On Oct. 7, we saw who stood with us
We applaud the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, Julie Paris, Rep. Dan Frankel, Rabbi Aaron Meyer and others who have publicly condemned the Lee/Gainey/Innamorato statement.
Tragically, Jewish Pittsburgh is all too familiar with marking the anniversaries of antisemitic calamities. On Oct. 27 each year since 2018, we remember and mourn the 11 souls from three congregations who were murdered in the Tree of Life building. We know the power of our Jewish community as we gather together to grieve.
And we also know the comfort felt when those outside our community offer their compassion and support.
Oct. 7 marked one year since Hamas violated a cease-fire, invaded Israel, brutally tortured and murdered 1200 people and kidnapped more than 250 others. It was the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, and has unleashed a surge of antisemitism around the world as Israel fights for its very existence.
We are heartened that so many of Pennsylvania’s elected officials issued statements of unequivocal support for Israel and the broader Jewish community on Oct. 7.
Sen. Bob Casey: “I will continue to stand with Israel and steadfastly support its right to defend itself, including its efforts to dismantle Hamas and Hezbollah and to combat Iran’s aggression in the region. I will continue to fight back against the exponential rise in antisemitism we have seen in America since that awful day.”
Sen. John Fetterman: “I will continue to be a voice for our ally, for the release of all remaining hostages, and for peace to return.”
Rep. Chris Deluzio: “It has been one year since Israel was shockingly and brutally attacked by Hamas. Today, we remember the lives taken in this horrific attack and keep the families of victims and hostages in our hearts.”
Other strong statements of support came from several local officials, including City Controller Rachael Heisler and state Rep. Dan Frankel.
And yet, on the day of our community’s deep and profound grief, Mayor Ed Gainey and County Executive Sara Innamorato joined with one of the most vehement anti-Israel voices in Congress — Rep. Summer Lee — to issue a statement blaming Israel for its defense against terrorism.
Nowhere in their joint statement do they mention Hamas, or Hamas’ vow to repeat the carnage over and over again. Nowhere do they mention the surge of antisemitism in Pittsburgh and globally. Their final paragraph suggests a call for an arms embargo against the Jewish state.
As so many of us were reckoning with intense feelings of sadness, and fear, their timing could not have been worse.
We applaud the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, Julie Paris of StandWithUs, Rep. Dan Frankel, Rabbi Aaron Meyer of Temple Emanuel of South Hills, and others who have powerfully and publicly condemned the Lee/Gainey/Innamorato statement.
The Federation, in criticizing the “dangerous and false moral equivocation” of Lee, Gainey and Innamorato, concludes: “On one thing we can agree: we are looking for elected officials who find the courage to lead with empathy. We need leaders who can find empathy for Jewish and Israeli victims of terror.”
We couldn’t agree more. PJC
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