OPINION:
In the most recent edition of its publication al-Naba, the Islamic State group called for attacks, including vehicle rammings, targeting Christians and Jews in Europe, Israel and the United States.
A key tool to protect our country against this type of attack is the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. FISA, its Section 702 specifically, permits the government to conduct targeted surveillance of foreign people outside the United States to protect the United States from terrorists. This tool has helped save thousands of lives.
It is set to expire in April, unless Congress chooses to act.
Reauthorization is critical if we are to ensure that our intelligence and law enforcement entities have the tools needed to protect the United States from terrorist attacks.
It’s not just the so-called Islamic State that has called for attacks against Christians, Jews and Americans. Iran and other foreign terrorist organizations have made it clear that the United States, including and especially the Jewish and Christian communities, are prime targets for future attacks. In a world awash in global conflict, we need to recognize the reality that the U.S. is a target.
We have seen the impact of this on our streets and in our communities.
The Secure Community Network, the official safety and security organization for the Jewish community in North America, has logged record highs in threat incidents and suspicious activity targeting the Jewish community. In 2025, we logged 5,942 threat incidents and suspicious activity reports and made 497 referrals to law enforcement. These referrals were not mere talk; they were threats of violence and assault, including calls for murdering people of faith in our homes and houses of worship.
Many threats to the Jewish community originate in foreign countries where known terrorist groups direct and inspire acts of terrorism, targeted violence, swatting and hate crimes. Their recent call for violence was just their latest: The so-called Islamic State has called for a massacre of Jews by “lone wolves” in the U.S. by urging their proxy groups and individuals to “target Jewish people, especially in the U.S.”
Tragically, people have answered the call. In May, two innocent civilians were murdered outside a Jewish event in Washington. Weeks later, more civilians were targeted with Molotov cocktails in Boulder, Colorado. Just last month in Australia, gunmen killed 15 people in an attack on a Hanukkah celebration, opening fire with rifles on men, women and children.
It is our mission to stop attacks like these.
Section 702 of FISA is vital to America’s security, especially the security of the Jewish community and all faith-based communities. It is critical to collect intelligence and information on foreign terrorist organizations that could be plotting an attack against the U.S. at any moment. The reauthorization of Section 702 will make every American safer and more secure.
A failure to do so will expose us to attacks and potentially deadly consequences.
• Michael Masters serves as the national director and CEO of the Secure Community Network. He has served on numerous task forces for the Department of Homeland Security, including as an appointee of the U.S. secretary of homeland security to the federal Homeland Security Advisory Council and Faith-Based Advisory Council, the only individual in the country to hold appointments to both councils. He also serves as a member of the executive board of the FBI’s Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.