‘Horrific antisemitic attack’ on American, who served in IDF, in St. Louis area, Terrell says “I saw hate because of one’s religion, and I saw hate for an American who served as an IDF member in the Israeli army,” the federal task force on Jew-hatred head told JNS. Menachem Wecker
Leo Terrell, chair of the federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism at the U.S. Justice Department and a civil-rights attorney of 35 years, wrote on social media on Tuesday that the Israeli embassy told him about a “horrific antisemitic attack” in St. Louis, where a U.S. citizen who served in the Israeli military, as well as his family and friends, were targeted.
Graphic footage, which Terrell reviewed, showed cars belonging to the citizen, his family and friends were “set on fire and destroyed,” Terrell wrote. “Hateful graffiti outside the family’s home accused him of being a murderer and called for death to the Israel Defense Forces.”
“What I saw in the graphic videos, I saw hate,” Terrell told JNS. “I saw hate because of one’s religion, and I saw hate for an American who served as an IDF member in the Israeli army. That’s what I saw.” (JNS sought comment from the Israeli embassy in Washington.)
Terrell told JNS that U.S. President Donald Trump and Pam Bondi, the U.S. attorney general, aren’t going to tolerate Jew-hatred.
“I’m certainly not going to tolerate it as the head of the task force,” he told JNS. “So once I saw it, I immediately contacted the FBI.”
“I looked at the footage, found it offensive and called the FBI, sent them the information and made sure Attorney General Bondi was aware of everything,” he said. “The FBI—I cannot disclose what happened, but they are on the ground along with local authorities, and the perpetrators are going to face justice.”
On social media, Terrell wrote that he spoke directly with the family whose property was attacked. “I am outraged. Antisemitic violence has no place in America, not in St. Louis and not anywhere,” he wrote. “If you commit antisemitic hate crimes, you will be caught, and you will be held accountable.”
Cpl. Jenny Schwartz, community services and public information officer at the Clayton Police Department in Clayton, Mo., which is adjacent to St. Louis, told JNS that the department is “still actively investigating the suspicious fire and hateful message discovered in the 7500 block of Westmoreland Avenue this morning.”
“We are working diligently to identify the individual or individuals responsible for this act, and urge anyone with information that may assist in our investigation to contact the Clayton Detective Bureau,” she said.
The Clayton Police Department stated that it was probing a “suspicious fire and hate crime.”
“Just after 3 a.m., responding officers discovered that three vehicles had been damaged by a fire, believed to have been intentionally set,” the department stated. “Additionally, officers located antisemitic graffiti written in the roadway. No injuries were reported.”
The department stated that it believes that the victim, who lives in Clayton, was “specifically targeted.” It is investigating the incident as a hate crime.
“There are no indications of any further threat to the community,” it said. “The FBI and the St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Unit have been requested to assist with the investigation.”
‘Pure, unadulterated hate’
Terrell told JNS that one must “be in denial” to doubt that “antisemitism is rampant.”
“People don’t react to it properly, and if it wasn’t for the Trump administration, I can assure you you wouldn’t have the FBI on the ground right now. You wouldn’t have Pam Bondi involved,” he said. “People are turning their backs on this.”
The fact that Trump is president has given hope to Jewish Americans and Israelis that “we’re going to put down antisemitism,” according to Terrell. “It’s a different administration, and we’re very aggressive on antisemitism.”
“We’re trying to provide a deterrent to these haters, and there are a lot of them,” he said.
JNS asked the Justice Department official if local law enforcement ought to contact the FBI about incidents of alleged Jew-hatred, given the rise in antisemitism. Terrell declined to speak about specific local law enforcement in this instance.
“The federal government is willing to come and help any local official combat antisemitism,” he said, broadly. “We have to assume that they know what ‘antisemitism’ is. I’m not going to make that assumption. Some individuals might just look at this as arson.”
“The federal government, under the Trump and Pam Bondi administration—we’re everywhere,” Terrell told JNS. “That’s why we jumped on this today. We found out. We jumped on it.”
JNS asked Terrell how he would respond if someone said that this incident targeted an American because he fought in the Israeli military and not because he’s Jewish.
“I find that hypothetical applicable to this situation—I want to make sure you hear this—offensive. Why? You can say whatever you want. Look at the video. Look at the burning. Look at the vehicle. Look at the property damage,” he said.
“This is the biggest problem that people have had—conflating First Amendment speech with illegal conduct,” he told JNS. “First Amendment speech, whether it is anti-Israel or antisemitic, is thrown out the window when you have that type of conduct. It’s criminal.”
“Your question is what’s being used by a lot of media and a lot of these protesters. ‘This is the First Amendment.’ Hell no. It’s not,” he said. “I’ve never seen antisemitism, Jew-hatred, in my life as severe as it is, other than the fact that I taught it as a history teacher, when I wasn’t alive, about World War II.”
“This is pure, unadulterated hate,” he said.
Terrell told JNS that the Biden administration “did nothing.” The Trump administration “has done wonders on the college campuses, prosecuting hate crimes,” he said. “It’s not different. It’s day and night.”
JNS asked Terrell if he is optimistic that the administration can make major headway in responding to Jew-hatred in the country, or if antisemitism is so pervasive that it will remain a major problem despite the federal government’s efforts.
“We got some Trump all-stars. We got Marco Rubio, and his position is clear,” he said of the U.S. secretary of state. “We got Pam Bondi. We got yours truly. And so do I think there’s going to be some improvement? Yes.”
But Terrell’s concern is that “we have, in my opinion, up until 2028 to put up guardrails to protect Jews in this country.”
“Please quote this,” he said, “there is no other president who has been a better friend to Jewish Americans than Donald J. Trump. I’ve been on this Earth for a long time. I can say that without any hesitation.”
“I don’t know what is going to happen after 2028,” he added. “We are on a mission to set up protective guardrails for Jewish American citizens in this country. Pam Bondi, Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth,” the U.S. defense secretary, “President Trump and a cast of thousands. I can guarantee you we’re focused.”
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