Senate Calls for Increased Security as Threats on Jewish Centers Rise

  • Mar 08, 2017

A new wave of bomb threats against Jewish community centers and Anti-Defamation League officers in at least eight states prompted lawmarkers on Tuesday to ask the federal government for increased security.

Bomb threats were reported in Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Washington and Wisconson. A bomb threat was even called into the ADL headquarters in Toronto, Canada.

The threats, which were made by phone or email, are among more than 100 across the United States and Canada since early January, according the Anti-Defamation League.

"This is not 'normal,'" Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League said in a statement, "We will not be deterred or intimidated.”

In Washington, a letter signed by all 100 U.S. senators urged the Trump Administration to step up security at Jewish community centers and day schools.

In the letter addressed to Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and FBI Director James Comey, the senators wrote: "We are concerned that the number of incidents is accelerating and failure to address and deter these threats will place innocent people at risk and threaten the financial viability of JCCs, many of which are institutions in their communities."

White House Press Secretary addressed the increased bomb threats saying, “We'll continue to condemn them and look at ways in which we can stop them.”

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