DHS Secretary Mayorkas approved the designation on Monday, officials said.
The Department of Homeland Security has designated Tuesday’s March for Israel in Washington, D.C., as a “Level 1” security event, the highest rating for risk assessment, sources told ABC News.
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas signed the designation early Monday, sources said. For comparison, the Super Bowl is typically designated as “Level 1,” and DHS says that “Level 1” is “so severe that it may require extensive security and incident management preparations among federal agencies.” defined as being of extreme national and/or international importance.”
As part of the designation, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued a “Joint Special Threat Assessment” to other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies ahead of Tuesday’s event.
The assessment, a copy of which was obtained by ABC News, does not indicate a “specific, viable threat to the March for Israel,” but it also reiterates previous warnings from DHS and the FBI that: Says. The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, or in response to it, poses the most likely threat to Americans, particularly America’s Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities. ”
“Since the October 7 attacks in Israel, we have observed an increase in threats against these communities, including reports of physical assaults, bombings, and online calls for mass casualty attacks. Tensions related to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, combined with the widespread sharing of graphic and disturbing content related to this conflict, raise the possibility of violence erupting in the United States with little or no warning. ”, the assessment says.
The evaluation points out that:[s]Special events with large numbers of participants and media coverage, such as the March for Israel, are still very popular among foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs), domestic violent extremists (HVEs), and domestic violent extremists (DVEs). has become an attractive target for ”
And the assessment states that “high-profile events may attract individuals or groups seeking to engage in activities protected by the First Amendment. These individuals, groups, law enforcement agencies, and security elements may “can be targeted by malicious actors looking for opportunities to carry out targeted criminal activities.” Violence and criminal planning. Lone actors with an interest in targeted violence remain a concern. ”