Local News

The man allegedly asked if the hotel was a “Jew free zone” and said that he would “make sure something blows up,” according to police.

The Iris Hotel in Brookline received bomb threats after they flew a Palestinian flag. Barry Chin/The Boston Globe

A New York man is accused of allegedly threatening to bomb a Brookline hotel that flew a Palestinian flag while a U.S. representative was staying there.

Daniel Freundlich, 45, of Brooklyn, allegedly made several calls to the Iris Hotel in Brookline, asked if the hotel was a “Jew free zone,” and said that he would “make sure something blows up” if he stayed there, according to a Brookline police report.

Freundlich faces one felony count out of Brookline District Court of making a bomb or hijacking threat, court records show.

The Iris Hotel first started to receive provocative phone calls in mid-April when management raised a Palestinian flag on the building’s flagpole, according to a police report. This caused “an uproar” in the Jewish community and prompted a protest outside the hotel.

Advertisement:

Wagner Hospitality Management, which owns the hotel, explained on Facebook that the flag was raised to honor U.S. Representative Rashida Talib, the first Palestinian American woman to serve in Congress, who was staying at the hotel for the weekend.

“This flag should not be a contentious symbol and we would show the same respect for any dignitary choosing to stay with us regardless of their heritage or ethnicity,” the company wrote. “The flag was there only for that day and has nothing to do with politics. We have many Jewish guests staying at our hotel and we respect everyone.”

Advertisement:

The hotel is partly owned by Anwar Faisal, a Boston-area Palestinian real estate magnate who founded Alpha Management Corporation, according to Brookline.News. The outlet reported that Faisal donated more than $6,000 to Tlaib’s congressional campaign in 2023.

Tlaib was scheduled to speak April 12 at a women’s leadership conference at the Harvard Kennedy School. Her office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Brookline police responded April 18 after the hotel received “numerous” phone calls claiming the hotel’s owner and management were supporting Hamas and other terrorist organizations. Freundlich allegedly first called that day, stating that he wanted to book a room and that “there should be no Jews staying there,” according to a police report.

Freundlich allegedly called again minutes later, saying to “make sure that something blows up” when he was there, according to police. He called back several more times, repeating that Jews should not be staying at the hotel.

Police later obtained records of when the calls were made and determined that Freundlich was connected to the phone number, according to a police report. The FBI and local law enforcement interviewed Freundlich on May 13, and he allegedly admitted to making the calls and asking if the hotel was a “Jew free zone.”

Advertisement:

Freundlich told an FBI agent that he did not say anything about the hotel blowing up and said that it “would be stupid to say that.” He apologized for calling the hotel, according to police.

Brookline police requested a warrant May 20 to arrest Freundlich “due to the severity of the threat,” according to a police report. In Massachusetts, the penalty for a felony bomb threat is up to 20 years in prison and up to a $50,000 fine. As of June 5, he was not in custody, Brookline police said.

Management at the Iris Hotel did not return a request for comment.

Sign up for the Today newsletter

Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.