Patricia Heaton warns America could face ‘another 9/11’ if nation ignores rising antisemitism, radical Islam

Emmy Award-winning actress and pro-Israel advocate Patricia Heaton warned Americans that if they don’t speak out against rising antisemitism and anti-West propaganda following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks in Israel, the United States could face another 9/11.

Heaton, along with “#EndJewHatred” and “The Lawfare Project” founder Brooke Goldstein, spoke to Fox News Digital ahead of the two-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 massacre and warned that Americans are not paying enough attention to the threat posed by antisemitism and radical Islam — not only to Jewish people, but to all Americans.

“It’s hard to believe, but we’re going to see a 9/11 again in this country if people don’t wake up, take a stand, and make their voices heard,” the ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ star told Fox News Digital.

Goldstein, who recently invited Heaton to speak about defending the Jewish people during a “Lawfare Project” seminar, said Americans have lost sight of the threat that radical Islamists pose — but believes they are beginning to recognize it again.

“I think Americans are starting to wake up and understand that radicalization — especially theologically motivated radicalization — is a threat to the United States,” Goldstein said. “Why has it taken us so long after 9/11, when Islamist radicals flew planes and killed thousands of civilians, to realize this is not just about the Jews?”

She said that in the years since Sept. 11, 2001, Americans have been bombarded with messaging suggesting any criticism of radical Islam is Islamophobic. 

“But what happened after 9/11 was an orchestrated campaign of what I call ‘Islamophobi-mania’ — where any counterterrorism expert, journalist, author, or even cartoonist who spoke about the threat of radical Islam was branded Islamophobic or racist,” Goldstein said.

Goldstein stressed that Hamas’ killing of more than 1,500 people in Israel in 2023 was not only an attack on Israel but an assault on Western civilization. 

“Americans are waking up that this is a threat to us,” she said. “We have American civilians who were kidnapped and killed, and others who remain hostages in Gaza. This is an attack on Western democracies — an attack on the West by radical Islamist states funding proxy groups engaged in what they call a holy war.”

Heaton said she was dismayed that many Americans and people around the world have embraced anti-Israel propaganda and sided with radicals who seek to destroy the West. 

“After October 7, I assumed that all of America, and particularly Christians, would be standing up for Israel, that there would be a massive outcry on October 8th, and 9th, and 10th in support of Israel and condemning what had happened,” she said. “And instead, there was sort of silence from most Americans and a lot of churches and huge support for Palestine and for Hamas and for Gazans who went in and participated in this slaughter.”

Heaton added, “This is a horrible thing that we witnessed. And now the whole world is supporting the perpetrators. It’s outrageous.”

The actress said she founded the “October 7th Coalition” [O7C] after seeing how many Americans turned against Israel following the Hamas terror attack. The coalition describes itself as a network of Christians standing up against antisemitism in the United States.

Its mission statement states, “We recognize Israel’s right to exist and we emphatically and vociferously reject all antisemitism. We are here to unite, promote, and encourage meaningful public and private action in the Christian community to strengthen relationships with our Jewish friends and neighbors.”

Heaton told Fox News Digital that Christians must defend the Jewish people not only for their sake, but because attacks on them are attacks on all Judeo-Christian communities. 

“It’s very important for Christians to recognize this and support the Jewish people. And for our own self-interest, also for the interest, as Brooke said, for democracy, for Judeo-Christian values that we all cherish, and we benefit from,” Heaton said. “But you have to remember 9/11. You have to remember the first attack on the World Trade Center, and you have to take seriously these attacks on Jews that are happening on American soil.”