Jews were key to Dave McCormicks win in Pa. after he stood up for Israel and against antisemitism
On Thursday night, Sen.Bob Casey finally did what he should have done the day after the election: He called Dave McCormick and conceded. It was an upset Casey didn’t expect and struggled to accept; the race was a Rocky-like story for Pennsylvania Republicans.How did McCormick pull it off? In a year where moral clarity in the fight against antisemitism and outspoken support of Israel was too often viewed as controversial, McCormick’s bold approach was critical.For over a year, the race has been deeply personal for me.
On the morning of Oct.7, 2023, I spoke with Dave and was struck by his clear thinking, excellent questions and sincere desire to understand the full scope of the crisis. From that day on, I volunteered my time and committed resources to support Dave and his campaign.Throughout that fall, Dave confronted antisemitism in Pennsylvania with moral clarity and strong leadership. In a scene reminiscent of 1930s Germany, in early December, a group of pro-Hamas protesters stood outside a Philadelphia restaurant owned by an Israeli-American and chanted “Goldie, Goldie, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.”Dave immediately responded on X: “This ‘protest’ is despicable — antisemitism, plain and simple. I call on everyone who cares about our Jewish community to support Goldie’s.
There are more supporters who care than antisemites who hate.”That evening, Dave and his team invited a group of local Jewish leaders to dine with him the next day at the restaurant.Notably, he did not make a press event or photo-op out of the visit. He simply wanted to support the restaurant and Jewish community.A few days later, when the University of Pennsylvania’s president could not clearly condemn calls for the genocide of Jews, Casey was silent. But Dave immediately called for her resignation, the first statewide leader to do so. The now-senator-elect, his wife Dina and their senior team also visited Israel personally in January to bear wit...