A measure potentially slated to appear in Pittsburgh on November ballots that would penalize entities that do business with Israel and nonprofits aligned with the Jewish state has provoked an immediate backlash from local Jewish groups and government officials, including a legal challenge.
The boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) measure—backed by Pittsburgh Democratic Socialists of America and an organization that calls itself “No War Crimes on Our Dime”—would not allow the city to invest in, provide public funds or grant tax exemptions to “entities that conduct business operations with or in the State of Israel” to last until the war in Gaza concludes.
The now 10-month-old war began after Hamas infiltrated the southern border with Israel on Oct. 7 and slaughtered 1,200 people, wounded thousands and kidnapped as many as 250 others to Gaza, where more than 100 are still being held captive.
“I strongly condemn this referendum which targets Pittsburgh’s Jewish community and Jewish organizations,” Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) wrote on X. “As antisemitic incidents are on the rise across the nation, I will always stand with the Jewish community in Pittsburgh and across the Commonwealth.”
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said, “I unequivocally condemn this referendum. It’s rank antisemitism and is an affront to the region’s Jewish community.”
Jewish community leaders have spoken out explaining their objections.
“This referendum is the latest action against our community,” said Jeff Finkelstein, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. “The circulators of the referendum claim that it’s not targeting a specific group, and we believe it is actually their goal.”
Finkelstein said “the creators of this referendum are only targeting Israel. That makes this clearly an undeniably antisemitic.”
Pittsburgh saw the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the fall of 2018 when 11 Jewish worshippers were shot and killed during Shabbat-morning services at the Tree of Life*Or Simcha Synagogue.
Rabbi Seth Adelson of Congregation Beth Shalom in Pittsburgh noted that the legal challenge could impact police protection of Jewish organizations. “I have to say that the most important item from my perspective about this referendum is that it would, in fact, make Pittsburgh less safe for Jews, because we rely on the safety provided by the Pittsburgh police,” he said.
Municipal leaders have also expressed concerns.
“We’re not challenging the referendum’s position on the ballot, but have serious concerns about conflicts with state and federal law that would prevent it from being enforceable, if it were to be passed,” said Olga George, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey’s press secretary, in a statement. “The city is reviewing whether the ballot referendum would create an irreconcilable conflict with state law and be subject to preemption.”
The city’s controller, Rachael Heisler, has also submitted a legal challenge to the referendum, with her office saying “the proposed ballot question should be set aside because it violates state law” and that it could “have a significant negative impact on essential services, including public health and safety.”
