Two nearby residents were apprehended on Wednesday by the FBI and Pittsburgh authorities, and they are being charged with hate acts for allegedly vandalizing Jewish houses.
One think, Mohamad Hamad, who claimed to be a” Hamas operative”, was found to be a Pennsylvania Air National Guard part based near Pittsburgh International Airport. He had purchased and tested violent elements for a possible attack, according to the criminal complaint.
The two US-Lebanese citizen had donated to Squad Democrats, who had called for the US to restrict US arms deliveries to Israel during its discord with Iran and its allies ‘ militant groups. Squad Democrats also supported the two US-Lebanese citizen.
His alleged Israeli friend, Talya Lubit, was charged for helping apply pro-Hamas graffiti on Israeli services. She had described Jews as “enemies” and supported a controversial cease-fire resolution against Israel. Summer Lee, the rep for Pittsburgh, just attributed Israel’s involvement in the Hamas attack, to her as well.
Jeremy Kazzaz, who leads the Beacon Coalition, an institution combating racism in elections, told The Post,” In Pittsburgh, we’ve seen an infiltration of the Democratic Party by anti-Israel fanatics who often target the Jewish society”.
These grave allegations come as a result of the recent attacks on three Jewish University of Pittsburgh students this term, as well as the Democratic Party’s 62 % of Jewish Americans ‘ concerns about antisemitism.
If they had cameras, they might as well picture the despair they witnessed. Hamas agent ripping off their colors in bright suburbia”, Hamad, from Coraopolis near Pittsburgh, communicated to an FBI-known email via Signal.
This encrypted system is comparable to Telegram, which Hamas people utilised to deliver images of their 7 October strike, when over 2, 000 armed insurgents invaded southern Israel, resulting in more than 1, 400 deaths and hostages.
Hamad sent Signal messages to express his need for death.
He shared what appeared to be a self-portrait wearing a clean Hamas-logoed hat and black hoodie stating” RESPECT EXISTENCE OR EXPECT RESISTANCE”, writing, “my soul yearns for being with my sons elsewhere”.
Records indicate his order of Indian Black aluminium flour and sodium perchlorate, both violent components.
According to FBI Special Agent Brian Collins, Hamad plans to check a “big barrel” on July 6 as a test for a potential explosion, and his enthusiasm over video that” seems to be the detonation of an incendiary device and accompanying fireball” are revealed in communications.
After reviewing the criminal complaint, Kazzaz expressed worry that Hamad might have been planning an attack on Pittsburgh’s Jewish group.
Hamad coordinated with Lubit, a Hebrew advocate from Pittsburgh’s Oakland place, about defacing Israeli buildings. Consequently, red painting appeared at Chabad of Squirrel Hill on 29 July, displaying” Jews 4 Palestine” and an inverted square, a mark Hamas uses to indicate Jewish goals in Gaza.
Similar theft occurred at the Hebrew Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, with the information” Money Holocaust Jews, Dislike Zionists”.
Lubit’s anti-Israel position appeared to be a struggle with both her Jewish identity and her anti-Israel views.
The Dickinson College graduate texted Hamad before the theft,” I can actually feel myself starting to notice Jews as my foes.” Under the name” Warsaw”, she shared an picture of Israel’s symbol with a Nazi symbol in a class talk, according to the problem.
” Every day I think,’ I do n’t want to be Jewish anymore,'” she told Hamad, describing it as conflicting with “being anti-oppression”.
Kazzaz noted this oppressor-versus-oppressed view “led to a radicalisation of two persons from quite different background” resulting in theft and Hamad’s attempts to gain explosive materials.
He suggested that anti-Israel rhetoric poses heightened risks for Democratic officials.
Kazzaz, a congresswoman who calls Israel’s defensive war “genocide” while advocating resistance, said:” The way that Summer Lee views the world and has used her bully pulpit has legitimized these extremists.
” That allows them in some perverse way to justify acts of terrorism against random, innocent people”, he added.
In this binary, Jews are always seen as the oppressor.
Both suspects have connections to Squad Democrats and anti-Israel politics.
Hamad contributed$ 10 to Representative Ilhan Omar in November 2023, following her call for an Israeli cease-fire on 7 October. He also donated$ 5 to Representative Rashida Tlaib in April, after her censure for characterising Hamas ‘ attack as “resistance” against Israel’s “apartheid government”.
Despite being contacted by 40 Pittsburgh Jewish leaders for solidarity with Israel and Jews, Lubit joined over 130 Jewish community members in signing a letter supporting Lee.
Sam Wasserman, a Harris campaign staff member, also endorsed the letter, along with others who later supported a county council resolution that demanded the release of all Palestinian prisoners, including known militants, in exchange for holding hostages held by Hamas.
According to Lubit, who supported the resolution that failed but received support from three Democratic council members in March, a claim made by Lee, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, and Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato that Israel was the starting point for the 7 October attack.
” This is the dangerous situation that many of us in the situation have been trying to convey to elected officials and our neighbors,” Kazzaz said.” The use of violent rhetoric, the misuse of language, and the leaning on age-old antisemitic tropes makes us and our community less safe.
He criticized Democrats for allowing anti-Israel voices in the party by placing pro-Palestinian voters before safety concerns.
Despite Senator Bob Casey’s criticism of Lee’s statement about Israel’s responsibility for the deadliest day since the Holocaust, he maintains his endorsement, causing Jewish Democrats to consider supporting Republican candidate Dave McCormick.
” When]Democrats ] are putting party over country, they are sweeping these dangers under the rug. And these arrests are a reflection of that”, Kazzaz said.
According to the statement,” Jewish hatred can actually turn into actual danger and violence.”
