic devices.
According to a source familiar with the matter, a similar directive was sent to US diplomatic missions around the world ahead of Passover.
Jews are targeted in 63% of religiously-motivated hate crimes in US, ADL analysis finds
Antisemitic incidents around the world have continued to increase. Recently released FBI hate crime data for 2025 points to a significant and ongoing level of attacks targeting Jews in the United States. Although Jews make up about 2% of the US population, they were the target of nearly two thirds (63%) of all reported religiously motivated hate crimes last year.
In some US states, Jews were the target of 90% or more of religiously motivated hate crimes. 2025 marked the third consecutive year with a record number of antisemitic hate crimes since tracking began, following 2023 and 2024, which were the two highest years recorded.
According to an analysis by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of FBI data, 1,528 antisemitic hate crime incidents were reported across the US in 2025 in which the sole motivation was antisemitism. The incidents accounted for 63% of the 2,408 religiously motivated hate crimes reported that year.
Jews were also the target of 14% of all hate crimes reported in the United States, not only those classified as religiously motivated.