Past Week Sees Major Surge in Reported Anti-Semitic Plots
In the past week, there were almost 200 swatting incidents on Jewish organizations, and several children were arrested for planning attacks on synagogues, exemplifying the ongoing surge in antisemitism in North America, Mack Lamoureux reports for Vice. The Secure Community Network, an organization that works with Jewish communities to provide security, said in a press release it has “tracked staggering 199 (and counting) swatting incidents and false bomb threats targeting Jewish facilities.” This includes “93 in California, 62 in Arizona, 15 in Connecticut, five in Colorado, and four in Washington.” Swatting is the process of making a false police call in the hopes of sending a SWAT team to a targeted address. Two minors have also been arrested and charged for plotting attacks on synagogues. An FBI memo indicates that authorities believe the spree is coordinated and is coming from outside of the United States. There has been a demonstrated and legitimate rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic attacks since October 7, when Israel declared war on Hamas in response to a terrorist attack.