Read ADL Philadelphia Regional Director Andrew Goretsky’s Comments Regarding the Verdict in the trial of the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooter

  • June 16, 2023

ADL Welcomes Verdict in Pittsburgh Massacre  

The man charged in the deadliest attack on the U.S. Jewish community found guilty

 

Philadelphia, PA, June 16, 2023–  ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) today welcomes the jury’s verdict in the criminal case against Robert Bowers, the white supremacist charged with killing 11 people on Oct. 27, 2018, at a synagogue in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood – the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history

 

“Justice has been served with the guilty verdict reached today in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter’s trial and it offers a time for reflection,” said ADL Philadelphia Regional Director Andrew Goretsky. “While we welcome this sense of justice, Pennsylvania reached a record high for recorded antisemitic incidents last year and is still home to the ideology and hatred that inspired this attack. All Pennsylvanians must continue pushing back the tides of antisemitism and hatred that have swept over far too many of our communities. We hope legislators, community leaders, and all Pennsylvanians join us in our mission to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.”

 

“We welcome the jury’s verdict today and believe that justice has been served,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “This attack was the deadliest act of antisemitic violence in American history — but the hate and conspiratorial thinking that fueled this violence has not gone away. We thank the jurors for their service, and we hope this brings closure to those who lost loved ones five years ago. We will continue to support the community during the sentencing phase of the trial, which is expected to begin in the near future. ADL vows to continue our work to stop hate and protect Jewish communities.”

Bowers was motivated by “The Great Replacement Theory,” blaming Jews for ostensibly orchestrating the immigration of non-white people to the United States as part of a conspiratorial plot to destroy the white race. He committed the massacre after radicalizing and communicating with other extremists on the fringe website Gab.

This hate continues to cause real harm to Jewish communities. In January, ADL released topline survey findings showing the highest percentage in decades of respondents harboring extensive antisemitic prejudice. Antisemitic incidents also surged to historic levels in 2022, with a total of 3,697 incidents reported across the United States, an increase of 36 percent compared to 2021.  Over 100 of these incidents were categorized as assault.

 

ADL is a leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of antisemitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. ADL is the first call when acts of antisemitism occur. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education and fighting hate online, ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate. More at www.adl.org.

 

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