At least three synagogues and a museum in New York received bomb threats on Saturday but the New York Police Department did not deem them as credible, news agency Reuters said, citing a city official and police.
Manhattan Borough President Mark D. Levine said that is it an example of ‘swatting’ incidents targeting Jewish institutions and part of a growing trend. He said it was ‘a clear hate crime’.
“This is a clear effort to sow fear in the Jewish community. Cannot be accepted,” he said.
Antisemitic incidents of assault, vandalism and harassment in the US more than doubled last year to a record high as anti-Jewish sentiment spiked after the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October, the Anti-Defamation League said in a report last month.
A police spokesperson said a number of threats were received on Saturday, including an emailed bomb threat to the Brooklyn Museum and one to a synagogue in Brooklyn Heights, with no evidence of any explosive device detected.
Two synagogues in Manhattan also received bomb threats, including a West Side synagogue that prompted police to evacuate about 250 people, police said, with nothing found.
New York state Governor Kathy Hochul said on X state officials were “actively monitoring a number of bomb threats at synagogues in New York. Threats have been determined not to be credible.”
Hochul added, “We will not tolerate individuals sowing fear & antisemitism. Those responsible must be held accountable for their despicable actions”.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.