Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court David Wecht announced that he is leaving the Democratic Party and registering as an independent, citing what he described as rising antisemitism within the party, according to a report by Politico.
Wecht, who was elected to the state Supreme Court as a Democrat in 2015, said in a statement that there is a “tolerance for Jew-hatred" that is becoming increasingly common among activists, leaders, and elected officials in the party.
According to Wecht, he previously viewed antisemitism as primarily existing on the far right of the political spectrum, particularly following the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh.
However, he argued that the hatred has since spread to the political left as well. “Increasingly, it has moved from the fringe to the mainstream," Wecht said, calling for efforts to combat antisemitism “before it is too late."
The Pennsylvania Democratic Party did not respond to his remarks.