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New Jersey Man Arrested in Connection With Threat to Synagogues New Jersey Man Arrested in Connection With Threat to Synagogues
(about 7 hours later)
An 18-year-old man from Middlesex County, N.J., has been arrested and charged with threatening to attack a synagogue and Jews earlier this month, an episode that led to warnings from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New Jersey of a broad security risk to synagogues in the state. An 18-year-old man from Middlesex County, N.J., was arrested and charged on Thursday with threatening to attack a synagogue and Jews earlier this month, an episode that led to warnings from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New Jersey of a broad security risk to synagogues in the state.
The man, identified as Omar Alkattoul, of Sayreville, N.J., shared a document titled “When Swords Collide” with several people through a social media application on Nov. 1, prosecutors said. The man, identified as Omar Alkattoul, of Sayreville, N.J., shared a document titled “When Swords Collide” with several people via social media on Nov. 1, prosecutors said.
Mr. Alkattoul admitted to writing the document, which included inflammatory language about relations between Jews and Muslims, and told a person he shared it with that the manifesto was “in the context of an attack on Jews,” according to prosecutors. An individual who received a link to the document from Mr. Alkattoul informed law enforcement officials, according to the charging documents. Mr. Alkattoul admitted to writing the document, which included inflammatory language about relations between Jews and Muslims, and told a person with whom he shared it that the manifesto was “in the context of an attack on Jews,” according to prosecutors. A person who received a link to the document from Mr. Alkattoul informed law enforcement officials, according to the charging documents.
“No one should be targeted for violence or with acts of hate because of how they worship,” Philip R. Sellinger, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey, said in a statement. He was charged with one count of transmitting a threat in interstate and foreign commerce, which is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Mr. Alkattoul was charged with one count of transmitting a threat in interstate and foreign commerce, which is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He is scheduled to appear in federal court in Newark on Thursday afternoon. Mr. Alkattoul — in a light blue prison shirt, with his wrists in handcuffs and chains at his feet — was led by U.S. marshals into a federal courthouse in Newark on Thursday afternoon. His father, mother and sister were also in the courthouse.
In court, prosecutors detailed how Mr. Alkattoul, a high school senior, sent an online message on Sept. 11, saying “do not make fun of 9/11 because 19 good martyrs died on that same day.” And on the morning of his arrest, he posted online that he “simply wants to kill all freshman in my school.”
Jessica S. Allen, a federal magistrate judge in Newark, denied Mr. Alkattoul bail, saying he still poses a danger to the community.
Outside of the arraignment hearing, Mr. Alkattoul’s federal public defender, Timothy Donahue, declined to comment on the case.
On Nov. 3, the F.B.I. issued a broad warning to synagogues in New Jersey after receiving “credible information” about an increased level of risk.On Nov. 3, the F.B.I. issued a broad warning to synagogues in New Jersey after receiving “credible information” about an increased level of risk.
Hours later, the officials said they had identified a man who holds “radical extremist views” and who they believed was the source of the threats. Officials interviewed Mr. Alkattoul on Nov. 4, according to the charging documents. Hours later, the officials said they had identified a man who holds “radical extremist views” and who they believed was the source of the threats. Officials interviewed Mr. Alkattoul on Nov. 3 and Nov. 4, according to the charging documents.
The warnings in New Jersey came at a time when incidents of antisemitic bias and violence have been on the rise across the country. There were 525 known incidents of harassment, vandalism and assault on Jewish institutions last year — an increase of 61 percent from 2020, according to the Anti-Defamation League. In court documents, prosecutors said that Mr. Alkattoul wrote in his manifesto, “I did target a synagogue for a really good reason according to myself and a lot of Muslims who have a brain.”
At one point, when Mr. Alkattoul was asked by someone he was messaging with if he was planning an attack, he responded “yes,” according to prosecutors. They said Mr. Alkattoul added that the attack would not occur for six or seven years because he needed to plan and gather resources.
The threat came at a time when incidents of antisemitic bias and violence have been on the rise across the country. There were 525 known incidents of harassment, vandalism and assault on Jewish institutions last year — an increase of 61 percent from 2020, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
On Thursday, there was a collective sigh of relief from attendees of the Never is Now Summit — a summit on antisemitism and hate — being held at the Javits Center in Manhattan, said Jonathan Greenblatt, the chief executive and national director of the Anti-Defamation League, which seeks to monitor and combat antisemitism.
Many of the 2,200 people at the conference live in New Jersey and New York City’s five boroughs, he said. New York City holds the world’s largest Jewish population outside of Israel.
As the numbers of antisemitic incidents have grown in recent years, there has been heightened anxiety in Jewish communities in the region, he said, and the warnings from law enforcement last week added to the sense of concern.
Last year, the Anti-Defamation League recorded 2,717 antisemitic incidents throughout the country, a 34 percent increase from incidents reported in 2020 and the highest number recorded by the organization since it began tracking them in 1979.
“We have attacks happening on a daily basis in places like Brooklyn, and now we have this situation in New Jersey,” Mr. Greenblatt said. “People are reasonably concerned. People are reasonably worried.”
However, incidents are underreported because people may be unaware that what happened to them is a hate crime or people may feel ashamed about what happened, among other reasons, Mr. Greenblatt said.
Shlomo Schorr contributed reporting.