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More than 200 Virginia state law enforcement officers and public safety professionals took part on Monday in a training session on extremism and terrorism in the United States, with a focus on the threats posed by Hamas and its allies.
The forum — co-organized by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), Virginia Governor’s Office, and George Mason University, where the event was held — featured remarks by Lara Burns, Head of Terrorism Research at the George Washington University Program on Extremism, and EJ Kimball, CAM Director of Christian Outreach and Engagement.
Yesterday, over 200 attended the Extremism & Hamas in the U.S. training in VA. In total, 700 law enforcement officers will go through this training. With the rise of antisemitism across our nation, we must continue learning how to combat the influence of terrorist organizations. pic.twitter.com/E9nL1FppRn
— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) October 22, 2024
The presentations outlined the history of Hamas, as well as its ongoing efforts to infiltrate the American education system, media, and political institutions. They also detailed Hamas’ ties with organizations such as Americans for Justice in Palestine (AJP), American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
Furthermore, Kimball discussed what contemporary antisemitism looks like, underscoring the importance of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, and how Jewish communities worldwide have been impacted by the aftermath of the October 7th attack in Israel. He also offered an in-depth analysis of the symbols being used by anti-Israel protesters and what each of them means.
