Pittsburg, PA
Petition for ‘antisemitic’ ballot referendum dropped before judge hears objections
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A petition for a ballot referendum that Jewish organizations call antisemitic was dropped shortly before a judge was expected to hear objections to the case.
It would have prohibited Pittsburgh from doing business with anyone engaged in working with Israel. A judge said this withdrawal came down to the fact that the petitioners did not have the proper amount of valid signatures to put the referendum on the ballot.
“This is about something that was illegal and not appropriate to be on the ballot,” said Jeff Finkelstein, the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.
He referred to a petition for a referendum that sought to prevent the city from funding or engaging with any entity doing business with Israel, until “Israel ends its military action in Gaza.”
It came from a group called ‘No War Crimes On Our Dime,’ with the Pittsburgh Democratic Socialists of America.
Ben Case is one of the leaders.
“This grassroots coalition came together in a matter of weeks this summer on the energy of Pittsburghers who felt this was something we could do to support the people of Palestine and pressure for peace,” Case said.
The federation and other Jewish organizations, with the city controller, filed objections to the referendum, calling it antisemitic.
“If you look at the definition of antisemitism, which is called the IHRA definition, one of the things it talks about is when the State of Israel is held to a higher standard than any other country in the world,” Finkelstein said. “You don’t see any of these groups talking about any country in the world and putting any kinds of sanctions on them. It’s only the State of Israel.”
They also said it is a violation of state law.
“The state has legislation saying that you cannot boycott, divest, or have sanctions against the State of Israel,” Finkelstein said.
Those wanting the ballot question said the county elections office did an initial review of the signatures they submitted and told them the referendum could be on the ballot. Technically, it didn’t have the required number of valid signatures from registered voters in Pittsburgh.
However, both sides say the fight is not over.
“We’ll use every avenue available to us to fight for peace, equality, and justice, from Pittsburgh to Palestine,” Case said.
“This is a community that has persevered, suffered the worst antisemitic attack in American history, and will continue to be strong going forward,” Finkelstein said.
Last week, Mayor Ed Gainey’s office told KDKA-TV that the mayor had serious concerns regarding the implications of the proposed referendum if it were to pass, and wanted to prevent it from becoming part of the home rule charter.
One of Pittsburgh’s biggest goals before hosting the NFL Draft was to modernize Market Square. It is just one of the spaces in the downtown area that is being transformed for the massive event.
Web Editor : Sydney Ross
Posted
2026 NFL Draft Pittsburgh regional transportation plan unveiled
With the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh quickly approaching, city officials and Pittsburgh Regional Transit unveiled its regional transportion plan.
Extensive road closures will be in place around Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium from April 22-25 as the 2026 NFL Draft brings three days of excitement and football fans into the city of Pittsburgh.
During NFL Draft events, the city’s Downtown and North Shore areas will convert to a walkable “Draft Campus,” with motorized traffic limited to Pittsburgh Regional Transit vehicles, the city’s light rail system (the “T”) and other official providers.
Therefore, many streets into and around the “Draft Campus” are closed to vehicle traffic starting April 22. Traffic patterns will be adjusted to allow Pirates fans to access PNC Park for baseball games held during the road closures, according to NFLDraftPittsburgh.com.
In addition to these streets, the Interstate 279 and Interstate 579 High Occupancy Vehicle lanes into the city are closed to vehicle traffic all week; only authorized bus traffic and emergency vehicles will be permitted to use those lanes.
People planning to use the Beaver County Transit Authority bus to reach downtown Pittsburgh for the NFL Draft events can find more information about the authority’s bus service plans on the BCTA website.
Here is the list of road closures in place from April 22-25, according to NFLDraftPittsburgh.com, which has a complete guide to getting into and around the city during NFL Draft events.
- Art Rooney Avenue
- West General Robinson Street to Tony Dorsett Drive
- Scotland Avenue
- Casino Drive, from Sproat Way
- North Shore Drive, from Chuck Noll Way
- Reedsdale Street to Tony Dorsett Drive
- Chuck Noll Way
- Tony Dorsett Drive
- Sproat Way
- Allegheny Avenue from Ridge Avenue
- North Shore Drive, from Chuck Noll Way to Mazeroski Way
- Mazeroski Way
- West General Robinson Street
- Lacock Street, from Federal Street
- Federal Street, from Lacock Street
- Merchant Street
- I-279 southbound exit 1B ramp
- I-279 northbound exit 1B ramp
- Route 65 southbound ramp to Fort Duquesne
- Route 65 northbound ramp from Fort Duquesne Bridge
- T1 ramp from Reedsdale Street and Ridge Avenue
- Sixth Street Bridge, aka the Roberto Clemente Bridge
- Seventh Street Bridge, aka the Andy Warhol Bridge
- Isabella Street
- Sixth Street
- Fort Pitt on ramp, from 10th Street Bypass and Fort Duquesne Boulevard
- Commonwealth Place
- Liberty Avenue extension
- Penn Avenue, from Stanwix Street to 9th Street
- Liberty Avenue/PPG Paints Arena exit off the Fort Pitt Bridge
- Smithfield Street Bridge
Pennsylvania’s 511PA.com online transportation website will feature a special NFL webpage providing real-time traffic information in and around the city during the NFL Draft.
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