Federal authorities have officially labeled a violent incident at Michigan’s largest Jewish house of worship as terrorism motivated by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
The March 12 assault on Temple of Israel involved 41-year-old Ayman Ghazali, who drove his vehicle into the synagogue building before firing weapons at security personnel and detonating fireworks in an explosive blast, according to Jennifer Runyan, who leads the FBI’s Detroit regional office. Ghazali, originally from Lebanon who obtained American citizenship in 2016, died by suicide during the incident.
Fortunately, no other fatalities occurred despite young children being present for preschool activities at the time of the violence.
According to Runyan’s findings, Ghazali had been consuming materials promoting Hezbollah’s ideology before carrying out his plan, though federal agents cannot confirm whether he held formal membership in the organization. Investigators found no evidence suggesting he worked with accomplices.
Hezbollah emerged in 1982 with backing from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard forces. American officials have classified both groups as terrorist organizations.
Jerome Borgen, who serves as U.S. Attorney for Michigan’s Eastern District, stated: “Had this man lived, I am convinced that my office would prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed the federal crime of providing material support to Hezbollah.”
Investigation records show that one day prior to the synagogue assault, Ghazali began posting images on social platforms featuring Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died in recent U.S.-Israeli military operations. On the morning of the attack, while positioned in the temple’s parking area, Ghazali sent his sister a message revealing his intention “to commit a mass terrorist attack.”
Federal crime statistics indicate a troubling rise in anti-Jewish incidents nationwide, with attacks targeting Jewish Americans representing almost two-thirds of more than 5,300 religiously-motivated hate crimes documented since February 2024.
