Police are searching for a man who threw a Molotov cocktail at a New Jersey temple early Sunday morning. According to the Bloomfield Police Department, the suspect t

Police are searching for a man who threw a Molotov cocktail at a New Jersey temple early Sunday morning. According to the Bloomfield Police Department, the suspect tossed the combustible object at the entrance to Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield, a township about 7 miles north of Newark, at around 3:19 Am in the morning.

He was seen on security camera lighting the item, tossing it at the door, and then running away down the driveway, according to the authorities. The glass bottle broke, but no damage to the structure was done.

Police responded to the temple at 9:30 a.m. Sunday following a report of property damage.

According to authorities, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Bloomfield detectives are all involved in the investigation. Officials at Temple Ner Tamid could not immediately be reached for comment.

The rabbi of the temple, Marc Katz, reportedly made the following statement in a statement to NBC New York: "We have and will continue to do all in our power to keep our community secure. Everything went according to plan. Our doors held up, and our cameras captured the incident. But I am powerless to persuade our community not to lose hope. Hatred is everywhere, and when we allow it to infiltrate, it triumphs.

Katz informed the local station that a grant from the state's Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness allowed the temple to recently upgrade its security.

Police in Livingston, a township about 15 miles west of Bloomfield, 

 they were increasing patrols of local temples "and will continue to do so until more information is obtained."

In a statement, Matt Platkin, the attorney general of New Jersey, said that his office was aware of both that attempted attack and another one that occurred on Saturday at a church in Monmouth County. They are both being investigated "as potentially bias-motivated," he added.

It wasn't immediately obvious whether the occurrences might have been connected in any way.

Gov. Phil Murphy, D, responded to the incidents in a tweet by saying, "Let me be clear: There is no place for violence or hate in New Jersey and I strongly condemn these atrocities."

Bloomfield Mayor Venezia wrote on Facebook: "Hatred and antisemitism are not acceptable in our friendly community and will not be tolerated. Our entire Jewish community is in our hearts and minds."

In a statement, the Anti-Defamation League of New York and New Jersey also denounced the attempted attack, saying that it occurred at a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise and just a few months after the FBI issued a warning about threats against New Jersey synagogues.

Later, the FBI claimed that it had located the threat's origin and that the individual was no longer a threat. Omar Alkattoul, 18, of Sayreville, was detained and charged with communicating a threat in interstate and international commerce on one count. According to officials, the charge carries a potential sentence of five years in jail and a fine of $250,000.

The Anti-Defamation League of New York and New Jersey issued a statement saying, "We urge our leaders and community partners to speak out against this outrageous act and ask that all communities remain vigilant, though we have not been made aware of any specific additional threats to Jewish institutions in New Jersey at this time.

According to research the group released in the spring of last year, antisemitic propaganda increased by 27% in 2021 compared to 2020. More recently, Ye, the musician formerly known as Kanye West, had several business breakups as a result of his antisemitic remarks.

Ye's remarks appeared to serve as motivation for additional antisemitic incidents, such as a banner proclaiming "Kanye was right" over a Los Angeles freeway in October and an attack on an elderly man in Central Park in New York City, during which the perpetrator yelled "Kanye 2024" and made antisemitic remarks. Perin Jacobchuk was the suspect in the latter incident, according to police.

Police searching for a man who threw Molotov cocktail at New Jersey temple

0 Comments