Hollywood personal security companies said that requests from Jewish stars and those in the entertainment industry have definitely increased following the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,400 Israelis.
New York City and L.A.-based Global Threat Solutions CEO Kenneth D. Bombace told the Hollywood Reporter that they have “had a sharp increase in requests from our Jewish clients. They’re afraid they could be a target.”
He noted that his company provides real-time “geofencing” data that alerts clients “to an assault, to shootings, even hostile social media posts” in the area. Bombace — whose list of clients includes stars and billionaires — said “We provide detailed reporting on protests that could potentially turn violent — and where they are in relation to where our clients’ offices are.”
Hollywood’s Latest Accessory: Military-Grade Security https://t.co/zR64aS6VHV
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) October 26, 2023
A recent report from the Anti-Defamation League Center on Extremism showed that in the two weeks since the Hamas attacks, a total of 193 antisemitic incidents have occurred in the U.S., 77 of which were directly linked to what is happening in Gaza.
The ADL report also noted that, of the 400 plus anti-Israel rallies in the U.S., 109 featured explicit or strong implicit support for Hamas or violence against Jews in Israel.
“Obviously they’re scared,” President and CEO of the L.A.-based World Protection Group Kent Moyer told the outlet. He said his Jewish clients are requesting guards be armed and also be available for “graveyard shifts.”
“We’ve been on a hiring rampage,” he added. “I just sent an alert out to all our clients that there’s a Palestinian protest on Saturday down in Pershing Square. I’ve also advised them that [U.S. and Israeli] embassies and consulates around the world, and mainly in the Middle East, are the sites of massive protests.”
Moyer — whose client list includes multiple celebrities and 11 billionaires — said in all his 30 years providing personal security he’s “never recommended clients get a gun,” but that’s now changed.
“But I do now, 100 percent,” Moyer said, adding at the bare minimum, “All elderly people and women should carry pepper spray. I just think this is going to get worse. The situation is escalating.”
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