On the heels of the arson at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s residence, the murder of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington and the firebomb attack against participants in a peaceful march calling for the release of hostages captured by Hamas in Boulder, Colo., Pennsylvania’s senators, one Democrat and one Republican, introduced a resolution condemning the rise in violent antisemitism.
More than one-third of the Senate—36 lawmakers of both parties—are sponsoring the measure, which is similar to one that passed the House 400 to 0 on June 9.
“Amid a despicable rise in antisemitism, including the hateful arson at Governor Shapiro’s home in Pennsylvania, the shocking violence in Boulder and the deadly attack on the Israeli embassy staff in D.C., we are starkly reminded that silence is complicity,” stated Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who introduced the resolution with Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.).
Both senators cited the massacre at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018, the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history, during which a gunman shot 11 congregants during Shabbat services at the building housing three congregations in the Squirrel Hill section of the city.
McCormick also mentioned the spike in antisemitism following the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
“Since Oct. 7, 2023, the Jewish community has faced unprecedented and persistent antisemitic hate and violence,” McCormick said. “This hatred cannot stand. Living in Squirrel Hill, right around the corner from the site of the devastating Tree of Life synagogue attack in 2018, really brings this issue home for me.”
The resolution also cited the Boulder attack, where a man, who made anti-Israel remarks, threw Molotov cocktails at the Jewish marchers. It called the attack a “cowardly act of ideologically motivated violence.”
Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) welcomed the Senate resolution.
“Jewish Americans are being threatened, harassed and attacked simply because of their faith, and that is completely unacceptable,” he stated. “The House stood together and made it clear that we are united in standing against antisemitism wherever it appears, and the Senate must do the same.”
