Beacon Coalition sheds light on candidates’ positions regarding Jewish interests
“There’s a clear need for other folks to raise some alarm bells earlier on so that people are made awarre of these folks with really problematic views."
If you’ve ever wondered where a politician stands when it comes to Jewish well-being, you’re not alone.
In fact, a group of concerned community members have formed a new 501(c)(4), the Beacon Coaltion, to provide some answers.
“After Oct. 7, some of our local politicians had very strong opinions, it turns out, about Israel and the Jewish people,” Beacon volunteer Rebecca Elhassid said. “Some of those were really harmful.”
Elhassid said that if voters had known a candidate’s position on antisemitism, their race may have turned out differently.
“Nobody’s ever asked the right questions,” she said. “Nobody ever thought to ask an Allegheny County Council person what they think about the Jewish people. So, when an Allegheny County Council person comes out and posts Hamas videos, that was very surprising.”
The Beacon Coalition, founded in October, will serve “as an independent voice to identify where politicians stand on issues related to the rights and wellbeing of the Jewish American community, regardless of political party and their other positions,” according to the organization’s website.
To do that, it uses the definition of antisemitism adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. Using the IHRA definition, Beacon Coalition leaders believe they can vet candidates by identifying documented words or actions that are antisemitic.
In defining antisemitism, the IHRA is guided by examples including the “targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity.”
The Beacon Coalition is beginning by focusing on competitive Democratic races in the April 23 Pennsylvania primary and intends to provide information for candidates campaigning in the general election for House and Senate seats and the presidency.
Jeremy Kazzaz, Beacon’s executive director, said the organization is starting with a small budget and a limited number of volunteers but felt compelled to get up and running during this election cycle.
“The driving thought is that there’s not nearly enough eyes on all the people in local politics, and that’s the challenge,” he said.
While several organizations advocate for the Jewish community — the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and the American Jewish Committee, for instance — Kazzaz said they’re limited in what they can do because of their 501(c)(3) status.
“There’s a clear need for other folks to raise some alarm bells earlier on so that people are made aware of these folks with really problematic views,” he said.
The idea, Elhassid said, is to grow organically — to start locally and then expand geographically.
“We definitely need to establish this organization. We need to fundraise in a serious way,” she said. “This takes a lot of manpower but what we learned after Oct. 7 is that we absolutely cannot be complacent in any level of government.”
Along with providing voters information about the candidates on its website, beaconcoalition.org, an affiliated group, Beacon Coalition Political Act Fund, will aim to empower “candidates who treat the wellbeing of their Jewish constituents as seriously as they do the rest of their constituents.”
All this work, Kazzaz said, will require building relationships.
“It’s going to be a lot of relationship building on the ground and in Harrisburg and other capitals,” he said. “Working to become a trusted source and working with partner organizations like Federation.”
While the PAC will be involved in the campaign side of elections, including raising money and cutting checks, the bulk of the work done by Beacon Coalition will be based around education and advocacy through research and other tools, Kazzaz said.
“That will be the driver, the first round of candidate evaluations that we put up. It’s all about education and advocacy,” he said.
When voters go to the site and click on a candidate, they’ll find categories like “Being an advocate for the Jewish community,” “Public statements,” “Votes,” and “Allies.”
At the end of the evaluation, they’ll find a section titled “Our Take.” In the case of Pennsylvania District 12 Rep. Summer Lee, the assessment reads:
“Summer Lee, the incumbent in this race, has a long track record of divisive language and votes despite the numerous conversations she has had with concerned Jewish residents and leaders in her district. We strongly support Bhavini Patel in this race.”
Elhassid differentiated between a recommendation and an endorsement, noting that the organization might recommend more than one candidate in the same race.
“If we have a recommendation, we’ll say what our recommendation is,” she said. “And if we don’t have a recommendation, or we’re recommending multiple candidates, we’ll say that, as well, and we’ll explain why.”
As they expand their work, Elhassid said, they’ll also be looking for volunteers and donations.
“We’re open to refugees from other political organizations who feel politically homeless and need a place to apply their time and effort,” she said. PJC
David Rullo can be reached at drullo@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
comments