JERUSALEM, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Israel's transport minister said Jerusalem received warnings of plans to send bombs to synagogues in the United States a day before they were discovered.
"Since Thursday, Israeli representatives have been on location in sensitive airports around the world, securing shipments to Israel," Yisrael Katz told Ynetnews.com Monday.
"Reality is catching up to us, and we must prepare in order to prevent the worst of all scenarios. We are prepared to deal with a threat now recognized by the whole world. All airlines that fly to Israel are obligated to use the best security measures," he said.
Katz told the Web site he had tried to persuade Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to set up a national security agency similar to the one operating in the United States that would "transfer the security of Israeli flights worldwide, as airlines like El Al [Israel Airlines] want, to the hands of the state."
On Friday, two packages containing bombs were sent from Yemen, bound for synagogues in Chicago. One of the packages was exposed in Dubai and another in Britain.
Authorities believe the bombs were sent by al-Qaida in Yemen.
