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(A7) At least three synagogues and a museum in New York received bomb threats on Saturday, but the New York Police Department said none were deemed credible, Reuters reported.
Manhattan Borough President Mark D. Levine wrote on social media that the synagogue bomb threats were “a clear hate crime, and part of a growing trend of ‘swatting’ incidents targeting Jewish institutions.”
“This is a clear effort to sow fear in the Jewish community. Cannot be accepted,” he added.
A police spokesperson said a number of threats were received on Saturday, including an emailed bomb threat to the Brooklyn Museum and one to a synagogue in Brooklyn Heights, with no evidence of any explosive device detected.
Two synagogues in Manhattan also received bomb threats, including a West Side synagogue that prompted police to evacuate about 250 people, police said, with nothing found.
New York state Governor Kathy Hochul commented on the threats and wrote on social media, “We are actively monitoring a number of bomb threats at synagogues in New York. Threats have been determined not to be credible, but we will not tolerate individuals sowing fear and antisemitism. Those responsible must be held accountable for their despicable actions.”
New York has seen a spike in antisemitic incidents since the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7 and the was in Gaza which followed.
Last month, the NYPD reported that antisemitic crimes in New York City spiked in March, with 43 incidents in the five boroughs reported to police during that month.
Recent incidents of antisemitism in New York City included two attacks on a kosher restaurant within four days.
In December, bomb threats were made against 15 synagogues in New York State. The Community Security Initiative, which coordinates security for Jewish institutions in the New York City area, said at the time that the threats were made as part of a campaign intended to interrupt synagogue operations by forcing law enforcement to go to a location, and there did not appear to be any actual danger to the targets.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams last month directed the New York Police Department to beef up security around Jewish institutions in the city in the wake of the Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel.
Adams stressed at the time that there is no direct threat to Jewish institutions in New York City at the time and the decision to increase security was made as a precaution.
