Terror Plot Against New York Synagogues Thwarted: SWC Urges Jewish Institutions to Tighten Security

May 20, 2009

Terror Plot Against New York Synagogues Thwarted:
SWC Urges Jewish Institutions to Tighten Security; Urges Muslim Leaders to Use Friday Sermons to Condemn Would-Be Homegrown Jihadist Terrorists

The Simon Wiesenthal Center praised the FBI for interdicting four would-be American-born, Islamist terrorists as they planted what they thought were C-4 explosives at one Bronx, New York synagogue and planned to target a second one on Wednesday night, May 20, 2009.

"As we have said many times before, the future of terrorism will not only be characterized by 9/11-style attacks but would also emanate from homegrown cells, spread out in cities across America who would seek to deprive us of the normalcy of a free society," said Rabbis Marvin Hier and Abraham Cooper, founder and dean and associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a leading Jewish Human Rights group.

"We urge all Jewish institutions, in coordination with their local law enforcement agencies to tighten the security of all communal facilities," they added.

"The targeting of any house of prayer in the United States is a threat to all religious groups and all religious leaders have an obligation to speak out publicly against this planned outrage. We further urge Muslim leaders to use their Friday sermons to explicitly and specifically condemn those who promote such terror in the name of Islam."

Last week, the Wiesenthal Center released its 2009 report on Digital Terrorism and Hate. "The Internet is rife with extremist websites denegrating Judaism and Christianity and with detailed manuals as to how to prepare and carry out terrorist attacks," Rabbi Cooper added.

Read Official Complaint filed by F.B.I.

SWC officials will convene a press conference at 10:00 am, Thursday, May 21st, at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. For more information, please contact the Public Relations Department, 310.553.9036.