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Following a weekend spree of bomb threats at six of the seven synagogues in central Alabama, which were forced to evacuate, Rep. Anthony Daniels, the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination in the race for Alabama 2nd Congressional seat, issued a statement condemning the threats.
“This past weekend saw more threats of violence against our Jewish congregations,” Daniels said. “The safety of our friends, our colleagues, our neighbors, has weighed on my heart, and on all our hearts. Hate has no place in America, or in Alabama. Our responsibility as a nation is to be a place of peace and justice and healing, to each other and to the world. Let us not allow violence against each other. Let us model that peace and dignity which we treasure so dearly. Let us exchange words and support, not blame and pain. Most importantly, let us stand together for the safety of our fellow citizens.”
The evacuation of one synagogue was documented by state Rep. Philip Ensler, Alabama’s only Jewish lawmaker, who was forced to flee Shabbat religious services on Saturday.
In a number of posts on the platform formerly known as Twitter, Ensler documented the evacuations and threats, and he expressed frustration.
“This morning during Shabbat religious services — the Jewish day of rest — we had to evacuate my synagogue in Montgomery, AL due to a bomb threat,” Ensler wrote. “This is exhausting. I pray for the day that we can worship and live in peace.”
U.S. Sen. Katie Britt also condemned the threats, calling them reprehensible.
Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed confirmed on social media that a synagogue in his city was also evacuated. He said police and firefighters responded to the facility but did not locate explosives.
The threats were apparently part of a nationwide hoax, but they followed a growing number of attacks on Jewish people and institutions in the country and around the globe.
