Allegheny County Councilmember Bethany Hallam reposts antisemitic Instagram post

Allegheny County Councilmember Bethany Hallam has again offended the Jewish community with her social media activity.

On Memorial Day, Hallam reposted an Instagram post originally penned by @theafroaussie that read, “Another week of watching people burned alive in Gaza and we’re still required to be civil with Zionists, right?”

Hallam’s repost drew immediate criticism by the Jewish community.

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The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh condemned the language of the post and Hallam’s implied belief that “she is not required to ‘be civil with Zionists,’” and wrote that calls for “uncivil behavior against Zionists for perceived actions of the State of Israel meets the definition of antisemitism, as it would be holding Zionists (often Jews) responsible for the actions of a foreign government.”

Hallam’s repost, Federation noted, occurred in the shadow of last week’s murder in Washington, D.C. of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, two Israeli Embassy employees attending a conference on advancing peace in the Middle East at the Capital Jewish Museum. The suspect yelled “Free, free Palestine,” after being arrested.

Zionism, Federation’s statement noted, is “the belief in the Jewish people’s right to self-determination in their ancestral homeland,” and is a core part of Jewish identity for most Jews.

“To target ‘Zionists’ with threats of uncivil behavior and dehumanizing rhetoric, is to endanger Jews everywhere, regardless of their views on Israeli policy or politics,” the Federation’s statement continued.

The Federation called on elected county leaders to condemn Hallam’s post and “all rhetoric that aims to ostracize and discriminate against those who believe in Israel’s right to exist and Jewish self-determination.”

Julie Paris, Mid-Atlantic regional director of StandWithUs, called Hallam’s statement “profoundly reckless, and a threat to our community’s safety.”

“For the vast majority of Jews, Zionism (the belief in Jewish self-determination in our ancestral homeland) is a fundamental aspect of our identity,” Paris wrote. “This kind of rhetoric doesn’t foster constructive debate; it actively dehumanizes, isolates, and incites hatred against Jewish people.”

Paris, too, called for elected officials and concerned members of the community to speak out against “this blatant display of antisemitism.”

State Rep. Dan Frankel, whose district includes Squirrel Hill, issued a statement on social media saying that Hallam’s post “helps fuel a dangerous environment for Jewish people here at home. Words matter. In a week when Jewish communities are grieving deadly violence and fearing for their safety, this kind of rhetoric isn’t just hurtful — it’s reckless.”

On Facebook, state Rep. Abigail Salisbury invited Hallam to a private conversation and, in a separate post wrote:

“It is 100% fine to oppose the Israeli government’s actions. I myself think Netanyahu has made terrible decisions with terrible consequences, despite the opinions that people like to assign to me on social media. It is NOT ok to make Jews around you feel unsafe with your words and actions. That is the difference between disagreeing on politics and actually engaging in antisemitism.”

This is not Hallam’s first brush with charges of antisemitism for her social media activity.

Following Hamas’ terrorist attack on Oct. 7, Hallam reposted a celebratory video of the terrorist organization’s murders, kidnaps and rapes of Israeli citizens. PJC

Calls to Hallam and Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato were not returned before press time.

David Rullo can be reached at drullo@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.