A Jewish Man in Israel Arrested for Threatening Jewish Centers in America

On Thursday, March 23, Israeli police arrested a 19-year-old Jewish man who is said to be the main suspect behind bomb threats to Jewish centers in the United States. According to the Associated Press, Mickey Rosenfeld, a spokesperson for the Israeli police, identified the individual as a hacker and stated that his motives for these threats are still unclear. Israeli media reports indicate that the suspect is an American-Israeli Jew who had previously been deemed unfit for military service. The Israeli police spokesperson said, 'He is the one behind the threats to American Jewish centers.' In the past two months, dozens of anonymous phone threats have been made to Jewish centers in the U.S. The FBI has confirmed the arrest of this suspect but has not commented further. According to the Anti-Defamation League, which tracks anti-Semitism, there have been 150 bomb threats reported against Jewish centers and Jewish day schools in 37 states and two provinces in Canada since January 9. The Israeli police stated that the suspect claimed in dozens of phone calls that he had planted bombs in public places and private companies, causing fear and panic. The police also suspect that he made similar calls to New Zealand, Australia, and Israel itself. The Israeli police spokesperson added that in February 2015, this individual called Delta Airlines and falsely claimed there were explosives on a flight from New York's JFK Airport, leading to an emergency landing. The suspect is reported to reside in southern Israel and used advanced technologies to conceal the origin of his calls. In this context, Donald Trump condemned the 'disturbing and painful' threats against Jewish centers in America, and the Department of Homeland Security took action following repeated threats against Jewish centers.