Cities and counties in New York state with large Jewish populations have increased security after the former head of Hamas called for global protests.

Westchester County police, for example, have stepped up patrols around synagogues.

According to Westchester County Executive George Latimer, while there had been no incidents as of Friday evening, the county is trying to prepare for future threats.

“We’re trying to be as observant as we can be, and be protective of the various synagogues. For the Jewish community, this is the beginning of Shabbat both tonight and tomorrow, and so we’re going to try and be as alert as we can be,” he told Capital Tonight.

That said, Latimer worries this period of conflict in the Middle East may lead to months of unrest in New York.

“We could see a period of increased concern for an extended period of time,” he said. “We may see a threat here that doesn’t, maybe, materialize this weekend.”

Capital Tonight asked Latimer whether he had any further thoughts about primarying former DSA member and Westchester-area Rep. Jamaal Bowman, considering protests over the weekend in New York City in which some Democratic Socialist party elected officials were involved.

“I’m really just focused on my job as a county executive,” he said.