Yesterday during a routine mail scan at approximately 12:00pm, security officials at the Consulate General of Israel to New England identified a suspicious envelope with a powder-like substance on the exterior. Upon further inspection, a smaller envelope was found inside with a powder-like substance inside and "ANTHRAX" written on the exterior.

The Boston Police Department, Boston Fire Department, the United States Department of State and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were contacted immediately and arrived on the scene very quickly. The suspicious item was removed by trained personnel and the employees of the Consulate were evacuated per order of the Boston Fire Department. Subsequently, the rest of the floor of the office building was evacuated as well. It was later decided by the Boston Fire Department that the entire floor, including the Consulate, would be closed for the rest of the day.

 Offices are now re-opened and the Consulate has returned to conducting business as usual. "The people of Israel and the United States are friends and allies who share the same values" said Consul General Shai Bazak, "we will not be scared off from continuing to do our jobs by threats and scare tactics. We will continue our work to strengthen the special relationship
between Israel and New England."

A number of other Israeli government offices in the United States and Europe received similar threats yesterday and all are being handled by local authorities. The investigation into the incident in Boston continues today by local authorities as well. The Consulate General of Israel to New England thanks all local and federal law enforcement who responded quickly and
diligently to this incident.

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