US synagogues continuously targeted by 'swatting'

"For the fourth weekend in a row," stated Jonathan A. Greenblatt, CEO and National Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), "ADL worked with law enforcement and community partners to mitigate the disruption to Jewish prayer services posed by a group of online trolls who swat and call in fake bomb threats targeting synagogues."

During these incidents, the trolls utilized "highly antisemitic language," with their focus primarily on synagogues that live-streamed their services. The affected parties encompassed at least "26 synagogues and two ADL offices in 12 states."

The ADL Center on Extremism actively collaborated with law enforcement to "determine the source or sources of these troubling and potentially dangerous activities."

Greenblatt underscored that "protecting the ability of Jewish people to observe Shabbat in peace was central to the mission of ADL." Individuals who were impacted by or had information regarding these incidents were encouraged to report them using the "online incident reporting form."

Police in Fremont California took swift action on Friday following a potential bomb threat targeting a synagogue, according to a report on FOX KTVU.

According to the report, around 8 p.m., authorities were alerted to a possible bomb threat at the Beth Torah Jewish Temple. In response, the Fremont police promptly evacuated the individuals present and initiated a thorough search of both the temple premises and the surrounding vicinity. Fortunately, no "suspicious devices or persons" were detected during the search.

According to police, temple officials conveyed their knowledge of similar incidents occurring at other synagogues in California.

What is 'Swatting?'

Swatting entails the deliberate and malevolent act of falsely reporting a crime or emergency with the intention of triggering an aggressive response, often involving a SWAT team, from law enforcement. This response is directed towards the target's home or workplace, with the purpose of subjecting them to harassment and intimidation.

Disturbingly, swatting incidents seem to be on the rise. According to Kevin Kolbye, a former FBI agent specializing in swatting, the number of cases has surged from around 400 in 2011 to surpass 1,000 in 2019. Regrettably, the precise tally remains unknown due to the FBI's lack of dedicated tracking for swatting as a distinct criminal category. Furthermore, many local police departments fail to differentiate swatting from false police reports.