(Lansdowne, Pennsylvania — February 20, 2026) — StandWithUs strongly condemns the latest in a years-long series of antisemitic attacks against Lansdowne, Pennsylvania Borough Councilman Benjamin Hover. This statement is directed to Lansdowne borough and council leadership, whose continued inaction has allowed this pattern of harassment to persist.
The most recent incident, a mocking caricature shared on social media, utilized classic antisemitic tropes to target Councilman Hover’s religious identity. By blending observant Jewish practice with sainthood iconography and a Jerusalem backdrop, the imagery seeks to other a public official and mock the very pluralism he has championed.
“This is not an isolated incident, but part of a documented, 2.5-year campaign of harassment intended to marginalize a Jewish public servant,” said Julie Paris, Mid-Atlantic Regional Director of StandWithUs. “We are speaking out publicly because leadership silence in the face of repeated antisemitic conduct has allowed this behavior to persist. Using bigoted caricatures to stifle political discourse is a dangerous tactic that creates a hostile environment for the entire community. No public official should be subjected to mockery based on their ethnic or religious heritage.”
Councilman Hover has a proven track record of advocating for all residents, including organizing Martin Luther King, Jr. Day ceremonies and resolutions honoring the local Vietnamese community. His efforts to secure equal recognition for Jewish holidays and Holocaust education, however, have been met with increasing hostility. In January, a resolution for International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which included a commitment to work with the Jewish Federation, was baselessly labeled Zionist propaganda by individuals who continue to target him today.
The use of such imagery falls squarely within the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Working Definition of Antisemitism, which has been adopted by the Pennsylvania Human Rights Commission and includes using symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism to negatively characterize Jews. Borough leadership has a responsibility to uphold these standards and ensure they are reflected in conduct and governance.
StandWithUs calls upon the Mayor and the Lansdowne Borough Council to:
- Issue an unequivocal public condemnation of the antisemitic caricature and the individuals responsible for its circulation.
- Recognize the pattern of harassment that has targeted Councilman Hover for over two years and take immediate steps to ensure a safe, respectful environment for all elected officials.
- Uphold the commitment made in the January Holocaust Remembrance resolution to partner with mainstream Jewish institutions for community education.
“The silence of leadership in the face of such blatant bigotry is seen as an endorsement,” Paris continued. “Failure to act communicates tolerance for antisemitism and undermines the values of pluralism Lansdowne claims to uphold.”
“We stand with Councilman Hover and the Jewish community of Lansdowne in demanding that Lansdowne remain a place where diversity is celebrated, not mocked or weaponized.”
