By Jerald Jimenez
02 Nov 2023, 10:45 AM EDT
A Florida man was accused of making a threatening call to a Jewish organization in New York, in which he expressed his desire to commit genocide against Israelis, according to the Department of Justice.
Deep Alpesh Kumar Patel, 21, of Sarasota, Florida, called the World Jewish Congress on Oct. 25 and left a voicemail filled with insults and threats against Jews, according to court documents.
“If I had the chance, I would kill each and every one of you Israelis,” Patel allegedly said, according to the Justice Department statement.”
The call was reported to police by staff of the World Jewish Congress, an international federation of Jewish communities and organizations that acts as the “diplomatic arm of the Jewish people.” Agents traced the phone number to Patel and interviewed him at his home.
“When officers asked Patel to describe the content of the phone calls, he explained that he had called Jewish centers to express his family’s anger at Israel for its genocide of the Palestinian people. Patel stated that he had no intention of frightening or threatening anyone, but that he wanted to use the harshest language possible to convey his anger,” noted the complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida.
Patel was arrested and formally charged with transmitting false information or threats by telephone. If he is convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The case comes at a time when anti-Semitism is reaching historic levels in the United States, according to FBI Director Christopher Wray.
Wray added that Jews make up 2.4% of the American population, but receive almost 60% of all religious-based threats in the United States.
Likewise, the FBI director attributed the increase in hatred of Jews to the influence of different terrorist groups, both domestic and foreign. He also noted that the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which broke out on October 7, has exacerbated tensions.
The World Jewish Congress, for its part, has condemned the threats and attacks against Jews and has called on the authorities to act firmly to protect them. He has also urged dialogue and peace between Israelis and Palestinians, reaffirming his support for the two-state solution.
With information from ABC News