On Thursday, a teen with Israeli-American citizenship was arrested in connection with a dozens of bomb threats made to Jewish Community Centers across the nation, which included several against the Levite Jewish Community Center Birmingham. Upon announcing the arrest, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions praised law enforcement and intelligence officials.
“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,” Sessions said in a statement. “I commend the FBI and Israeli National Police for their outstanding work on this case.”
Sessions added that the arrest was the “culmination of a large-scale investigation spanning multiple continents for hate crimes against Jewish communities across our country.”
The teen has been described as a 19 year-old “hacker” who used advanced technology to hide his digital footprint. He was arrested in South Israel.
In Birmingham, the Levite Jewish Community Center has been threatened four separate times, receiving its most recent bomb threat in early March. The LJCC also received bomb threats on Jan. 18, Feb. 20, and Feb. 27. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is currently investigating the incidents.
President Donald J. Trump came out late last month to condemn such threats against the Jewish community. “The anti-Semitic threats targeting our Jewish community at community centers are horrible and are painful and a very sad reminder of the work that still must be done to root out hate and prejudice and evil,” Trump said. “I certainly hope they catch the people.”
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