J Street and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) are deeply concerned by rising antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate in the United States at a moment of escalating tensions in the Middle East, including the growing confrontation involving Iran. Periods of heightened conflict abroad too often coincide with increased fear, discrimination, and violence at home, putting both Jewish and Muslim Americans at risk.

In recent weeks, Muslim and Jewish communities alike have faced threats to their safety and their houses of worship. The recent attack on a synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, along with two arson attacks at Masjid Al-Rahma Mosque in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the Masjid Omar Islamic Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, demonstrate the escalation of threats against mosques and Muslim community institutions. The attacks at West Bloomfield Township and the two mosques in Minnesota are stark reminders that hateful rhetoric and political scapegoating have real-world consequences.

We are particularly troubled by public statements that demonize entire communities in the name of national security or foreign policy. FBI hate-crime statistics and reporting from civil rights organizations consistently show that Jews and Muslims are among the most frequent targets of religiously motivated violence in the United States. These realities demand that leaders speak with care and reject rhetoric that pits Americans against one another.

We call on leaders at every level to protect the civil rights and safety of all communities and to ensure that security resources are available to Jewish, Muslim and other faith institutions facing credible threats. Programs designed to protect nonprofit and religious organizations must remain accessible, equitable and free from politicization.

We also share concern about the growing momentum toward further war in the Middle East. J Street and MPAC have both stood clearly against the Trump administration’s military action in Iran. The continued prioritization of military escalation over diplomacy risks devastating consequences overseas and intensifies polarization here at home. Calls for further large-scale military action, including the possible deployment of U.S. ground troops in another Middle East war, should be weighed with full awareness of both their international and domestic costs.

We are proud as Jewish and Muslim Americans to work together to defend democratic values, oppose bigotry, and support peaceful, diplomatic solutions to conflict. We have differences on Palestine and Israel, yet we will work together to ensure American foreign policy does not cause more harm in the region. At this moment of rising tension, we reaffirm our shared commitment to rejecting hate, preventing violence, and pursuing a future grounded in dignity, security, and justice for all.