Members and supporters of the National Socialist Movement, one of the largest neo-Nazi groups in the US, hold a rally on April 21, 2018 in Newnan, Georgia. Image by Getty

By Ari Feldman November 1, 2019

Neo-Nazis considered to be domestic terrorism threats by the U.S. government are increasingly communicating and meeting with European hate groups, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Christopher Wray, told Congress Wednesday.

Speaking to the House Homeland Security Committee, Wray said that these meetings did not appear to be about organizing terrorist actions, but more about sharing their like-minded views.

“We are starting to see racially motivated violent extremists connecting with like-minded individuals online certainly, and in some instances, we have seen people travel overseas to train,” he said, particularly to Ukraine.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

“Probably a more prevalent phenomenon that we see right now is racially motivated violent extremists who are inspired by what they see overseas,” he added. “They’re not working together, but they’re just fueled by each other.”

Wray noted that the lack of structure makes it difficult for law enforcement to determine how serious some of the groups are about committing acts of terrorism.

During the hearing, Rep. Max Rose, a Jewish Democratic Congressman representing Staten Island and a section of Brooklyn, asked if the FBI could more effectively monitor certain American neo-Nazi groups if the Ukrainian hate groups they communicated with were registered as foreign terrorist organizations. Wray said that the designation would be up to the State Department.

Ari Feldman is a staff writer at the Forward. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @aefeldman

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount