Israeli Police Arrest Suspect Linked To JCC Threats Across North America

Police in Israel arrested a teenager Thursday with dual Israeli-American citizenship in connection with a series of bomb threats made to Jewish Community Centers across North America.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions confirmed the arrest in a statement, saying the arrest was the culmination of a large-scale investigation spanning multiple continents for hate crimes against Jewish communities across the country.

"The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the civil rights of all Americans, and we will not tolerate the targeting of any community in this country on the basis of their religious beliefs. I commend the FBI and Israeli National Police for their outstanding work on this case,” Sessions said.

The teenager arrested in Israel has not been identified, and it is unclear how many of the threats he has been linked to. JCCs in North America have received more than a 100 threats since January.

Micky Rosenfield, a spokesman for the police in Israel, told the New York Times that the suspect made threats to institutions in Australia and New Zealand, as well as to a commercial airline flight, forcing an emergency landing. On Thursday, a judge ordered the teen held until at least March 30 and has imposed a gag order, forbidding authorities from releasing his name.

The suspect used “advanced camouflage technologies” to mask his identity and voice in the calls he allegedly made through the internet, according to the Times report.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported the suspect, who is in his late teens, was not drafted into the military because he was found unfit to serve. His motive is unknown, but police have accused him of hundreds of incidents involving threats to institutions around the world, including Israel, over a period of two or three years, Haaretz reports.

JCC Association of North America President and CEO Doron Krakow issued the following statement in response to the arrest:

“On behalf of the JCC Association of North America and JCCs across the continent, we are gratified by the progress in this investigation, and applaud the commitment and leadership of the FBI and other federal agencies, Israeli law enforcement, and local law enforcement across the United States and Canada.

“We are troubled to learn that the individual suspected of making these threats against Jewish Community Centers, which play a central role in the Jewish community, as well as serve as inclusive and welcoming places for all – is reportedly Jewish.

“Emblematic of the strength of JCCs and the important model they represent for acceptance, inclusion, and appreciation for diversity is the remarkable support we have received from communities and community leaders across North America, including civic, political and faith community leaders. Throughout this long running period of concern and disruption that we are hopeful has come to an end, JCCs have had the opportunity to review and assess our security protocols and procedures, and we are confident that JCCs are safer today than ever before.

“As we celebrate JCC Association of North America’s centennial this year, millions of members and participants across the United States and Canada will continue to pass through our doors, taking part in the extraordinary programs and initiatives that have defined the town square of North American Jewish life. And they will continue to do so with total confidence that JCCs remain a vital and exciting engine for building inspired and ever-stronger communities.”

Jonathan A. Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, issued the following statement:

We are relieved there’s been an arrest in the majority of the bomb threats against JCCs, schools, synagogues and several of our offices across the country. We are deeply grateful to the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the state and local law enforcement officials who made this investigation the highest priority.
While the details of this crime remain unclear, the impact of this individual’s actions is crystal clear: These were acts of anti-Semitism. These threats targeted Jewish institutions, were calculated to sow fear and anxiety, and put the entire Jewish community on high alert.

Even though it appears that the main culprit behind the majority of these attacks has allegedly been identified, anti-Semitism in the U.S. remains a very serious concern. No arrests have been made in three cemetery desecrations or a series of other anti-Semitic incidents involving swastika graffiti and hate fliers. JCCs and other institutions should not relax security measures or become less vigilant.

We appreciate the support of so many community and organizational leaders, both within and outside the Jewish community, who spoke out and condemned these threats. They understood not only how disruptive they were, but also how they traumatized the people affected, especially young children and senior citizens who were evacuated as a result of these threats.

This is the second arrest in connection with the threats made to JCCs across North America. Earlier this month, a disgraced former journalist was arrested by federal authorities who accused him of making threats to at least eight Jewish organizations, which he allegedly made to harass and intimidate an ex-girlfriend.

Patch will update this report.

Image Credit: Seth Wenig/Associated Press