Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 08 February 2024

These updates are shared to help raise the situational awareness of Faith-Based organizations to best defend against and mitigate the impacts from all-hazards threats including physical security, cybersecurity, and natural disasters.

White House officials to visit Michigan to meet with Muslim and Arab American community leaders

Senior Biden administration aides will travel to Michigan on Thursday to hear directly from Muslim and Arab American community leaders on their top issues and concerns, including, most notably, the Israel-Hamas war and civilian casualties in Gaza. The White House teased the upcoming visit to Michigan when President Joe Biden traveled to Detroit last week for a labor-focused event with the United Auto Workers union.

Analyst Comments:

Expected White House participants include Steve Benjamin, senior adviser to the president and director of the Office of Public Engagement; Tom Perez, senior adviser and director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs; Jon Finer, principal deputy national security adviser; Samantha Power, USAID administrator; Jamie Citron, principal deputy director of the Office of Public Engagement; Dan Kosh, director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs; and Mazen Basraw, National Security Council director for partnerships and global engagement.

According to NBC News, the meeting with Muslim and Arab American community leaders in Detroit is a White House-driven event. Biden campaign officials are not planning to participate at this time.

Hundreds of Jewish creatives have names, details taken in leak, published online

The Age is reporting that Anti-Zionist activists have published the names, images, professions and social media accounts of hundreds of Jewish people working in academia and creative industries, in an escalation of social tensions over the October 7 attacks and subsequent war in Gaza. The dissemination of almost 600 names and their personal details was taken from the purported membership of a private WhatsApp Group formed last year by Jewish writers, artists, musicians and academics.

Analyst Comments:

As we continue to see the events in Gaza having impacts across the globe, and communities and individuals being targeted with harassment, vandalism, and hostile events, it is important for anyone who feels they may be in a position to be targeted, either with physical violence or online, to take necessary precautions. A few CISA resources we have previously shared include:

• Personal Security Considerations Action Guide
• Identity Theft and Personal Cyber Threats
• Online Privacy