Suspicious white powder found in Rishon Lezion

Authorities remove substance for testing after it was sent to home in envelope from the US

By Judah Ari Gross 7 January 2016, 12:48 am

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Judah Ari Gross is The Times of Israel's religions and Diaspora affairs correspondent.

File: A fire department hazmat team removes a suspicious envelope containing an unknown white powder from a Rishon Lezion home on January 7, 2016. (screen capture)

An envelope containing an unidentified white powder was removed from a home in Rishon Lezion on Wednesday evening, and sent to a laboratory for testing.

No injuries were reported.

Israel Police spokeswoman confirmed to The Times of Israel that the substance had been taken away for examination to a nearby facility in Nes Ziona, and that the authorities were still not certain what it was.

The powder arrived at the home in an envelope from the United States, and the occupant of the apartment discovered it when she opened the letter, Channel 2 television reported.

The letter was initially tested by a special unit from the fire service, which concluded that the powder was unlikely to be toxic, Channel 2 said.