Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By simmons on February 20, 2017

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt criticized the Trump administration's handling of recent threats. | Getty

Ivanka Trump later lends her support via Twitter.

By Cristiano Lima

02/20/17 06:45 PM EST

Updated 02/20/17 07:20 PM EST

The Anti-Defamation League has again called on the Trump administration to act in light of numerous reported threats against Jewish Community Centers across the U.S. on Monday.

"The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is deeply disturbed by additional bomb threats directed against Jewish Community Centers (JCCs) in multiple states across the United States today the fourth series of such threats since the start of the year," the group said in a statement.

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As of Monday evening, bombing threats had been received in at least 10 Jewish community centers, including Buffalo; Birmingham, Ala.; St. Paul, Minn.; Houston; Whitefish Bay, Wis.; Chicago; Nashville; and Albuquerque, N.M. Many of the centers have since been cleared, and the ADL has deemed the reported threats "not credible."

"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 organization said.

The group, however, reiterated their call for President Donald Trump and his administration to outline how they planned to deal with the issue.

"We are still waiting to hear what administration will do to address ongoing threats to Jewish communities #answerthequestion," the group tweeted Monday.

Just over an hour after the ADL's call to action, first daughter Ivanka Trump, who is Jewish, tweeted in support of the threatened Jewish community centers.

"America is a nation built on the principle of religious tolerance," she tweeted Monday evening. "We must protect our houses of worship & religious centers. #JCC"

According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, threats were also received on Jan. 9, Jan. 18 and Jan. 31, with 30 JCCs threatened in 17 states on Jan. 18.

The ADL's comments also served as a rebuke of President Trump's refusal to answer a question about the recent rash of antisemitic threats leveled against Jews across the United States during his press conference at the White House last Thursday, as well as a similar one during his appearance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Asked Thursday by Jake Turx of the Jewish publication Ami Magazine how he planned to counter the uptick in anti-Semitic threats, Trump claimed to be the least anti-Semitic person that youve ever seen in your entire life, and accused the reporter of asking him a "very insulting question." Trump then proceeded to tell the reporter to "sit down" and call himself "the least racist person."

The ADL came out strongly against the president's response, calling it "mind-boggling."

"On two separate occasions over the past two days, President Trump has refused to say what he is going to do about rising anti-Semitism or to even condemn it," said ADL's national chair, Marvin Nathan, and CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt. "It is mind-boggling why President Trump prefers to shout down a reporter or brush this off as a political distraction."

The Trump administration previously came under heavy fire for failing to mention the Jewish people in a statement in remembrance of those slain during the Holocaust.

In recent months, there has also been an uptick in other anti-Semitic incidents unrelated to the bomb threats. In University City, Mo., on Monday, more than 100 headstones were toppled and/or damaged at a Jewish cemetery.

See the article here:
After wave of threats on Jewish centers, ADL calls for action - Politico

Category: Anti-Defamation League
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