Pittsburgh Jewish group to Trump: ‘You are not welcome’
As the city of Pittsburgh mourns the loss of 11 people murdered in a mass shooting at a synagogue over the weekend, leaders of a progressive Jewish organization in the area are making it clear that they don’t want Donald Trump anywhere near them.
According to the Huffington Post, the local chapter of Bend the Arc believes that Trump’s divisive rhetoric has stoked the flames of bigotry and not only led to attacks on Jewish people, but also “deliberately undermined the safety of people of color, Muslims, LGBTQ people and people with disabilities.”
“President Trump, you are not welcome in Pittsburgh until you fully denounce white nationalism,” the leaders of wrote on a public letter blasting Trump’s hateful rhetoric.
“For the past three years, your words and your policies have emboldened a growing white nationalist movement. You yourself called the murderer evil, but yesterday’s violence is the direct culmination of your influence.”
During Saturday’s shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue, gunman Robert Bowers, 46, reportedly screamed “all Jews must die” before he opened fire on the unsuspecting victims.
Twenty nine charged have been filed by prosecutors against Bower.
Prosecutors in Pennsylvania are reportedly planning to seek the death penalty.
The Associated Press reports that U.S. Attorney Scott Brady has started the process to gain approval from Attorney General Jeff Sessions to pursue a capital case against Robert Bowers. State prosecutors are required to get federal permission to pursue the death penalty.
And even though Trump condemned the attack as “an assault on humanity,” Jewish leaders seriously question his sincerity and only want him around if he’s prepared to change his approach.
They are demanding that Trump “stop targeting and endangering all minorities,” cease his ongoing assault on immigrant and refugees communities and commit himself to “compassionate, democratic policies that recognize the dignity of all of us.”
Here’s the full letter:
President Trump:
Yesterday, a gunman slaughtered 11 Americans during Shabbat morning services. We mourn with the victims’ families and pray for the wounded. Here in Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood, we express gratitude for the first responders and for the outpouring of support from our neighbors near and far. We are committed to healing as a community while we recommit ourselves to repairing our nation.
For the past three years your words and your policies have emboldened a growing white nationalist movement. You yourself called the murderer evil, but yesterday’s violence is the direct culmination of your influence.
President Trump, you are not welcome in Pittsburgh until you fully denounce white nationalism.
Our Jewish community is not the only group you have targeted. You have also deliberately undermined the safety of people of color, Muslims, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities. Yesterday’s massacre is not the first act of terror you incited against a minority group in our country.
President Trump, you are not welcome in Pittsburgh until you stop targeting and endangering all minorities.
The murderer’s last public statement invoked the compassionate work of the Jewish refugee service HIAS at the end of a week in which you spread lies and sowed fear about migrant families in Central America. He killed Jews in order to undermine the efforts of all those who find shared humanity with immigrants and refugees.
President Trump, you are not welcome in Pittsburgh until you cease your assault on immigrants and refugees.
The Torah teaches that every human being is made b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God.
This means all of us.
In our neighbors, Americans, and people worldwide who have reached out to give our community strength, there we find the image of God. While we cannot speak for all Pittsburghers, or even all Jewish Pittsburghers, we know we speak for a diverse and unified group when we say:
President Trump, you are not welcome in Pittsburgh until you commit yourself to compassionate, democratic policies that recognize the dignity of all of us.
Bend the Arc: Pittsburgh
