Schakowsky Statement on anti-Semitic bomb threat on Hyde Park Jewish Community Center

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky issued the following statement in response to a bomb threat made on the Hyde Park JCC caused panic and evacuations:

“Fear and anxiety in the Jewish community continues to mount, and the hateful threat made to the Hyde Park JCC is the latest example of rising anti-Semitism in the United States. It is not an isolated incident, coming as part of a rise of instances of ‘telephone terrorism’ targeting Jewish spaces around the country.

Last week, I signed a letter asking for the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Attorney General, and the FBI Director investigate these instances of telephone terrorism. My colleagues and I asked DHS and DOJ to investigate these threats and report back to Congress on what steps are being taken to deter them. Ending these violent threats and thwarting the tide of discrimination that continues to rise in our country will require active participation from people of good will everywhere. When groups of people are targeted and attacked, indifference is unacceptable.

While I am glad that the President finally spoke out against these incidences today, I am distressed that it took him this long to do so. We need aggressive action to combat hate speech and hate crimes in our country.”