Editing Jewish Defense League (section)

==Terrorism and other illegal activities==

In a 2004 congressional testimony, [[John S. Pistole]], executive assistant director for counterterrorism and counterintelligence for the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI) described the JDL as "a known violent extremist Jewish organization."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.fbi.gov/congress/congress04/pistole041404.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100707233327/https://www.fbi.gov/congress/congress04/pistole041404.htm|url-status=dead|title=Federal Bureau of Investigation – Congressional Testimony|archivedate=July 7, 2010}}</ref> FBI statistics show that, from 1980 through 1985, there were 18 officially classified terrorist attacks in the U.S. committed by Jews; 15 of those by members of the JDL.<ref name=bohn/>

In its report, ''Terrorism 2000/2001'',<ref name="fbi" /> the FBI referred to the JDL as a "violent extremist Jewish organization" and stated that the FBI was responsible for thwarting at least one of its terrorist acts.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/terror |title=Terrorism 2000/2001 |publisher=Fbi.gov |access-date=2013-08-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007083445/https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/terror |archive-date=2012-10-07 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Holmes |first=Oliver |date=2021-03-24 |title='Racist and reprehensible': Jewish Power set to enter Israel's parliament |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/24/racist-and-reprehensible-jewish-power-set-to-enter-israels-parliament |access-date=2025-03-09 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The [[Terrorism Knowledge Base|National Consortium for the Study of Terror and Responses to Terrorism]] states that, during the JDL's first two decades of activity, it was an "active terrorist organization."<ref name="MIPT"/> The JDL was specifically referenced by the FBI's Executive Assistant Director Counterterrorism/Counterintelligence, [[John S. Pistole]], in his formal report before the [[9/11 Commission]].<ref name="MIPT"/>

JDL is suspected of being behind the 1972 bombing of the Manhattan offices of theater impresario [[Sol Hurok]] in which 1 employee<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ledbetter |first=Les |date=1972-01-27 |title=Fire Bomb Kills Woman, Hurts 13 in Hurok Office |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/01/27/archives/fire-bomb-kills-woman-hurts-13-in-hurok-office-firebombing-in-hurok.html |access-date=2025-03-09 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> was killed.<ref>Kushner, Harvey W. (2003). Encyclopedia of Terrorism. SAGE. pp. 192–193. {{ISBN|0-7619-2408-6}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1974-08-01 |title=2 in J.D.L. Sentenced In Hurok Bomb Case |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/08/01/archives/2-in-jdl-sentenced-in-hurok-bomb-case.html |access-date=2025-03-09 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>