Press Release: 2024-12-03

Increase in Islamist Extremist Terror Incidents Targeting the U.S. in 2024, ADL Evaluation Finds

 

Published: 12.02.2024

ADL tracked seven terror incidents connected to Islamist extremism; three targeted Jewish or Israeli people, businesses

New York, NY, December 2, 2024 … Islamist extremist terror incidents targeting the United States increased in 2024 after several years of reduced activity, according to an evaluation released today by the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) Center on Extremism. Federal and state authorities have arrested individuals in seven different incidents on charges related to five unsuccessful plots and two actual attacks in the past year. At least three of these incidents targeted Jewish or Israeli individuals, institutions or businesses.

Perpetrators in two incidents were successful in causing serious harm—including a shooting injury against a Jewish man on his way to synagogue in Chicago, IL, on Oct. 26, 2024, and damaging of an energy facility.

"The rise in Islamist extremist terror incidents in the United States is deeply troubling and compounds an already complex extremist landscape," said Oren Segal, Vice President of the ADL Center on Extremism (COE). "This year, which has been marked by support for and glorification of terrorist organizations at anti-Israel demonstrations across the country, the increase in terrorist plots and attacks serves as a stark reminder of the persistent threat posed by these groups and their ideologies."

While Islamist terror incidents were common—and sometimes quite deadly—in the 2010s, due in large part to the rise of ISIS, they decreased considerably by the end of the decade. Between 2021 and 2023, the COE tracked only six Islamist-related terror incidents in the U.S., compared to 30 incidents with far-right perpetrators and five incidents with far-left or other perpetrators within that same timeframe.

In 2024, COE has tracked seven different terror incidents connected to Islamist extremism, compared to six incidents tied to far-right extremism and four incidents related to far-left or other extremism. The Islamist-related incidents stemmed from a variety of motivations, from a desire to support ISIS or its offshoots (such as ISIS-K in Pakistan and Afghanistan) to anger over the war in Gaza that began following the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks against Israel.

Incidents included both homegrown Islamist extremists inspired to commit a violent act in the United States and people who attempted to enter the U.S. to commit a terrorist attack.

The full evaluation is available on ADL’s website.

ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913, its timeless mission is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of antisemitism and bias, using innovation and partnerships to drive impact. A global leader in combating antisemitism, countering extremism and battling bigotry wherever and whenever it happens, ADL works to protect democracy and ensure a just and inclusive society for all. More at www.adl.org.