United States President Joe Biden marked the sixth anniversary of the deadly attack on the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, condemning what he described as an “appalling surge of antisemitism” amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The 2018 attack took the lives of 11 worshippers. Two other worshippers and five responding police officers were injured in the shooting attack, which remains the deadliest antisemitic act in U.S. history.
In his statement, Biden said the 2018 attack “shattered families, pierced the heart of the Jewish community, and struck the soul of our nation” while adding that in the years since, the Jewish community has shown resilience by “courageously turning pain into purpose” through “a global initiative to counter hate and hate-fueled violence.”
Biden also pointed out that the anniversary of the Pittsburgh synagogue attack comes just weeks after the anniversary of Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack in Israel, “during which Hamas killed more than 1,200 people, took another 250 hostage, and committed horrific acts of sexual assault.”
He highlighted that the trauma and losses of October 7 are compounded by “the appalling surge of antisemitism against Jews in America and around the world.”
Biden stated that his administration is enacting a national strategy to counter antisemitism, including securing $1.2 billion to enhance the security of nonprofits like synagogues, Jewish community centers, and day schools.
He also emphasized the Justice Department’s efforts to investigate and prosecute antisemitic hate crimes, as well as a recent move to “put colleges on notice that antisemitism is discrimination” under civil rights laws.
Vice President Kamala Harris, in a statement of her own, also noted a rise in antisemitism in the US.
“I will always work to ensure the safety and security of Jewish people in the United States and around the world, and will always call out antisemitism whenever and wherever we see it,” she said.
