Rep. Bennie Thompson Said the Fire at a Local Synagogue May Have Been Politically Motivated

Rep. Bennie Thompson said that politics could have played a role in the fire set at a synagogue in his district.

“With this kind of vitriol that’s going on in the country, some people take that to heart and try to weaponize it to the point of threatening people, threatening churches, burning synagogues and other things,” Thompson told NOTUS in an interview Monday. “And so we have to be careful. And so that’s why, any situation like this is unfortunate.”

Local authorities said that a fire ripped through Beth Israel Congregation, located in Jackson, Mississippi and was reported at 3 a.m. Saturday. The synagogue’s library and administrative offices were left completely charred with several Torahs also burned. No one was hurt during the incident.

A suspect, 19-year-old Stephen Spencer Pittman, faces charges in the U.S. Southern District of Mississippi for setting fire to the building. Security video obtained from Mississippi Today showed a hooded figure pouring liquid on the wall and couch inside the synagogue’s lobby.

The congregation, founded in 1860 and the largest in the state, was the site of a Ku Klux Klan bombing in 1967. The synagogue sits between Thompson’s and Republican Rep. Michael Guest’s districts, and they both have constituents in the congregation.

Guest told NOTUS in a statement that he was “deeply saddened” by the attack.

“Our community is deeply troubled by this attack, and we have seen a widespread outpouring of support for the Beth Israel congregation. Mississippians will not be intimidated by these actions, and we will continue to support the right of all Americans to worship freely. This type of senseless violence must end.”

Jackson Mayor John A. Horhn did not immediately respond to NOTUS’ request for comment. Horhn posted a comment on Facebook calling the incident “Morally wrong, un-American, and completely incompatible.”

“Acts of antisemitism, racism, and religious hatred are attacks on Jackson as a whole and will be treated as acts of terror against residents’ safety and freedom to worship,” Horhn said. “Jackson stands with Beth Israel and the Jewish community, and we’ll do everything we can to support them and hold accountable anyone who tries to spread fear and hate here.”

Thompson, the top ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Homeland Security, said that this synagogue previously received federal funds, made available from the committee, “to protect houses of worship.”

“There are a number of people who call from all around the country who want to be part of the restoration of the synagogue. And so I think you’ll see a lot of movement,” Thompson told NOTUS. “You’ll have Protestant Catholic as well as people of the Jewish faith joining hands in support of saying that we’re a better country than that.”

Thompson added that he has not yet spoken with Guest about the attack but does believe it’s an issue the two of them will be able to work on together.

“It’s just something that should not have happened,” Thompson said. “Is there something we can do collectively to push back on it? And if there is, what are some of those things?”