118 SRES 432 ATS: Recognizing the fifth commemoration of the antisemitic attack that occurred on October 27, 2018, at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
U.S. Senate
2023-10-25
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EN
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Whereas, on October 27, 2018, a mass shooting took place at the Tree of Life synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where members of the Tree of Life, Dor Hadash, and New Light congregations were engaged in Shabbat morning services;Whereas 11 innocent worshippers were killed, 2 congregants were critically injured, and 5 law enforcement officers were injured while attempting to rescue victims and apprehend the perpetrator in the deadliest antisemitic attack in the history of the United States;Whereas the 11 innocent worshippers killed in the attack included— (1)Joyce Fienberg; (2)Richard Gottfried; (3)Rose Mallinger; (4)Jerry Rabinowitz; (5)Cecil Rosenthal; (6)David Rosenthal; (7)Bernice Simon; (8)Sylvan Simon; (9)Daniel Stein; (10)Melvin Wax; and (11)Irving Younger;Whereas the perpetrator of the attack espoused antisemitic views and targeted the individuals worshipping at the Tree of Life synagogue because of their religious beliefs;Whereas, on June 16, 2023, a Federal jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, found the perpetrator of the attack guilty on 63 counts, including hate crimes and the obstruction of the free exercise of religion resulting in death;Whereas the people of the United States commend the service of those jury members, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Allegheny County Police, all other Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies who assisted with the investigation, and the prosecution team from the United States Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Pennsylvania and the Department of Justice that worked to bring the perpetrator to justice;Whereas antisemitism remains an evil and destructive form of identity-based hate that destroys lives and runs contrary to the values of the United States; andWhereas the Anti-Defamation League recorded 3,697 incidents of antisemitic harassment, vandalism and assault throughout the United States in 2022, representing a 36 percent increase in antisemitic incidents from 2021, and the largest number of antisemitic incidents on record since the Anti-Defamation League began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979: Now, therefore, be itThat the Senate—(1)honors the memory of the victims who were killed in the horrific, antisemitic attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 27, 2018, and expresses the hope that their memory may continue to be a blessing to their families and community;(2)honors the selfless and dedicated service of—(A)the law enforcement and emergency response officials who responded to the attack;(B)the medical professionals who provided and continue to provide care for the victims; and(C)the law enforcement agencies and Federal prosecutors who worked to investigate and hold the perpetrator accountable in Federal court for his hateful, antisemitic attack on the Jewish community;(3)expresses continued solidarity and support to the Tree of Life, Dor Hadash, and New Light congregations, the Pittsburgh Jewish community, and the families, friends, and loved ones affected by the tragedy;(4)commends the Tree of Life community for, in the wake of tragedy, dedicating itself to efforts to eliminate antisemitism and other forms of identity-based hate;(5)condemns rising antisemitism and stands with the Jewish communities in Pittsburgh, the United States, and around the world; and(6)reaffirms the commitment of the United States—(A)to condemn antisemitism in all its forms;(B)to protect the right of the people of the United States to freely exercise their religious beliefs; and(C)to ensure the safety and security of all people of the United States.