In New Jersey, synagogues and mosques are under high alert with increased security and heightened fears after a call for a “day of rage” by a former Hamas leader. The same security measures are in place in New York City, with the New York Police Department ordering all on-duty officers to report in uniform on Friday.
New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said that since the terror attacks in Israel, his office has also been in communication with the FBI and other federal agencies. “There’s no credible threat thankfully against any individual or place in New Jersey,” said Platkin.
“The Jewish community, but also our Palestinian community is feeling unsafe, and my job is to make sure that they feel protected,” he said. “And we will do that.”
Meanwhile in Gaza, there are new fears after the Israeli government demanded more than 1 million Palestinians evacuate the area, despite there being no safe place to go amid the bombing of the region. The United Nations said that an evacuation would be “impossible … without devastating humanitarian consequences.” The UN is calling for the Israeli government to rescind its evacuation order.
U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-12th) signed onto a letter with colleagues calling for more clear information for Palestinian constituents trying to leave Gaza and the West Bank. Watson Coleman also signed to a letter with House leaders concerning the humanitarian situation in Gaza for Palestinians living without food, water and electricity.
