Election politics in Gaza could result in the removal of a New York Democrat who has harshly criticized Israel.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York, a politician who has been in office for four years after winning a primary against Israel's staunchest supporters in Congress, is currently facing a formidable opponent. The criticism of Israel, which some say puts "Squad" politics ahead of what his district prefers, has contributed significantly to this.
Bowman quickly slammed a ceasefire resolution in the days following October 7, neglecting to mention Hamas or the recovery of Israeli captives. By December, he was protesting outside the White House, increasing his deployment of strong criticisms of actions in Gaza. He has branded Israel an apartheid state and, in footage from a demonstration in November, asserted that accusations of Hamas raping Israeli women during the October 7 attacks were mere "propaganda" and "a lie." (However, a UN report made it clear that Hamas committed such acts.)
His stance has become so contentious that even the progressive pro-Israel organization J Street revoked its endorsement of Bowman in January, as they believed he had gone beyond the appropriate level of vilifying Israel and failing to appropriately blame Hamas.
Many of Bowman's fellow New York Democrats in Congress are increasingly uncertain about his prospects for victory. When CNN inquired, several refused to state that they desired him to win or were prepared to endorse him as the election neared its conclusion on June 25.
His situation has become increasingly complex, with global and national political factors in play as Biden distances himself from Netanyahu and the threat of a large-scale invasion of Rafah looms. Some prominent Democratic operatives freely expressed their disappointment in this state of affairs.
State Senator Shelley Mayer, whose district aligns with the congressional district and had previously backed Bowman, ultimately changed her mind and endorsed Westchester County Executive George Latimer.
Mayer remarked that "it was extremely evident that our congressman had failed to develop that relationship with almost every part of our large Jewish community, and I could not accept that."
"Both personally as a Jew and as an elected official," Mayer explained, "I knew we deserved better."
Bowman's reaction to the war underscores much larger issues, such as setting off a fire alarm in a House building last year and verbal exchanges with Republican counterparts who argue that he's engaging in "Squad"-style politics.
Despite accusations of anti-Israel sentiments due to instances like these, Bowman maintains that "what they don’t understand is us being critical of an ally makes our allies stronger and safer in the long term."
"If we are not critical in a healthy way, it leads to the cycle of violence that we’re in right now," he emphasized. "It’s not criticism for criticism's sake, it’s about how do we govern from the perspective of human rights and diplomacy and justice and ... a free Palestine?"
"We’ve been talking about a two-state solution for how long, man, where’s the Palestinian state?" Bowman inquired. "Let’s do the work."
Bowman's uneven history with Israel support
In 2021, Bowman supported funding for Iron Dome and visited Israel, which prompted the Democratic Socialists of America's New York chapter to consider expelling him. The congressman, exasperated by the situation, allowed his membership to lapse. Despite this, the group has not issued a statement on whether they would back him this time.
Bowman is also promoting Biden's reelection campaign, diverging from Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian American who is unquestionably the most outspoken Israel critic in Washington. Tlaib and Bowman have formed a joint fundraising committee to assist his reelection bid.
Bowman tries to justify his stance on Israel by referring to a poll conducted by his campaign that he claims demonstrates a vast majority in his district support a long-term truce.
"The residents of the district oppose taxpayer dollars and weapons being sent to Israel to continue bombing children in Gaza and causing famine there. Instead, they want that money to be used in their own community for childcare, healthcare, workforce development, and other essential services," explained Bowman.
Despite focusing primarily on guns, education, and climate justice, Israel has become a significant issue in the race due to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) super PAC's plans to spend huge amounts of money against him, with much of the funding coming from MAGA Republicans who he claims seek to undermine democracy. Bowman mentioned that it's a local matter because many Jews in the district are concerned about the situation, while for others, it's a matter of being tired of war and seeing American dollars and arms sent overseas to harm defenseless individuals, especially those of color.
There's concern among some Democratic allies about the potential impact on progressive voters if Bowman is not re-elected. According to Usamah Andrabi, the communications director for the Justice Democrats, who support Bowman and similar candidates, "President Biden needs Jamaal Bowman's supporters more than he needs George Latimer's supporters."
