Antisemitism, AIPAC allegations stir controversy

Accusations of antisemitism and claims of dark money connected to Jewish political action committees have been made in the waning days of Pittsburgh’s Democratic mayoral primary.

In a letter to constituents, Allegheny County Democratic Committee members Greg Kochanski and Jane Louik, both of Pittsburgh’s 14th ward, 11th district (which includes parts of Squirrel Hill), alleged that the election “is being driven by national and even international politics as much as by the needs of Pittsburgh.” It goes on to claim that “Out-of-state and corporate money is supporting the O’Connor campaign.”

Claims of ‘fake accusations of antisemitism’
Kochanski and Louik claim that “International politics (Israel vs. Hamas/Palestinians) was brought in, in the form of fake accusations of antisemitism. They are fake because they equate disagreement with the Israel government with hatred of Jews. That is no more true than equating the dislike of the Trump regime with hatred of America. But in this election, it’s being used as a political tool to try to pry Mayor Gainey out of office.”

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The letter conflates Hamas, an internationally recognized terrorist organization that attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and Palestinian citizens whom Israel has not targeted in its military response. The letter does not cite examples of the “fake accusations of antisemitism” it references.

In the letter, Kochanski and Louik ignore the heightened state of security concerns for the Jewish community as well as the continued uptick in antisemitism experienced by Jewish Pittsburghers. However, in a statement to the Chronicle, Kochanski ackowledged that there is antisemitism in the world.

“I have only to walk a few blocks and remember back a few years, and I’m at the scene of horrible murders,” he said. He did not address the contents of the letter.

In a written statement to the Chronicle, Louik said that she has been a member of the Pittsburgh Jewish community since 1975 and that she is a long-time member of Temple Sinai, who has visited Israel and hosted an Israeli vet in her home. It is because of her concern “for Jewish safety amid the uptick in antisemitism experienced by Jewish Pittsburghers (among other issues)” that she decided to speak out in support of Gainey, whom she said “is the only candidate in this race equipped to meet this moment and bring all Pittsburghers together.”

Louik said that the “fake accusations of antisemitism” in the letter refer to unfair attacks lobbed at Gainey, who “has shown up for our community time and time again.”

A recent Audit of Antisemitic Incidents by the Anti-Defamation League found that Pennsylvania ranked fourth in the nation for antisemitic incidents in 2024, with 465 incidents — an 18% increase from the previous year. Allegheny County reported 84 incidents last year, with 78 occurring in the city of Pittsburgh.

And while the Democratic committee members attempt to separate antisemitism from Israel’s war against Hamas, for the first time in history, the majority of antisemitic incidents nationally — 5,452 — were related to Israel. Nearly 2,600 of those took place at anti-Israel rallies in the form of antisemitic speeches, chants, signs and slogans.

Many anti-Israel rallies have been held in Pittsburgh since Oct. 7, 2023, including encampments at the University of Pittsburgh that led to clashes with police and arrests.

Since Oct. 7, at least three Jewish Pitt students were physically assaulted, Hamas and Hezbollah sympathizers have been arrested in the region, and Chabad of Squirrel Hill, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and private citizens have had their property defaced with anti-Israeli graffiti.

Laura Cherner, Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Community Relations Council director, said that while she couldn’t speak to the role antisemitism may or may not have played in specific campaigns during the election season, “what is beyond dispute is that antisemitism is on the rise.”

“Since Oct.7 the ADL has reported an unprecedented surge in antisemitic incidents, and this most recent data shows the highest number of incidents ever recorded. Here in Pittsburgh alone, we’ve received 111 reports of antisemitic incidents since January of this year. It is deeply harmful to suggest that the Jewish community is faking their concerns or not acting in good faith when they speak out about their experiences with antisemitism. Dismissing or undermining these voices only adds to their harm.”

Jeremy Kazzaz, executive director of the Beacon Coalition, a non-partisan organization that operates to protect the rights and well-being of Jews in the United States, wrote on Facebook that the letter “rewrites the truth. It suggests that what we’re experiencing isn’t antisemitism” and that “calling out targeted hate is somehow an unfair political attack.”

