The Tree of Life synagogue shooting happened in Pittsburgh, PA on October 27, 2018, exactly five years ago. The anti-Semitic shooter killed 11 people and wounded 6 more. He survived and was tried and convicted for his crimes. Just a few months ago he was given a death sentence.
To his credit, Sen. Bernie Sanders posted a reminder about the attack on his X account. He probably didn’t expect the kind of responses he received.
Today, we remember and mourn for the victims lost five years ago in the devastating massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue.
We must remain committed to fighting all forms of bigotry, antisemitism, intolerance, racism, and xenophobia.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) October 27, 2023
He hadn’t mentioned Israel or Gaza but suddenly lots of people on the left were angry at him:
Wow how you have let many down who looked up to you. Mourn Gaza. Condemn Israel.
— Osama Siddique (@DrOsamaSiddique) October 27, 2023
Shame on you
— علی سیستانی🇮🇷 (@elia12420) October 27, 2023
Shame on you Bernie
— Ellie Baker (@Lashesxx) October 27, 2023
OMG, could you be any more disgusting? Thousands of Palestinians are being slaughtered in a genocide by Israel and you post this? Yes, it was in the past, but today we are witnessing a genocide and you cannot even acknowledge the value of those human lives. You are disgusting.
— Nancy D – We are ruled by psychopaths ☮️🕊️ (@gulfgal98) October 27, 2023
I regret every penny I ever gave you, every phone call I ever made on your behalf, and every moment of energy I put into you as a political candidate. You shame us all.
— CampariMD (@CampariMD) October 27, 2023
Can someone please take this guy’s phone away from him or from whoever writes this shit? https://t.co/19WAWdwOHh
— El Gran Cabron (@SamuraiElf) October 27, 2023
This is sad. 1000+ killed in a genocidecarpet bombing (you ok) in the past day & you bring up something from years ago.
Shame shame shame. How the mighty have fallen. https://t.co/cCSHhuGqe2
— SteeOne 🏳️🌈🇵🇷🇮🇹🗽🫑🪞 (@SteeOne) October 27, 2023
Look at this fraud. He fooled so many Muslim youth especially those attracted to liberal ideals. And right now when Palestinians are being genocided by his tribe with full support of his admin, he comes here talking about a shooting attack 5 years stale. Libs are Nazis https://t.co/T7efJUuwTe
— Radio Muft Baluchistan (@DerArschloch) October 27, 2023
This tweet is nothing but a deflection from the genocide being carried out by Israel in Gaza right now. You are failing to show leadership on the most significant moral crisis of our times. Shame on you Bernie Sanders! You have let us all down! https://t.co/avF4wysp51
— Ammar Ali Jan (@ammaralijan) October 27, 2023
oh my god. oh my god.
the cynical invocation of a horrible massacre at a time like this without specifying that it was a WHITE MAN who did it.
Genocide Bernie will NEVER be forgiven, this is his legacy.
Burn mittens burn! https://t.co/HkXtwCMD0z
— Danya (@dandoon_danya) October 27, 2023
SHAME https://t.co/yPs2hE9ghY
— Jawn Quincy Adams (@jawnquincyadams) October 27, 2023
That Heart Attack should’ve taken you. https://t.co/TwBG8fBUmy
— KeanuAndre7 (@Unaek_Swerdna7) October 27, 2023
And there were quite a few comments like this one.
Bernie for the love of God read the fucking room
— Lily (@lilydont) October 27, 2023
Read the room.
— kamil (@KamilMPoet) October 27, 2023
Read the fucking room shame on you you really had us fooled for a minute didnt you https://t.co/mZiiVYpSIO
— Sarah | With all of my heart (@chocoaddickted2) October 27, 2023
There are hundreds of tweets like these, many from smaller accounts. It just seems to go on and on. It was ugly enough that lots of people jumped in to condemn the responses, including Vox’s Zack Beauchamp.
There are people in the quote tweets and replies yelling at a Jewish senator for marking the five year anniversary of the worst anti-Semitic massacre in American history.
If this is where your “left” principles brought you, you need rethink everything. https://t.co/MtJF8O9E3j
— Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp) October 27, 2023
Many on the right noticed too.
If you still don’t realize that the left has a major anti-Semitism problem, just read the replies and quote tweets to this post about the anniversary of one of the worst targeted attacks on Jews in American history.
Note this post has nothing to do with Israel and Sanders has… https://t.co/2CqRxBF1EE
— AG (@AGHamilton29) October 27, 2023
A disturbing amount of replies saying “read the room” and “shame on you” and “I regret voting for you” for this Bernie tweet mourning the anniversary of a mass shooting at a synagogue. https://t.co/IH79ts8T0W
— Brandonheimer (@gdigitalzsmooth) October 27, 2023
The claim that antizionism is not antisemitism is clearly not true for some people.
Getting REAAAAALL hard to believe in the “Anti-zionism, not Antisemitism” crowd. I’d be more willing to give benefit of the doubt if not for…..well, the replies speak for themselves https://t.co/LR6MTLLIzf
— Krishna G. Nadoli (@guruandsensei) October 27, 2023
The reactions to this tweet by antizionists are truly unhinged levels of antisemitism. It’s clear that many on the left never cared about any of the causes they protested for. They only have a bigotry so virulent, it can’t stand even the smallest gestures of decency. https://t.co/sgiBdAYcWO
— Stephen Michael Tow 🇮🇱🇵🇸🇺🇸 z3k J. Evets (@stowZJE) October 27, 2023
The replies to this are unbelievable, and revealing.
Did he say anything about Israel? No. Did he say anything about Palestine? No. All he did was commemorate Jewish murder victims. Their hatred is not about Israel, it’s about Jews. https://t.co/T6SbTc7d8d
— Payton Alexander (@AlexanderPayton) October 27, 2023
Wow it’s really mask off in these comments. Total mask off.
— Rachel Kaplan 🪬🐺 (@RachelMiniK) October 27, 2023
The people who are mad at this actually just hate jews https://t.co/NA4MKguUca
— Luxa🌹🇩🇰🔆 (@SocDane) October 27, 2023
There are hundreds more like these from people left, right and center who seemed pretty shocked. If a memorial tweet to murdered Jews here in America sets you off, anti-Zionist probably is not a fair description for your outlook.
This random account made a pretty good point beyond the immediately obvious one. There have been plenty of articles over the past week about how progressives are angry with President Biden for siding with Israel. But how is Joe Biden supposed to win over people set off by something as innocuous as Bernie’s tweet about a mass murder? Clearly it’s not possible.
The comments are wild. If they turn on Bernie for something as innocuous as this, Biden had NO CHANCE of ever winning them. Relegated forever to the political fringe. https://t.co/DFSpoMje0y
— Timeout Abolitionist (@Danofran) October 27, 2023
Anyway, if you want to see more just click on Bernie’s tweet. What an embarrassing spectacle.
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