Newly Elected Rep. Christopher Rabb Dodges Questions on Anti-Jewish Business Boycott

Here are the facts. A newly elected Democratic socialist congressman from Philadelphia refused to answer questions about a boycott specifically targeting Jewish-owned businesses in his district, even as prominent Pennsylvania Democrats from across the political spectrum condemned the demonstration. The timing makes this even more egregious: the boycott occurred on the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Nazi-organized pogrom against Jewish businesses and synagogues in 1938.

Representative-elect Christopher Rabb, who currently serves part of Northwest Philadelphia in the state House, received multiple requests for comment about the boycott, which drew a massive counterprotest in support of Jewish residents and businesses in Rittenhouse Square. His office acknowledged the inquiry and the deadline for response. He chose silence.

Over the weekend, the left-wing cycling group Philly Bike on Your Left organized a boycott targeting Jewish-owned businesses in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square neighborhood. The flyers promoting this event carried slogans including "No business for Zionists" and "Not in our city." Let us be clear about what this means: they targeted businesses not because of any action by the business owners themselves, but because those owners are Jewish. This is textbook antisemitism dressed up in political language.

Rabb has established himself as an outspoken critic of Israel. He previously declared that the "Nakba never ended," referring to the displacement of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. He has appeared with anti-Israel streamer Hasan Piker, called for Pennsylvania and the federal government to divest from Israel, and participated in protests labeling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "war criminal" outside the United Nations.

The congressman’s silence stands in stark contrast to the response from other Pennsylvania Democrats. Governor Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, condemned the boycott. So did Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson and Senator John Fetterman. Even progressive Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, hardly a right-wing figure, noted the boycott’s proximity to the Kristallnacht anniversary and emphasized that the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel was a "terrorist attack."

Krasner made a salient point that bears repeating. He argued there is a fundamental difference between criticizing a country’s leadership and holding all members of an ethnic or religious group responsible for that government’s actions. He compared criticism of Netanyahu to opposition to President Trump, asking whether all Americans should be blamed for Trump’s actions. He also noted that legitimate demonstrations should not include epithets like "ZioBusiness," which he compared to rhetoric used by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke.

The Philadelphia chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America denied organizing the demonstration but then proceeded to attack Democrats who condemned it. The group accused Shapiro, Johnson, and Representative Brendan Boyle of engaging in "bad-faith and dangerous conflation of antisemitism with anti-Zionism" and claimed that Kristallnacht comparisons "trivialize trauma and suppress political speech."

This response reveals the intellectual bankruptcy of the far left on this issue. Targeting businesses because their owners are Jewish is not anti-Zionism. It is antisemitism. The fact that this occurred on the anniversary of Kristallnacht, when Nazi brownshirts destroyed Jewish businesses across Germany and Austria, makes the parallel impossible to ignore.

Boyle issued a clear statement condemning the planned boycott. He noted that targeting local businesses simply because they are Jewish-owned is antisemitism that evokes the darkest chapters of history, including Nazi boycotts of Jewish businesses in the 1930s and Kristallnacht itself.

Rabb will soon represent a much larger portion of Philadelphia in Congress, including Center City and Rittenhouse Square, where this boycott took place. His constituents deserve to know where he stands. Does he support targeting Jewish-owned businesses? Does he believe business owners should be held responsible for the actions of the Israeli government? Does he agree with his fellow Democrats who condemned this demonstration?

The silence speaks volumes. When given multiple opportunities to condemn clear antisemitism, Rabb chose to say nothing. That is a choice, and it tells you everything you need to know.