Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) responded to the news that Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice David Wecht is leaving the Democratic Party over rising antisemitism, stating that the party needs to “confront its own rising antisemitism problem.”
In a post on X, Fetterman shared a photo of an article from Politico regarding Wecht announcing that he was leaving the Democratic Party and becoming an independent. Fetterman noted that while he is not switching his party affiliation, he understood Wecht’s “personal choice.”
“I know David and his legendary father, Cyril,” Fetterman said. “As I’ve affirmed, I’m not changing my party—but I fully understand David’s personal choice. The Democratic Party must confront its own rising antisemitism problem.”
In a statement, Wecht explained that he is “no longer registered within any political party,” adding that “acquiescence to Jew-hatred is now disturbingly common among activists, leaders,” and even elected lawmakers within the Democratic Party.
“From 1998 to 2001, years that preceded my judicial career, I served as Vice-Chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. In the quarter century that has passed since then, the Democratic Party has changed,” Wecht shared. “Nazi tattoos, jihadist chants, intimidation and attacks at synagogues, and other hateful anti-Jewish invective and actions are minimized, ignored, and even coddled. Acquiescence to Jew-hatred is now disturbingly common among activists, leaders and even many elected officials in the Democratic Party.”
Wecht also shared that he and his wife had been “married at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Congregation,” and added that “twenty years later, in the very same sanctuary” where they were married, “the worst massacre of Jews in American history” took place.
“That terror came from the right,” Wecht continued. “Jew-hatred has always festered on the fringe of that sector. In the years that have followed, that same hatred has grown on the left. Increasingly, it has moved from the fringe to the mainstream.”
Wecht switching to an independent “will have minimal impact on the balance of power in the state’s Supreme Court,” according to the outlet.
During an interview on CNN in April, Fetterman expressed that while he is “proud to stand with Israel,” roughly 80 percent of Democrats “view Israel in a negative way.”
“You know, you have, like, Platner has a Nazi tattoo on his chest,” Fetterman said. “And now, it’s just released that he was praising and celebrating a video online where Hamas was beating and torturing Israeli soldiers to death.”
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