State Rep. Dan Frankel has been targeted by antisemitic threats on Gab

HARRISBURG — State Rep. Dan Frankel has become the latest target of antisemitic threats on the same social media platform used by the man who is charged with the murder of 11 Jews in 2018 at the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill — the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.

Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill, has become the subject of threats and derogatory comments on Gab. Gab is widely viewed as a platform used by white nationalists and other far-right extremists. The suspect in the 2018 Tree of Life attack used the site to post neo-Nazi propaganda and to call for violence against Jews.

The threats against Frankel, first reported by the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, began to surface on Gab after Frankel participated in several press conferences last month to criticize state Sen. Doug Mastriano’s usage of the platform as part of his campaign for governor. A member of Frankel’s staff discovered the posts recently as part of a search of the site, Frankel said.

“I’m certainly not unique,” Frankel said. “Clearly, this website has been a platform for spreading hatred, particularly antisemitism, for years.”

Mastriano received criticism last month for his campaign’s payment of $5,000 to Gab for “consulting fees,” according to campaign finance records. As part of this payment, all new accounts on the platform would automatically follow Mastriano. Mastriano is the GOP gubernatorial nominee. His Democratic opponent is state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish.

» READ MORE: A Jewish Republican group is denouncing Doug Mastriano’s links to an extremist social-media site

Following weeks of criticism, Mastriano quietly closed his Gab account and said he rejected “anti-Semitism in any form,” according to his July 28 statement.

The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police has been alerted to the threats, Frankel said, and a number of additional security measures have been added to ensure the safety of him and his staff.

Over Frankel’s 23 years in the state House of Representatives, he said he’s received “occasional” antisemitic threats. But it wasn’t until the last six years that he’s seen the number of threats against him and Jewish people increase.

“Those kind of repressed feelings of hatred and bigotry have kind of been released,” Frankel said. “It’s like lifting the lid off of Pandora’s Box.”

After the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle published its story, Gab’s founder Andrew Torba shared the story to his profile. All accounts automatically follow Torba.

“Whine more. Seeth more. Free speech lives here on Gab and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Including ‘offensive’ memes and words,” Torba wrote.

In response, more than a dozen Gab accounts posted antisemitic threats, slurs or images in comments and reposts of the article.

Shawn Brokos, the director of Jewish Community Security for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, said her organization is monitoring the derogatory posts on Gab and collaborating with law enforcement.

“It’s certainly very disheartening to see and very concerning, but it is in line with what we’re seeing here in Pittsburgh as well as around the country with escalating antisemitism, the tropes and derogatory rhetoric that we’ve certainly seen escalate over the past two years,” Brokos added.

Pennsylvania ranked No. 1 in the nation for hate propaganda last year, according to a report released this year from the Anti-Defamation League. Hate crimes doubled in the state between 2019 and 2020, and reached a 14-year high.

Both Frankel and Brokos noted the connection between hate speech and violence.

“The concern is always that somebody will see that and it will serve as a call to action,” Brokos said.

In an interview Monday, Frankel continued to criticize Mastriano’s previous embrace of Gab and acceptance of hate speech.

“In my view, those who utilize this platform basically embrace the bigotry, the antisemitism, the hatred that is constantly been written [there],” Frankel added.

Mastriano’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Despite the threats, Frankel said he is not backing down.

“I believe it’s my responsibility as an elected official in this community that has elected me for the last quarter of a century to stand up to this form of intolerance,” Frankel added. “I will not be silenced or intimidated by these antisemitic posts.”