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- ADL head on death penalty for Tree of Life gunman: ‘All of us must rebuild’
ADL head on death penalty for Tree of Life gunman: ‘All of us must rebuild’
Robert Bowers was handed sentenced to death for killing 11 Jews and wounding six others at the Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018
The day after a federal jury sentenced to death Robert Bowers – the gunman who killed 11 Jews at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue in 2018 – i24NEWS spoke with Jonathan Greenblatt, director of the Anti-Defamation League, about his reaction to the verdict and how the entire Jewish community remains concerned about anti-Semitism in the United States.
“My heart goes out to the victims’ families, to those who suffered in the community in Pittsburgh,” Greenblatt told i24NEWS. “This verdict will not bring back the 11 people we lost, nor rebuild the sense of sanctity that was forever shattered in that Tree of Life building. It will not mend the fabric of the Jewish community.”
“Our vulnerability was exposed on that day, and yet, this is justice for those people. This shows that our legal system in America will hold accountable those who commit such ugly acts of violence, and for that I am grateful,” he added.
Asked how the community of Pittsburgh is healing from the horrific massacre, Greenblatt said every Jew in the United States must “rebuild.”
“It was an awful moment for the entire Jewish community across America. In a way, all of us need to rebuild, especially in this environment where we've seen anti-Semitic attacks intensify since that horrible day.”
“Unfortunately, we are still dealing with an environment of ugly anti-Semitic rhetoric in the political sphere, and in the public conversation, we see radical white supremacists; we see hardened anti-Zionists,” he continued.
“All of us remain concerned when the kind of rhetoric that led to that awful moment still remains so pervasive in our society today.”
Bowers was convicted of gunning down the Jewish congregants after he stormed the synagogue with a semi-automatic assault-style rifle and three handguns in the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history. He was convicted in June on all 63 charges against him, including 11 counts of hate crimes resulting in death. He offered to plead guilty if the death penalty was taken off the table, but prosecutors turned him down.
The jury's decision on Wednesday was unanimous after deliberating for approximately 10 hours over two days. It could still take years before Bowers is executed in light of the U.S. Justice Department's moratorium on capital punishment.