PITTSBURGH — On the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre, Pittsburgh's Jewish community mourned the victims. Their politicians were busy mourning the Palestinians and blaming Israel for terrorist attacks.
Congresswoman Summer Lee, Mayor Ed Gainey, and Allegheny County Executive Sara Inamorato. joint twitter statement They said they “have hearts big enough to grieve both those who were killed a year ago and those who were massacred a year after.”
“Our sadness is compounded by the fact that it was not meant to be this way,” they continued. “This violence did not start on October 7th.”
Jewish leaders in Pittsburgh read the statement loud and clear.
“This distorted and deliberate weaponization of language can only be interpreted as a way to undermine the Israeli and Jewish victims of October 7th,” the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh said. answered“Israel and its people are responsible for the victims of October 7,” Polish police added.
Rabbi Seth Adelson of Beth Shalom Synagogue told the Post it “shows an astonishing degree of insensitivity that veers into the realm of anti-Semitism.” “I’m just baffled that on this day they thought it would be well received.”
Adelson admitted his heart is elsewhere. Her son, Oriya Meydan, had just been sent to northern Israel to fight Hezbollah in a war that had begun with another terrorist organization on Israel's southern border.
A year ago, Hamas terrorists murdered, raped, beheaded, and kidnapped more than 1,400 people, including more than 40 Americans. Hamas still holds 97 people hostage.
But Pittsburgh's political leaders made no mention of Hamas or that “Israel is fighting a just war for survival,” clutching the guitars they had just played in front of an audience of more than 1,200 people. Adelson said. He performed a series of songs, prayers and stories in memory of the victims of Oct. 7 at a Greater Pittsburgh Jewish Federation event.
“They seemed to be sending a signal to their political allies, and they're not the majority of Jewish voters,” Adelson said of the Pittsburgh polls.
In a letter shared with the Post, Rabbi Aaron Meyer of Temple Emanuel implored elected officials to “reconsider and remove this harmful and hateful speech.” did.
However, some have suggested that Pittsburgh get rid of these leaders altogether.
“The one thing we can all agree on is that we want elected officials who have the courage to lead with empathy. We need leaders who can empathize with others,” the Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh concluded.
Lee, one of the elected officials, is up for re-election in November. The Democrat, who survived a pro-Israel primary challenger, will face Republican James Hayes.
Squad members pushed for a ceasefire just weeks after Hamas carried out the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust on October 7. She called for an arms embargo on Israel and accused the Jewish state of committing genocide.
More than 40 Pittsburgh Jewish leaders will participate this spring Condemned Lee's anti-Israel remarks and received money from people who celebrated the October 7 attacks.
Jeff Finkelstein, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, praised Democratic Sen. Bob Casey's support for Israel on Oct. 7, but Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick said, Ta. tied Casey called out Lee for not withdrawing his support for the freshman lawmaker.
“I definitely know there are people in our community who are thinking of voting Republican for the first time in their lives,” Adelson said.
