Jewish community centers dealing with fourth round of bomb threats this year | Miami Herald

Bomb threats were called into 11 Jewish community centers across the country and one cemetery was targeted by vandals Monday, according to news reports and the Jewish Community Center Association of North America.

All of the bomb threats were hoaxes, according to the JCC of North America, and the centers re-opened.

More than 100 headstones were damaged at a Jewish cemetery in University City, Missouri, according to Fox 2 Now in St. Louis.

It is the fourth time Jewish community centers have been targeted since Jan. 9. There were also multiple threats made on Jan. 18 and Jan. 31.

In all, there have been 69 incidents at 54 Jewish community centers in 27 states and one Canadian province, according to The Jewish Community Center Association of North America. The organization lists all of the incidents.

There were bomb threats in Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.

“Our JCCs are strongly rooted in communities across the country and we will not be cowed by threats to disrupt people’s lives or the vital role Jewish community centers play as gathering places, schools, camps, and fitness and recreation centers,” the JCC Association of North America said in a statement.

Ivanka Trump, the president’s eldest daughter who converted to Judaism, issued a statement on Twitter.

Last month, the FBI said it was investigating bomb threats to Jewish community centers in 17 states. The FBI will again investigate, according to NBC News.

President Donald Trump was asked about anti-Semitism in the country after his election by Jake Turx, a reporter with Ami Magazine.

"What we are concerned about, and what we haven't really heard being addressed, is an uptick in anti-Semitism and how the government is planning to take care of it," Turx said, according to CNN.

Trump said that it was not a “simple question. Not a fair question,” and told the reporter to sit down.

“So here's the story folks. No. 1, I am the least anti-Semitic person that you've ever seen in your entire life. No. 2, racism. The least racist person. In fact, we did very well relative to other people running as a Republican,” Trump said.

Then Trump added: “But let me just tell you something: I hate the charge. I find it repulsive. I hate even the question because people that know me -- and you heard the Prime Minister, you heard Benjamin Netanyahu, did you hear him, Bibi? He said, 'I've known Donald Trump for a long time,' and then he said, 'Forget it.' So you should take that instead of having to get up and ask a very insulting question like that.”

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer issued a statement to NBC News reporter Peter Alexander after Monday’s actions.

“Hatred and hate-motivated violence of any kind have no place in a country founded on the promise of individual freedom. The President has made it abundantly clear that these actions are unacceptable,” Spicer said.