Pittsburgh Honors Synagogue Shooting Victims and Combats Hate with Global Summit

Three years ago, the deadliest attack on Jews in the United States occurred at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh when a gunman motivated by antisemitic conspiracy theories opened fire on worshippers, killing 11 people and injuring six others.

To honor the victims’ memories and to prevent further acts of hate and violent extremism against racial or ethnic minorities, members of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community collaborated with businesses and foundations to organize the “Eradicate Hate Global Summit”  on October 18-20. More than 400 policy makers, practitioners, and researchers across the United States, Canada, and Europe attended the event, with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas providing remarks about the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to counter domestic terrorism, including racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism (REMVE).

The U.S. Department of State, in coordination with our interagency counterparts, is using every diplomatic tool at our disposal to address the international aspects of these threats. As Secretary Antony Blinken said at the Malmo International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism on October 13, “It’s as important as ever that we stay vigilant and relentless in the fight against antisemitism and hate, as individuals, countries, and coalitions of countries standing together.”

In addition to speaking at the Eradicate Hate Global Summit, the Bureau of Counterterrorism has directly and indirectly supported engagement with local government officials and community members from Pittsburgh since the attack on the Tree of Life synagogue.

Within days of the shooting, members of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City visited survivors in the hospital. These individuals were themselves targeted in a deadly shooting in 2017. One World Strong, an NGO formed by survivors of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, facilitated the delegation’s trip to Pittsburgh. U.S. Consulate General Quebec City had sponsored One World Strong’s visit to Quebec City in January 2018 to commemorate the one-year anniversary of that attack, with survivors from Quebec City then becoming active members of the One World Strong network.

In 2019, Pittsburgh joined the State Department-supported Strong Cities Network (SCN), which includes 150 members across 40 countries and six continents. Through trainings, exchanges, and other engagements, Pittsburgh and other SCN members share lessons learned and best practices on preventing and countering violent extremism. Pittsburgh was one of several cities around the world featured in the “Responding to a Terror Attack: A Strong Cities Toolkit,” published earlier this year. The report includes insights from Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto, who noted how every decision he made in response to the attack on the Tree of Life synagogue focused on the interests of the survivors, the victims, and their families.

Mayor Peduto has also participated in several SCN virtual events this year, including January’s discussion with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama on how kind and compassionate leadership can be used as a tool to counter hate and polarization. This discussion focused on the examples mayors can set by engaging in interfaith dialogue and empowering minority communities.

As highlighted above, the “Eradicate Hate Global Summit” was just the latest in an ongoing series of engagements with stakeholders from Pittsburgh. Through SCN and exchange programs, such as the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), the State Department will continue to explore opportunities to connect Pittsburgh and other U.S. cities impacted by violent extremism with counterparts from around the world.

About the Author: Michael Duffin is a senior advisor for countering violent extremism at the Bureau of Counterterrorism at the U.S. Department of State.