After an unbelievable eleven threats on Monday, the White House has released a statement condemning the attacks on Jewish Community Centers.

“Hatred and hate-motivated violence of any kind have no place in a country founded on the promise of individual freedom. The President has made it abundantly clear that these actions are unacceptable,” said White House deputy press secretary Lindsay Walters.

In what appeared to be a response, Ivanka Trump tweeted out her support as well. Ivanka, her husband and children are all Orthodox Jews. Something the President is oft to point out when faced with baseless anti-semitic attacks.

America is a nation built on the principle of religious tolerance. We must protect our houses of worship & religious centers. #JCC

— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) February 20, 2017

The sheer volume of threats is staggering. As CNN reports the threat is real and growing.

David Posner, the director of strategic performance of the JCC Association of North America, said community centers across the US and Canada have received 69 threats at 54 centers since January. The organization is working with law enforcement and the FBI to investigate the threats.
“While we are relieved that all such threats have proven to be hoaxes and that not a single person was harmed, we are concerned about the anti-Semitism behind these threats, and the repetition of threats intended to interfere with day-to-day life,” Posner said in a statement. “Local JCCs serve not just the Jewish community, but the entire community. Participants from all different backgrounds come to their local JCCs for activities, Jewish cultural and religious programming, and opportunities to come together as a community.”

The Anti-Defamation League also released a statement expressing deep concern for the threats. But were quick to point out they had no evidence of actual bombs, merely threats.

“While ADL does not have any information at this time to indicate the presence of any actual bombs at any of the institutions threatened, the threats themselves are alarming, disruptive, and must always been taken seriously,” the statement said

Thankfully most of these threats have not resulted in damage to people or property, what is important is that whoever is responsible is caught and punished. This could be one person contacting multiple locations if not all of the locations. Terrorism is based on fear, this situation is designed to intensify fear in Jewish Communities and it must be stopped, before it escalates further.

Those behind the threats may evolve to wanting to act on their threats or they may embolden someone else to take action. Either way those being target by the threats have a right to feel safe in their community. It’s about time the Federal Government took this issue seriously.

It’s also interesting to watch Ivanka Trump use her enormous social media platform to draw attention to the situation. Good for her.
.