SEATTLE — Mercer Island police investigated two reports of suspicious packages sent to Jewish organizations over the weekend and on Monday, bringing the number of similar incidents in the Seattle area to at least seven in the past month.
The packages weren’t dangerous but remain suspicious, “particularly in light of incidents similar in nature that are being reported in recent weeks throughout the region, and nationally,” the Mercer Island Police Department said in a news release. The police department did not identify which organizations on the island were targeted.
The cases are being investigated by the FBI, the police department said.
At least five Jewish institutions in Seattle have received suspicious envelopes, with four containing white powder, since Nov. 3. Though all of the packages have been determined nonhazardous, they come against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war, which began with an attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 and has continued with Israel’s ongoing bombardment and invasion of Gaza.
“I sincerely appreciate how seriously law enforcement at all levels is taking this situation,” Mercer Island Deputy Mayor David Rosenbaum said Tuesday, noting that Mercer Island has a strong concentration of institutions used by members of the Greater Seattle Jewish community. “There’s no place for anti-Semitism in our community, and these alleged acts must be thoroughly investigated.”
