Pittsburgh-Area Jewish Leaders Again Urge Rep. Summer Lee To Denounce Antisemitism

WASHINGTON (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS) — Pittsburgh-area Jewish leaders this week renewed their criticism of U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, urging her to more forcefully denounce antisemitism and to reconsider her demand for an unconditional cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.

Lee, D-Swissvale, has been under fire for her criticism of Israeli policies since before being elected to Congress and opposing pro-Israel resolutions following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on the Jewish state.

“You promised us that you would call out antisemitism and temper your own language,” more than 40 Pittsburgh-region clergy wrote to Lee on Monday — the second such letter from dozens of Jewish clergy in three months. “You have not followed through on those commitments.”

The group said Lee “graciously” agreed to meet with them after their October letter, but has since continued to use divisive rhetoric that they’ve sometimes perceived as antisemitic. They said her and other progressive lawmakers’ push for a cease-fire “devalues the lives and beliefs of one group.”

Lee’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Lee is the first Black woman elected to Congress from Pennsylvania. Her district includes the Squirrel Hill synagogue that housed three congregations, Tree of Life, Dor Hadash, and New Light, which were attacked in 2018 by a shooter who killed 11 people attending services.

The clergy said Lee has accepted campaign contributions from donors who have “voiced virulently antisemitic sentiments.” They argued that even though she withdrew from speaking at a recent Council on American- Islamic Relations event, she had “been unwilling to denounce the hatred and ugly language coming from the keynote speakers of that conference and the leadership of CAIR.”

Jewish Insider reported that other speakers scheduled for the event had a history of antisemitic comments and appeared to praise Hamas’ attack against Israel.

Designated a terrorist group by the U.S., Hamas broke the existing cease-fire and attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages. Israel responded with a massive attack on the Gaza Strip, which is under Hamas’ control, and has been criticized for civilian casualties there.

Lee’s decision to speak at the CAIR banquet in Philadelphia was criticized by Republican U.S. Senate candidate David McCormick, the Anti-Defamation League, the Pennsylvania Jewish Legislative Caucus and Gov. Josh Shapiro. In withdrawing from the banquet, Lee said she neither condoned nor endorsed the previous antisemitic statements of other speakers at the event.

While she accused political leaders of demonizing CAIR, Lee said she chose not to attend to prevent the Muslim community from being the target of any more politically motivated bias and to ensure her minority constituents know their concerns are heard.

“I have worked my entire life to bring these communities together, and I will continue to do so,” Lee said. “We should all take care to ensure that every community we serve is equally safe, seen and valued.”