An arsonist set fire to the Beth Israel Congregation synagogue in Jackson, Mississippi, in the predawn hours on Saturday, causing extensive damage.
Local media outlet Mississippi Today reported:
The Jackson Fire Department, the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested a suspect Saturday night in the latest blaze after the fire department ruled it arson, according to chief fire investigator Charles Felton. Investigators did not immediately release the name of the suspect or the charges the person could face.
The suspect’s identity was released on Monday. Stephen Spencer Pittman allegedly confessed to starting the fire, telling authorities he targeted the building because of its “Jewish ties,” according to the criminal complaint. It goes on to say that, during an interview with authorities on Saturday, Pittman referred to Beth Israel as the “synagogue of Satan.”
The term was familiar to the X user below, who noted that “one particular podcaster has used that term repeatedly in recent months to refer to Jews.” That would be Candace Owens.
Pittman has been charged with violating 18 USC § 844(i): arson of property used in interstate commerce.
The complaint states that on Saturday, “Pittman’s father, S.P. contacted the FBI and advised his son confessed to setting the building on fire. This confession was further corroborated by Life360 map data that S.P. had from Pittman’s phone, Pittman’s text messages to his father during the early morning of January 10, 202[6], and burns on Pittman’s body.”
Mississippi Today reported:
The library and administrative offices of Jackson’s only synagogue were reduced to charred ruins. Two Torahs were destroyed and five were damaged in the flames that erupted during Shabbat, the weekly Jewish day of rest, according to temple leaders. One Torah that survived the Holocaust was in a glass case and was undamaged in the fire.
The congregation president, Zach Shemper, said in a statement, “We have already had outreach from other houses of worship in the Jackson area and greatly appreciate their support in this very difficult time.”
According to the outlet, the Beth Israel Congregation is the largest synagogue in the state. The report also notes that historically, Beth Israel was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan in 1967 after its pastor voiced support for civil rights.
In the past few years, arsonists have attacked synagogues throughout the U.S., “including in Pittsburgh, the San Diego area, and Colleyville, Texas.”
In a Sunday morning post on X, conservative columnist John Podhoretz wrote, “The fact this isn’t the biggest story of the morning, or the day so far, should tell you just how normalized anti-Semitic action is becoming.” At the time of his post, more than 24 hours after the fire broke out, Fox News was the only major media outlet to cover the story. Since then, however, other outlets have reported on it.
While some agreed with Podhoretz’s post, many of the responses were decidedly unsympathetic. One X commenter posted a meme that read, “Jews are famous for producing antisemitic material, hoping Muslims will be blamed for it.”
More than a few said it sounded like insurance fraud. One commenter wrote: “Would be just unbelievable to find out it was being investigated for insurance fraud here in a few more months. Keep that same energy rabbi!” Another noted, “Well wait till it’s found to have been self inflicted.”
Others pointed out that many stories are underreported, such as the “appalling death toll in Sudan and Congo.” True.
Some readers, however, appeared to get it. One man commented, “If it were a black church or mosque, or LGBTQ center, we all know it would be nonstop 24/7 wall-to-wall coverage.”
And finally, what may be the most accurate media criticism of all came from a commenter who wrote: “The intolerance towards Jews is bubbling up to the surface now. It will only get worse for Jews living in the diaspora. There is only one place that is safe and assured for Jews today and in the long run. And you know it! [emoji of Israeli flag].”
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
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