Pa. Justice Wecht leaves Democratic Party

"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."

Context: Wecht grew up in Pittsburgh and was married at the Tree of Life synagogue, where he also served as a board member. He previously served as vice chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.

• He also cited the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting in his statement and noted that "Jew-hatred has always festered on the fringe" of the right.
• He criticized Democrats' response when Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) was accused of antisemitic speech in 2019, and said in the same interview that antisemitism and anti-Zionism are interchangeable.

Between the lines: Justices on Pennsylvania's highest court are elected under parties, but must maintain independence in their judicial role.

• Wecht ran for reelection last year and was retained by voters for another 10-year term.