III
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 231
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 5, 2019
Ms. Harris (for herself and Mrs. Feinstein) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
June 13, 2019
Committee discharged; considered and agreed to
RESOLUTION
Condemning the horrific anti-Semitic attack on the Chabad of Poway Synagogue near San Diego, California, on April 27, 2019.
Whereas, on April 27, 2019, a 19-year-old armed with an assault rifle attacked the Chabad of Poway Synagogue near San Diego, California, while congregants were celebrating the last day of the Passover holiday;
Whereas the gunman wounded Almog Peretz, Noya Dahan, and Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein;
Whereas Lori Gilbert Kaye, a founding member of the congregation, was killed while bravely saving the life of Rabbi Goldstein;
Whereas, in describing the attack, Rabbi Goldstein said—
… Lori took the bullet for all of us. She died to protect all of us
; and
This is Lori. This is her legacy, and her legacy will continue. It could have been so much worse.
;
Whereas Oscar Stewart, a veteran of the Army, and Jonathan Morales, a border patrol agent, bravely fought back, running toward the perpetrator of the attack;
Whereas law enforcement and first responders, including the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, acted quickly and professionally to respond to the attack and care for the victims;
Whereas the perpetrator of the attack, who expressed White supremacist and White nationalist sentiments, entered the synagogue shouting anti-Semitic slurs;
Whereas the attack occurred 6 months to the day after the attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which killed 11 innocent people and injured 6 others, including 4 law enforcement officers;
Whereas anti-Semitism is an age-old form of prejudice, discrimination, persecution, and marginalization of Jewish people that runs counter to the values of the United States;
Whereas, according to an annual audit conducted by the Anti-Defamation League, in 2018—
anti-Semitic incidents remained at near-historic levels in the United States; and
the number of anti-Semitic incidents with known connections to extremists or inspired by extremist ideology reached the highest levels since 2004;
Whereas, in a manifesto attributed to the perpetrator of the attack, the perpetrator of the attack claimed responsibility for the burning of a mosque in Escondido, California, and demonstrated anti-Muslim bias;
Whereas growing White supremacy and White nationalism is—
a threat to the security of the United States; and
antithetical to the American values of dignity and respect of all people, including Jewish, Muslim, Black, Latino, Asian American, immigrant, and LGBTQ peoples; and
Whereas hate has no place in the United States and there is a duty to condemn all forms of hatred: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
condemns the horrific anti-Semitic attack on the Chabad of Poway Synagogue near San Diego, California, on April 27, 2019, which killed 1 individual and injured 3 others;
honors the memory of Lori Gilbert Kaye, who was killed in the attack;
expresses hope for a full and speedy recovery for the individuals injured in the attack;
offers heartfelt condolences to—
the Chabad of Poway congregation;
the San Diego area Jewish community; and
the friends and family of those individuals affected by the tragedy;
recognizes the dedicated service of the law enforcement emergency response officials and medical professionals who responded to the attack and cared for the victims; and
reaffirms the commitment of the United States to condemn—
anti-Semitism;
White supremacy;
White nationalism; and
all forms of hatred.