Biden marks anniversary of Pittsburgh synagogue attack that killed 11

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Biden marks anniversary of Pittsburgh synagogue attack that killed 11

2024-10-27 23:18 Last Updated At：23:21

PITTSBURGH (AP) — President Joe Biden on Saturday marked the sixth anniversary of a gunman's deadly attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue and called out what he called an “appalling surge of antisemitism” amid the war in Gaza.

The 2018 attack claimed the lives of 11 worshippers from Dor Hadash, New Light and Tree of Life congregations, which shared space in the synagogue in Squirrel Hill, the heart of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community. Two worshippers and five responding police officers were also injured in the attack, the deadliest act of antisemitism in U.S. history.

Biden said in a statement that the attack “shattered families, pierced the heart of the Jewish community, and struck the soul of our nation.” But he said that in the years since, the Jewish community “has also shown the country how to courageously turn pain into purpose” launching “a global initiative to counter hate and hate-fueled violence.”

Biden noted that the remembrance of the Pittsburgh synagogue attack comes weeks after the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack in Israel “during which Hamas killed more than 1,200 people, took another 250 hostage and committed horrific acts of sexual assault.”

He said the trauma and losses of Oct. 7 are made worse by “the appalling surge of antisemitism against Jews in America and around the world.”

The attack sparked a war between Israel and the militant group Hamas and has resulted in widespread destruction and civilian deaths in Gaza.

Biden said his administration was implementing a national strategy to counter antisemitism, including securing $1.2 billion for security of nonprofits such as synagogues and Jewish community centers and day schools. He also cited the Justice Department's investigation and prosecution of antisemitic hate crimes and said his administration had “put colleges on notice that antisemitism is discrimination” and barred under laws protecting civil rights.

Vice President Kamala Harris also cited a rise in antisemitism in a statement marking the anniversary of the Pittsburgh attack.

“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.

The Pittsburgh attacker was sentenced to death last year after being convicted on 63 counts, including hate crimes resulting in death.

In June, ground was broken for a new complex on the Pittsburgh site that is to include a cultural center, sanctuary, educational center and museum along with a memorial to the slain worshipers from three congregations.

Harris calls on the United States 'to turn the page on hatred and division'

2024-10-27 23:13 Last Updated At：23:20

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kamala Harris told a church congregation Sunday that the United States is “determined to turn the page on hatred and division.”

The vice president's visit to Philadelphia's Church of Christian Compassion, where the pastor introduced her at a worship service as “the voice of the future,” was the first stop of the day in the largest city in swing state Pennsylvania and a critical Democratic stronghold. The presidential nominee is trying to energize supporters with a little more than a week to go before the Nov. 5 election.

In her remarks, Harris drew on the story of the Apostle Paul, who overcome difficulties to spread the word of Jesus.

“In hard times when we may grow weary in doing good, we must remember the power that works within us, the divine power that transformed Paul’s life, guided him through shipwreck and sustained him through trials," Harris said.

After Harris spoke, W. Lonnie Herndon, the church’s senior pastor, delivered a sermon about compassion and how "strong people never put others down, they lift them up.”

“In nine days we’ll be able to do this,” Herndon said as he made the motion of turning a page. “Turn the page,” the congregation shouted in unison.

“We are going to get out and vote," he said as Harris listened from her seat in the front row. “And let me be crystal clear. We are not electing a pastor. We are electing a president that will deal with these divided United States, bring us back together.”

Harris planned to stop later at a barbershop, a Puerto Rican restaurant and a youth basketball facility before speaking at a rally.

The vice president and Tim Walz are expected to visit all seven battleground states in the coming days, part of a final blitz before the Nov. 5 election.

She has tried to keep the focus on abortion rights in the closing stretch of the campaign, including during appearances with Beyoncé and Michelle Obama. In an interview with CBS News that aired Sunday, Harris declined to say whether she would support any restrictions on abortion, emphasizing the need to restore Roe v. Wade.

“It is that basic,” Harris said.

The nationwide right to abortion was overturned two years ago by the conservative majority on the Supreme Court that included three justices nominated by Donald Trump while president.

“My first priority is to put back in place those protections and to stop this pain and to stop this injustice that is happening around our country,” Harris said.

She also brushed off Trump's claim that he would not sign a national abortion ban if elected. “He says everything, come on," Harris said. "Are we really taking his word for it?”

While Harris campaigns in swing state Pennsylvania, her running mate will be in Las Vegas on Sunday. On Monday, the Minnesota governor will visit Manitowoc and Waukesha, Wisconsin, before joining Harris for a rally in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where the singer Maggie Rogers is scheduled to perform.

Harris will be in the nation's capital on Tuesday to deliver what her campaign calls her “closing argument” in a speech from the Ellipse, a grassy space near the White House. It's the same place where then-President Donald Trump spoke on Jan. 6, 2021, when the Republican called on his supporters to march on the Capitol.

Walz is scheduled to campaign Tuesday in Savannah and Columbus in Georgia.

Harris plans to visit North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin on Wednesday. The event in Madison, Wisconsin, is expected to feature musical performances by Mumford & Sons and others.

Walz will be in Charlotte and Asheville, North Carolina, that day.

On Thursday, Harris will be in Nevada for rallies in Reno and Las Vegas, and in Phoenix. The band Maná will perform in Las Vegas and Los Tigres del Norte will perform in Phoenix.

Walz plans to campaign in Harrisburg and Erie, Pennsylvania, and Detroit.

Megerian reported from Washington.