USA Urges Global Partners to Increase Security for Synagogues During High Holy Days
The US State Department has instructed its missions worldwide to demand that host governments deploy police and military forces to protect synagogues, Jewish institutions, and residential areas during the upcoming High Holy Days. The directive also mandates the establishment of emergency alert protocols for observant Jews on Saturdays and holidays.
The US State Department instructed its missions around the world on Wednesday to approach the governments of their host countries and demand a significant increase in security at synagogues, Jewish institutions, and holiday event venues ahead of the High Holy Days.
According to the distributed instructions, American diplomats were asked to urge host nations to deploy police forces, counter-terrorism units, or even military personnel at synagogues and locations where prayers and community events are scheduled to take place.
The directive extends beyond securing the synagogues themselves. The State Department is requesting that security measures be expanded to include Jewish residential areas and the walking routes used by worshipers, noting that these individuals travel at predictable times and along known paths, often appearing in a manner that identifies them as Jewish.
Furthermore, missions were asked to ensure that local authorities conduct security briefings and maintain coordination with Jewish institutions, security bodies, and businesses ahead of the holidays. In an exceptional measure, the cable also requests the development of methods to convey immediate threat alerts on Saturdays and holidays for observant Jews who do not use electronic devices.
According to a source familiar with the matter, a similar directive was issued to American missions worldwide ahead of the Passover holiday.
Antisemitism globally is on a constant upward trend. FBI hate crime data for 2025, published recently, highlights an exceptional and ongoing scale of harm against Jews in the United States: although Jews constitute only about 2% of the country's population, they were the target of nearly two-thirds (63%) of all reported religion-based hate crimes last year.
In some US states, Jews were the target of over 90% of religious hate crimes. 2025 marked the third-highest year for anti-Jewish hate crimes since tracking began, following 2023 and 2024, which were the two peak years in the history of measurement.
According to an analysis by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of FBI data, there were 1,528 hate crime incidents against Jews in 2025 motivated solely by antisemitism. These cases accounted for 63% of the 2,408 religion-based hate crimes. Jews were also the target of 14% of all hate crimes reported in the United States, regardless of the motive.