“This isn’t just offensive, it’s dangerous. It sends a message that even here in Pittsburgh — where we know too well the deadly consequences of ignoring antisemitism — there are still people willing to pretend it’s not real,” he wrote.

In a written statement to the Chronicle, Gainey said he believes “our politics must be grounded in open dialogue, transparency, and commitment to bringing all people, especially vulnerable communities, together — not dividing them.”

“As Mayor, I’ve stood firmly against antisemitism, racism, and bigotry in all forms — listening to the fear and pain in our Jewish community with antisemitism on the rise, staying in regular dialogue, and working together to build real safety and trust,” he wrote.

(The Chronicle published an editorial in its May 9 printed edition reporting that Gainey had not been made available for an interview since January, including regarding his relationship with Chad Collins. For this article, the Chronicle requested and received a written statement from his campaign.)

Gainey’s challenger in the primary, Corey O’Connor, who has been endorsed by the Allegheny County Democratic Committee and whose mother is Jewish, said that he’s always fought against antisemitism.

“We know antisemitism is at an all-time high,” he said, before noting that he has never claimed the mayor is antisemitic.

Israel PAC allegations
Accusations that money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee appeared in an April Facebook post by Chad Collins, a pastor at Valley View Presbyterian Church and national organizer of the anti-Israel group Friends of Sabeel North America. Collins wrote, “Help us defeat AIPAC AGAIN” in a post promoting a fundraising event for Gainey.

The conversation was amplified following the publication of an article by WESA discussing fundraising by the Gainey and O’Connor campaigns.

Nichole Remmert, a political operative who manages communications for 1Hood Power, the political affiliate of 1Hood Media, wrote on X that Jay Patterson, the treasurer of Democracy Wins, a political action committee which gave $150,000 to the O’Connor campaign, is “the treasurer of DMFI PAC.”

DMFI, the Democratic Majority for Israel, has not given any money to the O’Connor campaign. And while Patterson may be DMFI’s treasurer, he’s employed by Blue Wave Political Partners, a political consulting firm that worked with Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker and Gavin Newsom.

Remmert’s X post appears to vilify DMFI. One person commented on her post that “COREY O’CONNOR IS TAKING MONEY FROM AN ISRAEL SUPERPAC!,” to which Remmert replied, “Tell em!” Another X user replied “Gross,” to which Remmert answered “Yep.”

Remmert’s messaging was picked up by Tanisha Long, a community organizer for the Abolitionist Law Center and the Allegheny County political director for Straight Ahead.

Long wrote in a May 13 X post: “Just in case there was any confusion about where Corey O’Connor’s money is coming from, this is as close to AIPAC as one can get. The gentrifier, colonizer, developer links all make sense now.”

The post attempts to conflate DMFI, AIPAC, Pittsburgh developers and the idea that Israel is a colonizer nation.

If the strategy of linking O’Connor to AIPAC seems familiar, that’s because a similar tactic was used against Bhavini Patel during her 2024 primary challenge to Rep. Summer Lee.

During the race, Lee wrote, “You may have heard: AIPAC (the right-wing Super PAC that elected **109** insurrectionists funded by the same Republican billionaires that bribed SCOTUS) has committed to spending a staggering $100 million to defeat the squad in 2024 primaries — and I’m their #1 target. Why? Because we represent voices and communities too often overlooked and unheard in Washington.”

While the United Democracy Project — an AIPAC-affiliated super PAC — spent about $1 million in the 2022 general election and about $3 million in the 2022 primary against Lee, it did not commit any funds in support of Patel.

AIPAC spokesperson Marshall Wittmann told the Chronicle that “AIPAC-PAC and UDP [United Democracy Project] do not participate in state and local elections.”

In his statement to the Chronicle, Gainey said, “I see no evidence that AIPAC is involved in this race, which is why I’ve never made that claim.”

Likewise, O’Connor said, “I’ve taken no money from AIPAC. and I always support the community.”

Allegheny County Democratic Committee Chair Sam Hens-Greco and 14th Ward Chair Liz Healey did not respond to the Chronicle’s request for comment. PJC

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