US Jewish communities warn increased security is needed after Michigan attack

US Jewish communities warn increased security is needed after Michigan attack Attack has stoked fears of increased violence against Jewish targets in backlash to escalating US-Israeli war against Iran Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Jewish communities across the US have condemned an attack on a Detroit-area synagogue by a man driving a truck containing explosives, and are warning that increased security is needed at places of worship to help prevent future acts of violence. Security staff at Temple Israel in Michigan’s West Bloomfield township reacted quickly to Thursday’s incident in which the vehicle was rammed into the temple building and the assailant killed during an exchange of gunfire. The suspect, Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, 41, was a naturalized citizen who was born in Lebanon. One security guard received minor injuries and staff, teachers and 140 small children at the temple’s early learning center evacuated to safety. “Our heroic security personnel are all accounted for and safe,” Temple Israel said in a community statement following what the FBI called an act of terrorism. But the episode has stoked fears of increased violence against Jewish targets in a backlash to the escalating US-Israeli war against Iran . Several leading Jewish American organizations are demanding more funding and resources to further harden security at vulnerable locations. Security at many synagogues and Jewish centers across the US has been beefed up in recent years with organizations hiring private, armed security guards and training them to deal with the risk of attacks. This was stepped up particularly following the mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018 that killed 11, the deadliest attack on Jews in US history, and the overwhelming military response by Israel in Gaza after the attack led by Hamas on southern Israel on 7 October 2023 . “This incident is a stark and frightening reminder that Jewish institution...