US Department of Homeland Security's Action Following Repeated Threats Against Jewish Centers

Following an increase in bomb threats against Jewish centers in the United States, the Department of Homeland Security proposed increasing assistance to Jewish communities. According to reports, John Kelly, the Secretary of Homeland Security, announced in a statement on Wednesday, March 2, that in light of the rising threats, he has asked officials in his department to provide necessary security assistance to Jewish institutions and their centers in all fifty states. John Kelly reported that senior officials from this department spoke on Wednesday with representatives of Jewish communities that have faced threats. The Department of Homeland Security has committed to providing consultation, guidance, and necessary training to Jewish centers in all states to strengthen security measures. John Kelly described the bomb threats against Jewish centers as a 'terrifying experience' in the lives of American Jews and wrote: 'The right to worship freely is a necessity for life in America.' According to American media, none of the bomb threats have been carried out so far, but attacks on cemeteries and desecration of gravestones have hurt the feelings of Jews and raised concerns about their situation. After the desecration of Jewish graves last week in St. Louis, hundreds of gravestones in a Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia were also broken by unknown individuals early Sunday morning this week. Mike Pence, the Vice President of the United States, personally visited the Jewish cemetery in St. Louis and condemned the desecration by participating in cleaning the graves. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, also condemned the threats against Jewish centers in a speech on Tuesday, March 1, in Congress and called for 'condemnation of vile acts in any form.' Mr. Trump stated: 'Targeting Jewish centers and the vandalism that occurred in Jewish cemeteries, and the shooting last week in Kansas City (in which an Indian immigrant was killed), reminds us that if our nation is divided over politics, we are united in condemning hatred and evil acts.' The organization known as the 'Anti-Defamation League' in the United States has reported that anti-Semitism has increased 'unprecedentedly' in the country since the recent presidential election. Meanwhile, according to Israeli media, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, expressed gratitude on Wednesday for Donald Trump's speech in Congress and the previous statements of the President of the United States condemning the attacks on Jewish cemeteries and threats against Jewish institutions and schools. Mr. Netanyahu, in his remarks on Wednesday, called on other world leaders, especially in Europe, to condemn the instances of anti-Semitism that have 're-emerged.' European Jewish organizations report that threats stemming from hostility towards Jews have increased recently in France. In this context, anti-Semitism; from 'war with God' to crematoria, following an attack on a factory in France, an Israeli minister invited the Jews of his country to emigrate. The global Jewish population has decreased to '14 million.' '57 percent' of Jews in Israel are concerned about attacks from Palestinians. Repeated attacks on Jewish graves in a cemetery in Philadelphia.