A Millis man was arrested Thursday on hate crime charges after he allegedly left a voicemail message at Agudas Achim synagogue that included the threat, “it’s time to end Israel and all the Jews.”
John Reardon, 59, was scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Attleboro District Court on charges of civil rights violations, making a bomb threat and uttering threats to kill, according to police.
The charges stem from a voicemail left by a male caller that a synagogue employee discovered when she arrived for work Wednesday morning, according to police.
When the employee entered, she could hear the caller leaving the voicemail message, according to police.
The caller made reference to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, saying, “by supporting genocide that means it’s OK for people to commit genocide against you,” according to a police report.
Other threats included, “if you can bomb their (expletive) places of worship we can bomb yours” and “if you can kill their children we can kill yours.”
The war in Gaza began after Hamas, a militant group, invaded Israel on Oct. 7 and killed about 1,200 people, including elderly residents and children. They also kidnapped about 250 people.
Israel responded by launching a bombing and ground assault in Gaza in an effort to destroy Hamas. The military effort has resulted in the deaths of over 25,000, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health.
The synagogue employee who heard the threatening voicemail messages was concerned for their own safety of the safety of other Agudas Achim congregants and the synagogue itself, the police report said.
