(The Situation Update Report [SUR] is a near real-time brief of a possible threat or situation being monitored by The Counter Threat Center. The information is accurate at the time of reporting, but may be subject to change.)
Gabriel Helupka, Nicholas Novak, Wissal Mabrouk
Jennifer Loy, Chief Editor
October 15, 2023
Current Situation: “Youth Revenge Discussions,” a Telegram channel, posted a photo of the suspect who fatally stabbed a six-year-old Muslim child repeatedly and injured his mother. The caption roughly translates to: “This #Jewish dog is the owner of the house where the Palestinian mother and her son live. He killed the six-year-old child with 26 stab wounds and injured his mother. In an area in the US state of Illinois.” Youth Revenge Discussions shares content focused on the freedom for Palestine, the oppression against Palestinians inflicted by Israel, the conflict between Hamas and Israel, and the attack on Gaza.[2]
Day/Time of event: October 15, 2023
What is the current threat:
Violent attacks targeting Palestinians and Muslims globally will almost certainly increase, likely increasing Islamophobic sentiments. Copycat attacks are very likely to occur, likely imitating close-up attack methods with melee weapons. Lone-wolf revenge acts against Palestinians will likely go under-reported on social media, likely not garnering as much attention as the Israel-Hamas conflict. The attack will likely result in online outrage, likely blaming Western-based media outlets and anti-hate organizations. Online users will likely blame them for being complicit in unbalanced coverage and misrepresenting Palestinians that encourage faith-based violence.
Retaliatory attacks targeting Jewish individuals are very likely, likely resulting in growing anti-Palestinian and anti-Jewish rhetoric. Islamist terrorist groups will likely use the attack as a justification to call on Muslims to provide material and act hostile toward Jewish individuals. Violent rhetoric will likely increase in extreme pro-Palestinian Telegram channels, likely calling on lone-wolf actors to take revenge.
Pro-Palestinian groups will likely call for protests or demonstrations nationwide to denounce this act of violence, likely involving verbal confrontations towards Israel supporters. They will likely leverage social media platforms to mobilize support and draw attention to the broader issue of oppression against the Palestinians. The narrative will almost certainly emphasize the humanitarian aspect of the conflict, very likely underscoring the vulnerability of Palestinian civilians to garner international attention.
Extreme pro-Jewish Telegram channels will likely praise the attack as a successful revenge act in response to recent attacks on Jewish individuals and Hamas’s assault. This will likely garner more support in the extreme pro-Jewish community, very likely leading to further attacks. Online radicalization is likely to increase within both communities, likely leading to a more polarized discourse.
Who will it directly impact:
Palestinian civilians
Muslim communities
Jewish communities
[1] CTG Threat Hunter 1 via Telegram
[2] Ibid