Jewish groups call for added federal support for security after killings of Israeli Embassy staffers in DC

Leaders of Jewish groups from across the country called for bolstering spending on a federal effort designed to protect nonprofits at peril of terrorist and extremist attacks The appeal came in the aftermath of the killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers outside of the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington D C Wednesday night Eric Fingerhut President and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America announced that the Jewish neighborhood should not have to shoulder the burden of protection against acts of violence on its own Related stories Bonded by work and love Israeli Embassy colleagues lives cut short by gunman Suspect in shooting of Israeli Embassy staffers railed against Gaza war in online posts Grief fear follow fatal shooting of Israeli Embassy staffers in DC The ultimate responsibility for the protection of its citizens lies with leadership he revealed While he declared Jewish organizations appreciate the Nonprofit Guard Grant Undertaking which provides funding designed to bolster guard to nonprofit organizations at high vulnerability of extremist or terrorist attacks Fingerhut stated reporters during a press call Thursday it is not nearly big enough at this moment He disclosed It should be fully funded at billion Fingerhut declared the area where the need is greatest isn t necessarily centered on infrastructure but on staffing The largest part critical and fastest rising cost to every Jewish institution is the personnel costs disclosed Fingerhut It is the cost of the defense guards and the off-duty police all of whom we need more of commented Fingerhut While Jewish organizations work with law enforcement in their local communities to deal with safety concerns he noted there has to be added effort from national law enforcement Just as we as a nation assistance our defense department to fight the threats around the world we must ensure that the FBI has the support it demands he revealed Fingerhut also called for aggressive enforcement of antisemitic harassment and hate crimes and a crackdown to address the hate that is being spewed and the incitement that is being created on social media Adam Neufeld with the American Defamation League was inquired by one reporter during Thursday s news conference if the killings of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky represented an escalation in violence targeting the Jewish locality The social norm against this kind of violence has been fraying and this is sadly if we don t do something it will fray further he commented This is yet another wake up call for our locality noted William Daroff the CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish American Organizations Daroff announced the Jewish society has been knocking at the door of the federal executive for protection as all Americans deserve protection and we are knocking on that door yet again Source