(Jewish Group) Gunman used social media to attack Jews before deadly Pittsburgh synagogue shooting,

[Behind the Aegis]

Gunman used social media to attack Jews before deadly Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, jurors learn

A gunman who killed 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue ranted incessantly on social media about his hatred of Jewish people before the 2018 attack, according to evidence introduced at his federal death penalty trial on Tuesday.

Prosecutors are trying to show Robert Bowers was motivated by extreme hostility toward Jews when he opened fire at the Tree of Life synagogue during Sabbath services and committed the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.

The 50-year-old truck driver is charged with 63 criminal counts, including hate crimes resulting in death and the obstruction of the free exercise of religion resulting in death. Some of the charges carry a potential death sentence.

Prosecutors said they planned to wrap up their case Wednesday afternoon. It wasn't clear if the defense planned to call any witnesses.


This photo of bullet-damaged prayer book in the Tree of Life synagogue building in Pittsburgh was entered May 30, 2023, as a court exhibit by prosecutors in the federal trial of Robert Bowers. He faces multiple charges in the killing of 11 worshippers from three congregations and the wounding of seven worshippers and police officers in the building on Oct. 27, 2018. The charges include the obstruction of the free exercise of religion, resulting in death. (U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania via AP)
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[elleng]

1. During the period when Jewish law operated as a secular as well as a religious jurisdiction,

Jewish courts very rarely imposed the death penalty .

Although they seem clear these texts are commonly misunderstood.

To really understand Jewish law one must not only read the Torah but consult the Talmud, an elaboration and interpretation by rabbinical scholars of the laws and commandments of the Torah.

The rabbis who wrote the Talmud created such a forest of barriers to actually using the death penalty that in practical terms it was almost impossible to punish anyone by death.

The rabbis did this with various devices: . .

The result of this is that there are very few examples of people being executed by Jewish law in rabbinic times.'>

https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/jewishethics/capital.shtml