Greeting Card Causes Israeli Bank Evacuation

NEW YORK [AP] — A suspicious white envelope delivered to the New York offices of Israeli Bank Hapoalim in Manhattan on Wednesday turned out to be an electronic greeting card from a job recruiting firm, police said.

The 6-inch (15.24-centimeter) by 3-inch (7.62-centimeter) package aroused suspicion because it was wrapped in bubble wrap and addressed to an officer of Bank Hapoalim, near Rockefeller Center. However, the name was misspelled and there was no return address, police said.

The package was X-rayed in a mailroom, where wires and a battery were detected, and a bomb squad was called at about 10 a.m. local time.

Officers examined it and opened it safely, and found it was a recordable greeting card, police said.

The mail room and a few floors above and below were evacuated as a precaution.

No traffic was disrupted, and workers were being allowed back in by midday Wednesday.

On an average day, New York City police get 90 to 100 reports of suspicious packages.