Bowman, a 48-year-old Black man living in Yonkers, and Latimer, a 70-year-old white man from Rye, represent two very different backgrounds and career paths. Bowman was a middle school principal before entering politics four years ago, with his endorsements primarily from Squad members and House Democratic leaders like Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.
Kevin Riley, a Bronx City Councilman, supports Bowman and considers him a "great partner" on local issues. In the northeast Bronx, Israel is rarely discussed with voters, Riley added, yet it has become an issue in other parts of the district due to the stark contrasts among constituents.
"It shouldn't be this way, but when running for office, it often seems that it happens," Riley acknowledged.
Latimer, meanwhile, claims he's not running against Bowman so much as he is running against Bowman's approach of leading a movement or acting as a voice for an identity or demographic group. Latimer, who has been in touch with AIPAC since the summer, entered the race in December as local leaders had long encouraged him to do so, although he states that Bowman is the one who made Israel a central point in the campaign.
When asked about Bowman's claim he's fine with Benjamin Netanyahu staying in power, or specific policies regarding the conflict, Latimer avoided direct responses while emphasizing his support for a two-state solution, which Netanyahu opposes, and criticizing some of the prime minister's internal policies.
"You can't have every member offer their opinion as if they were the secretary of state, responding to events with 'I think Biden should have done this' or 'I heard about this,'" Latimer argued. "The president needs to have a policy that can both reward and punish, using these tactics as part of a negotiation strategy that's not revealed until an agreement is reached."
In his first campaign, Bowman criticized Latimer for allocating too much time discussing foreign policy instead of dealing with district matters. However, Bowman himself didn't shy away from commenting on Israel, stating that Israel has the right to exist, implying he believes Israel has committed war crimes, and adding that Israel's actions fuel antisemitism, which damages the fight against antisemitism.
"It's harmful to our effort against antisemitism because Israel claims to be the state for all Jewish people, and those viewing Israel from the outside see its actions and align it with all Jewish people, and assume they're bad," Bowman stated. "This is what we need to combat."
Driving home from a synagogue gala in Scarsdale, former state assemblywoman Amy Paulin talked to CNN about how many people were eager to meet former Westchester executive George Latimer, a Catholic, in her liberal community. She described it like worshipping a hero.
Paulin also shared her perspective on the race, saying, "I don't know if it's a referendum on Israel, but I do know the Jewish community, from Reform to Orthodox, sees Israel's significance to Jewish history, and Jamaal has limited understanding of that."
The Influence of AIPAC
Latimer hasn't hesitated to showcase his support from AIPAC. He attended their donor event in Washington in January and created a campaign portal through the group to raise funds. However, AIPAC is not the only group joining the fray.
The Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) endorsed Latimer and plans to spend money to boost him. A Westchester-based group, Westchester Unites: Jewish Voters in Action, is making a six-figure investment directly reaching out to thousands of Jewish voters. They'll amplify their efforts with direct mail, digital ads, field organizers, and grassroots events. The National Black Empowerment Action Fund also pledged six figures to mobilize Black voters against Bowman. While AIPAC and DMFI are expected to be the biggest spenders, not all the funds are specifically on Israel.
AIPAC-affiliated PAC United Democracy Project declined to reveal their spending plans but noted several large Democratic donors eager to defeat Bowman.
Outside the Capitol, Bowman met Jeremy Ben-Ami, the executive director of J Street, a pro-Israel left-leaning group. Despite the withdrawn endorsement, they exchanged a friendly hug. However, Ben-Ami played down the significance of the result.
"Republican donors who fund the AIPAC super PAC are excited about this issue, driving a wedge into the Democratic Party," Ben-Ami told CNN. "The majority of Democrats in the House, in the general public, align with J Street, and that'll be the more common position in the Democratic Party."
Maryland Representative Steny Hoyer, an AIPAC ally, brushed off his colleagues being targeted by the group. "AIPAC does what it does," Hoyer said. "I'm with our incumbents."
Hoyer didn't name specific members or discuss Bowman but expressed concern about some colleagues' remarks. "I regret some members who essentially reflect Hamas' views to eliminate Israel and kill Jews."
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Source: edition.cnn.com
