We must reelect Sen. Bob Casey
"Casey has consistently shown up for our Jewish community. For 18 years he has fought for us in Washington, stood with us in tragedy and always listened to what we needed."
Last Sunday we gathered to mourn the six-year commemoration of the antisemitic terror attack that rocked Jewish Pittsburgh on Oct. 27, 2018. Just three weeks before that we gathered outside the JCC to support each other through the heart-wrenching one-year commemoration of Hamas’ terror attacks in Israel.
While we felt the pain of antisemitism deeply on Oct. 27, 2018, it has risen more sharply than we ever could have imagined in the years since. And this past year incidents of antisemitism are frighteningly frequent: vandalism in the Summerset community last October, destruction and theft of yard signs, spray painting of Jewish communal buildings this summer, angry encampments and assaults on Jewish college students, and more. And we just learned yesterday that those who vandalized our communal buildings may have been considering something far worse.
All of this has alarmed us, unsettled us, shaken us to our collective core. We should be able to live open and joyful Jewish lives, and attacks against Jews must be met with swift condemnation and accountability.
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Adding to this mounting stress, we also have a critical election on Nov. 5. Our community has important choices to make. We need leaders who we know truly understand our struggles, fight for our values, and stand up to the hate we are facing.
Our choice in our U.S. Senate race is clear: We must re-elect Sen. Bob Casey. Casey has consistently shown up for our Jewish community. For 18 years he has fought for us in Washington, stood with us in tragedy and always listened to what we needed.
Casey has been a leader in the fight against hate and antisemitism, especially in the months after the Oct. 7 attacks. He attended the March for Israel in Washington D.C., and rallied with our Jewish friends in Philadelphia. Just a few weeks ago, he forcefully reaffirmed his support for us both in the U.S. and in Israel at a Pittsburgh Jewish Federation forum.
He is the lead Democratic sponsor on the Antisemitism Awareness Act, the leading bill in Congress to fight campus antisemitism. This bipartisan bill is endorsed by both AIPAC and the Anti-Defamation League. Thanks to Casey’s work across the aisle, a version of this measure was adopted by executive order during the Trump administration. But there is more to do, which is why Casey is still fighting for its full passage in the Senate. In May he delivered $1 million in funding to Tree of Life to support educational programs that will help counter antisemitism.
He has been a champion for Israel’s defense and security, visiting Israel multiple times because he believes support for Israel is key to our national security and economic values. Since Oct. 7, Casey has worked with his Senate colleagues to call for freezing Iranian assets, co-sponsoring resolutions standing with Israel against terrorism and condemning Hamas’ attack, and urging Congress to pass additional federal funding for Israel. Casey has fought against Iranian aggression and supported the Iran Nuclear Deal — unfortunately, national security experts agree that pulling out of that deal brought Iran closer to a nuclear weapon than they were while the deal was in place. He has been a leader in rallying the world community in support of Israel, and has voted to counter efforts to boycott, divest and sanction Israel.
Although David McCormick has professed a commitment to fighting antisemitism, his investments tell a different story. McCormick has invested millions in Rumble, a social media site that platforms hate and antisemitism and was called a home for Holocaust denial by the ADL. McCormick has been asked many times why he invested in Rumble and has never given a satisfactory answer — because there is no satisfactory answer for these investments other than ending them. Pittsburgh Jews certainly know how dangerous online hate and disinformation can become.
Casey is a leader who we can trust with other important issues, too. He is one of the most effective and bipartisan senators in Washington. He has always prioritized the most vulnerable, including seniors, children, veterans and people with disabilities.
Finally, reelecting Casey is essential to keeping a Democratic Senate majority. Only with this Senate majority can we confirm Supreme Court justices who will respect women’s rights, protect the rights of minorities like us and strengthen gun safety laws. These are all issues that matter deeply to Jewish safety and living Jewish lives.
Casey is a man of honesty and integrity who has always fought on the side of Pennsylvanians and working families. Our Jewish community has a long-term fighter and a champion in him. He has always stood strong with us, and Election Day is our time to stand strong with him. I urge you to vote for Sen. Casey. PJC
Sue Berman Kress was born and raised in Pittsburgh and raised her family in Squirrel Hill. She is a retired clinical psychologist and now works full-time as a volunteer with Jewish and other community nonprofit organizations and with Democratic political groups. The views expressed here are her own. She is not writing on behalf of any organization with which she volunteers or consults.
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