Jewish Israeli-American man arrested in connection to bomb threats
 

A Jewish man who is a dual Israeli-American citizen has been arrested in Israel in connection with a series of bomb threats made against Jewish community centers and Jewish schools in the United States and other countries, sources told ABC News.

The man, 19, allegedly called in bomb threats to Jewish locations in the U.S. as well as schools in Israel and New Zealand, an official briefed on the investigation said.

The FBI said the man was found and arrested early this morning by the FBI and Israeli National Police.

The motive is not clear.

Gilad Erdan, Israel's minister of public security, said in a statement following reports of the arrest, "I congratulate the Israeli Police on leading a complex international investigation, together with law enforcement agencies from around the world, which led to the arrest of the suspect. We hope that this investigation will help shed light on some of the recent threats against Jewish institutions, which have caused great concern both among Jewish communities and the Israeli government."

The FBI said in a statement, "Investigating hate crimes is a top priority for the FBI and we will continue to work to make sure all races and religions feel safe in their communities and in their places of worship."

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions called the arrest "the culmination of a large-scale investigation spanning multiple continents for hate crimes against Jewish communities across our country."

"The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the civil rights of all Americans, and we will not tolerate the targeting of any community in this country on the basis of their religious beliefs," Sessions said in a statement. "I commend the FBI and Israeli National Police for their outstanding work on this case."

The suspect had been deemed insufficiently mentally stable to be drafted into the Israeli Army, according to an official briefed on the investigation.

Across the U.S. this year there have been five waves of bomb threats at JCCs and Jewish schools. The JCC Association of North America reported 100 incidents this year alone. No bombs were found at any of the locations. The FBI and Justice Department's civil rights division were investigating the incidents.

While the threats were false, Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, told ABC News earlier this month that the threats created "terror" for the people evacuated from the facilities - including preschool children, the elderly and teenagers - as well as their family members.

A former journalist arrested in the U.S. earlier this month was accused of making at least eight threats against JCCs, Jewish schools, a Jewish museum and the Anti-Defamation League. The man was not believed to have been the main suspect behind this year's rash of bomb threats. Law enforcement officials told ABC News the man appeared to take advantage of news coverage of the threats in order to exact revenge on a woman who had ended a romantic relationship.

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