WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Florida Congressman Jared Moskowitz says antisemitic threats against Jewish Americans and elected officials have surged in recent years, forcing him to rely on heightened security and speak out about what he calls an increasingly dangerous climate.
In an interview with CNN anchor Sara Sidner on Friday, Moskowitz said that occasional threats are now routine and increasingly visible across social media, podcasts, and political discourse.
“It used to be once in a while you’d see a swastika now it’s every day, all the time,” Moskowitz said, pointing to what he described as a growing normalization of antisemitic rhetoric.
He said criticism of Israel is often quickly crossed into antisemitism.
“You can criticize a government,” he said, “but you see how quickly they go from Zionism to Jews, Israel to Jews. It’s in the blink of an eye.”
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Moskowitz also described receiving voicemails containing explicit calls for violence against Jews and supporters of Israel, which he said have been condemned as antisemitic extremism.
The congressman said he now has police protection at his home 24 hours a day and cited increased threats following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. He added that one individual tied to threats against him was prosecuted and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
He also said he and other lawmakers pushed House leadership for expanded security resources for members in their home districts.
“We had to go to the Speaker to get a security package together,” he said.
Moskowitz urged political leaders and movements to reject extremist voices, warning that silence allows antisemitism to spread under the guise of political debate.
“People may disagree with U.S. policy,” he said, “but they shouldn’t be allowing antisemites into their movement.”