An elected justice on Pennsylvania's Supreme Court announced Monday evening that he has quit the Democratic Party and reregistered as an independent, driven by deep concerns over antisemitism.

David Wecht, who is Jewish and chaired Pennsylvania's Democratic Party from 1998 to 2001, stated that antisemitism has progressed from the edges of the party into its core.

"Nazi tattoos, jihadist chants, intimidation and attacks at synagogues, and other hateful anti-Jewish rhetoric and actions are minimized, ignored, and even coddled," he wrote. "Acquiescence to Jew-hatred is now disturbingly common among activists, leaders, and even many elected officials in the Democratic Party."

Wecht noted he had long known antisemitism "always festered on the fringe" of the political right - a point driven home in 2018 when a far-right gunman killed 11 at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue, where he and his wife wed in 1998.

"In the years that have followed, that same hatred has grown on the left," he added. "It is the duty of all good people to fight this virus, and to do so before it is too late."

Wecht drew national attention in 2020 for his ruling against efforts to overturn President Joe Biden's Pennsylvania victory.

Through a spokesperson, Wecht declined an interview about leaving the Democratic Party.

Tensions among Democrats over antisemitism

Wecht's statement emerges as Democrats grapple with internal divisions on antisemitism.

The rise of Graham Platner - an oyster farmer who recently concealed a Nazi Totenkopf skull-and-crossbones tattoo - as Maine's Democratic Senate candidate, alongside warmer relations between some progressive politicians and leftist streamer Hasan Piker, who has expressed preference for Hamas over Israel, have alarmed parts of the Jewish community.

Wecht is the son of celebrated forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht, who helped investigate President John F. Kennedy's assassination. His mother, translator Sigrid Ronsdal, lived her first six years under Nazi occupation in Norway.

"I know David and his legendary father, Cyril," tweeted Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, who has sparred with his party over Israel. "As I've affirmed, I'm not changing my Party - but I fully understand David's personal choice. The Democratic Party must confront its own rising antisemitism problem."