Multiple bomb threats reported at NYC synagogues – officials

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the alarm turned out to be false, and condemns acts of anti-Semitism

Several synagogues and a museum in New York received bomb threats on Saturday that were ultimately deemed not credible, local authorities have said.

According to the New York City Police Department, as quoted by CBS News, there were reports of explosives at three places of worship in Manhattan – Congregation Rodeph Sholom, Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, and Chabad of Midtown. Elsewhere in New York, bomb threats were sent to Brooklyn Heights Synagogue and The Brooklyn Museum.

Law enforcement officials said all of the locations received notifications by email, claiming there were explosives nearby, and prompting evacuations in several cases. Subsequently, the threats were deemed to be hoaxes, police said, adding that the matter is under investigation, and no link has so far been established between the incidents.

The NYC Metropolitan Transportation Authority, cited by CBS, said an unusual package was reported not far from The Brooklyn Museum subway station, but transport services were not affected.

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New York State Governor Kathy Hochul confirmed the development, saying officials “are actively monitoring a number of bomb threats” in synagogues.

“Threats have been determined not to be credible, but we will not tolerate individuals sowing fear & antisemitism. Those responsible must be held accountable for their despicable actions,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

In April, the NYPD reported a 45% increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes since the start of the year, with 96 such cases, compared to 66 in the same period of 2023.

Police Commissioner Edward Caban has linked the wave of anti-Semitism to the Israel-Gaza conflict.

The war started when the militant group Hamas carried out a cross-border raid last October, killing around 1,200 Israelis and taking 250 hostages. In response, Israel launched a large-scale military operation, in which more than 34,000 Palestinians have died, according to Gaza authorities.

The conflict has sparked pro-Palestine protests at dozens of colleges across the US in recent weeks, in some cases resulting in violent clashes with police and numerous arrests.