NEW YORK – Following the decision of a Pittsburgh jury to find the individual who killed 11 Jewish worshippers at Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill guilty of 63 charges, Amb. Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, released the following statement:
“The Pittsburgh jury’s conviction of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooter on all 63 charges against him, including 11 counts of hate crimes resulting in death, is a vindication of the American system of justice. It is also an unmistakable reminder of Jew hatred and racial bigotry left unchecked.
“Society cannot remain complacent and only care about the lives of Jews after an atrocity has been committed. We call on all federal, state, and municipal law enforcement agencies to take all necessary measures to protect synagogues and other Jewish institutions across the United States from any similar tragedy.
“In the memory of those lives lost, may a dark day never be repeated.”