WASHINGTON (JTA) — U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials briefed Jewish leaders on the inclusion of American Jews on an Islamic State “kill list.”
Some 200 Jewish leaders joined the conference call on Friday organized by the Secure Community Network, the security arm of the national Jewish community, in the wake of the July 3 release of the Islamic State list that included members of synagogues and churches among 1,700 individuals. The names of the synagogue members were pulled from the synagogue websites, among other sources, according to SCN.
The SITE group, which tracks terrorist activity, spotted the list.
“The lists appear to be directed toward ‘lone wolf’ ISIL supporters who may be inspired to carry out attacks,” SCN said in a statement, using one of the acronyms for the terrorist group. “However, there have been no reported incidents to date in which an ISIL-inspired individual has carried out an attack on any individual appearing on these lists.”
The lists are released through online forums. Host websites often remove the lists soon after they appear, but they often crop up again.
Previous lists have targeted business leaders and military personnel. The lists appear culled from the internet. Homeland Security officials are contacting those named on the lists.
SCN is affiliated with the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
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