Press Release

March 23, 2017
Cardin Praises FBI, Intelligence Community for Swift Arrest in Threats Against Jewish Community Centers and Schools

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism, and Intolerance for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly, released the following statement in response to the arrest of an Israeli man for making threats to Jewish institutions across the U.S. and other countries, including Jewish day schools and community centers in Maryland.

“My sincere thanks go out to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and others in the law enforcement and intelligence communities who worked diligently to track down and apprehend this individual who is alleged to have been behind these threats to Jewish institutions. The recent threats have been deeply disturbing not only to the Jewish community but well beyond. Religious-based threats, whether anti-Semitic or targeted at other religions, are criminal and fan the flames of extremism that tears apart societies. I will continue to take every opportunity to speak out forcefully against this kind of intolerance and encourage all leaders, from the national level to the neighborhood level, to do the same.

“The successful arrest of this perpetrator demonstrates how strong working relationships with our allies overseas benefit Americans and our homeland security.”

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