We cannot give up the fight
It is antisemitic to deny the Jewish people the right to self-determination and to live in peace without the threat of genocide.
We are proud of the 100-plus community members who spent hours upon hours poring over more than 15,000 signatures — the vast majority of which were invalid — to prevent an antisemitic referendum backed by the Democratic Socialists of America from appearing on the November ballot.
And we are grateful to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and City Controller Rachael Heisler for taking legal action to quash the petition seeking the referendum, which would have called for the City of Pittsburgh to boycott any entity doing business with or in Israel. If passed, such a referendum would have hobbled Jewish organizations and threatened our security.
But we are also angry, and brokenhearted, that such an effort was necessary.
How quickly things change.
In fewer than six years, Pittsburgh has gone from being “Stronger Than Hate” to being a harbor of antisemitism.
Remember after the shooting in the Tree of Life building, when the world saw Pittsburgh as the poster child of love and unity? Now it seems like some of those same people who stood shoulder to shoulder with Jews after a white supremacist murdered 11 worshippers have turned against us.
And it makes us wonder: How genuine was all that professed support back in 2018 anyway?
Lest you think we are exaggerating the shift, just take a look at the social media accounts of some so-called progressive activists who have been targeting members of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community — some by name — since Oct. 7, and who promoted the anti-Israel referendum.
They accuse us of genocide. They accuse us of trying to stifle free speech. They accuse us of controlling local politicians. They repeat age-old antisemitic tropes, while proclaiming they aren’t antisemitic — as if just saying so makes it true.
And they bully our allies, elected officials like Heisler, Sen. John Fetterman and Sen. Bob Casey, who had the courage and moral clarity to call out the anti-Israel petition as antisemitic.
We are not novices when it comes to online hate. We saw it play out in the worst possible way when an antisemitic mass murderer, radicalized on the far-right social media site Gab, attacked three congregations on Oct. 27, 2018. And so we are naturally concerned that the antisemitic vile spewed from the far left on the more mainstream X and Instagram could endanger our physical safety as well.
That’s why we must continue to be vigilant, outspoken and united in fighting attempts to undermine our security and our commitment to the Jewish state.
To be clear, it is not necessarily antisemitic to criticize Israel or its government. But it is antisemitic to deny the Jewish people the right to self-determination and to live in peace without the threat of genocide — the same rights that BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) activists seek for Palestinians.
The BDS movement against Israel “does not support constructive measures to build Israeli-Palestinian engagement, nor does it promote peace negotiations or a mutually negotiated two-state solution to the conflict,” according to the Anti-Defamation League. “Rather, BDS presents a biased and simplistic approach to the complex Israeli-Palestinian conflict, positioning this dispute over territorial and nationalist claims as the fault of only one party — Israel — while ignoring other actors and dynamics such as Palestinian shared responsibility for the continuation of the conflict. BDS advocates for self-determination for Palestinians while denying to Jews that same right.”
The ADL goes on to note that BDS “often gives rise to tensions in communities — in the U.S. we see it particularly on college campuses — that can result in the isolation and intimidation of Jews and supporters of Israel. With the focus on negating Israel and its supporters, BDS campaigns may create an environment in which antisemitic actions and expressions may be emboldened.”
We see that happening in Pittsburgh.
Following Monday’s hearing, at which Judge John McVay signed a consent order that all sides agreed the petition lacked enough valid signatures, petition organizers said they would regroup to determine ways to get the referendum on a future ballot, that they will not give up the fight.
Neither can we. PJC
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