FBI Director Warns Senate Committee Over Online Radicalization and Threats to Synagogues
FBI Director Kash Patel told the Senate Judiciary Committee that online radicalization translating into real-world violence against synagogues and officials is the top domestic threat.
FBI Director Kash Patel told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that the most severe domestic threat facing the United States is the ability to translate online activity and radicalization into real-world violence, particularly targeting synagogues and public officials.
Testifying at the committee's annual oversight hearing, Patel highlighted that the primary mechanism of concern is the cyber landscape. He identified the single greatest threat as the capability to execute violence facilitated by the internet, whether directed at places of worship or government figures.
Patel stressed that this does not necessarily refer to cyberattacks involving computer hacking, but rather the exploitation of the internet, social media, and encrypted applications to radicalize, plan, and coordinate acts of violence. He cited a thwarted plot from June against the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House, where five individuals were arrested for plotting an attack using explosive-carrying drones and snipers.
The online threat to the Jewish community
Patel's emphasis on houses of worship is particularly relevant to the Jewish community in the United States following several incidents this year where the internet served as a catalyst for radicalization. On March 12, Ayman Mohammad Ghzali attacked the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan. The FBI concluded the attack was a Hezbollah-inspired act of terror.
According to FBI findings, Ghzali began consuming pro-Hezbollah and Iranian content online in January. In the days preceding the attack, he searched the internet for synagogues and Jewish institutions in the Detroit area, specifically looking for large gatherings and orthodox synagogues.
On the day of the attack, Ghzali arrived at the synagogue in a Ford F-150 truck loaded with commercial fireworks and containers of flammable liquid. He crashed into the entrance doors, opened fire from the vehicle, and exchanged gunfire with security personnel. Children and staff were evacuated, and the attacker died during the incident.
From online threats to FBI investigations
In March, a Chicago resident was indicted after posting on X that he intended to shoot inside a synagogue. In April, a U.S. soldier stationed at Fort Polk was charged after threatening in Discord chats to enter a synagogue with an AK rifle and kill Jews.
The FBI warned that lone actors undergoing online radicalization and targeting soft targets like houses of worship represent one of the most difficult challenges for early detection. In June 2025, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issued a joint warning regarding heightened threats to Jewish and Israeli communities in the U.S.
