Israeli intelligence has thwarted over 50 Iranian-backed terror attacks against Jews worldwide since Oct 7

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The Israeli foreign intelligence agency Mossad has thwarted more than 50 Iranian-backed terrorist attacks against Jews and Israelis worldwide since the Hamas Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, according to a Jerusalem Post report. This represents at least twice the number of attempted attacks against Jews worldwide compared to the previous year. However, the actual number of terrorist attempts targeting Jewish and Israeli individuals since Oct. 7 could be significantly higher, as most incidents have not been disclosed to the public.

In his speech at Reichman University earlier this month, Mossad Director David Barnea revealed that the agency had prevented at least 27 terrorist incidents worldwide where the Iranian regime and its allies had plotted to target the Jewish population and Israelis living abroad.

Anti-Jewish hate crimes in the United States increased by over 60% in 2023 compared to 2022, according to fresh statistics released by the FBI.

Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a non-governmental organization that combats antisemitism worldwide, was not surprised by the data.

“At a time when the Jewish community is still suffering from the sharp rise in antisemitism following Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, the record-high number of anti-Jewish hate crime incidents is unfortunately entirely consistent with the Jewish community’s experience and ADL’s tracking,” Greenblatt stated.

The Iranian regime has fueled the dramatic rise in attacks on Jews and Israelis worldwide by financing and encouraging local extremists to target Jews and Israeli interests.

The increase in attacks on Jews is not limited to the United States. In May, Israeli intelligence revealed that the Iranian regime had employed local criminal gangs in Europe to target Jews. According to Mossad, Sweden has emerged as a significant recruiting hub for Iranian-backed attacks targeting Jews and Israel in Europe.

“Iran operates many criminal organizations in Sweden and Europe in general, while taking advantage of the relative advantage of each and sometimes the rivalry between them,” Israeli intelligence stated in its assessment.

The Mossad specifically mentioned RUMBA and FOXTROT, two European-based criminal networks that have taken an active part in the attacks on Jews and Israelis. Both organizations are led by individuals from the Middle East.

Swedish security police, Säpo, reported that the ayatollah regime also targets Iranian dissidents in Europe.

“Iran has previously used violence in other countries in Europe with the aim of silencing critical voices and perceived threats to its own regime,” Säpo said. “To carry out these security-threatening activities, the Iranian regime has on occasion made use of criminal networks.”

The Mossad is recognized globally for its daring intelligence operations. However, the Mossad’s global reach has required cooperation with local authorities, which has played an important role in preventing numerous Iranian-backed terrorist attacks.

While the Mossad has close ties with its American and European counterparts, it also occasionally works with intelligence agencies in countries that are officially hostile toward Israel, which mainly cooperate with the Mossad out of self-interest.