NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — Israeli police have arrested a 19-year-old Israeli Jewish man as the primary suspect in a string of bomb threats targeting Jewish community centers in the U.S. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said Thursday that the suspect is “the guy who was behind the JCC threats,” referring to Jewish community centers in the U.S. that have received dozens of anonymous threats in recent weeks. The suspect’s motives are unclear. The man, from the south of Israel, used advanced technologies to mask the origin of his calls and communications to synagogues, community buildings and public venues, Rosenfeld said. The suspect also made threats in New Zealand and Australia. The investigation was carried out with the help of the FBI and police from other countries, Rosenfeld said. According to the Anti-Defamation League, there have been more than 150 threats this year against Jewish institutions in 37 states and two Canadian provinces. Last month, a Missouri man was charged in connection with at least eight threats against the ADL headquarters in New York City and JCCs nationwide. Prosecutors said the threats were made in an effort to harass and vilify his former girlfriend. In New York City, anti-Semitic incidents – including bomb threats, swastikas on doors and subways, and threatening phone calls and emails — continue to skyrocket. The latest NYPD statistics show a 177 percent increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes – 72 so far this year compared to 26 for the same period in 2016. The NYPD will increase the police presence at all Jewish institutions in the city for Passover. Stay with CBSNewYork.com as this story develops. (© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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Israeli Police Make Arrest In Threats Against US Jewish Community Centers
