Dem leaders endorse Israel critic Jamaal Bowman after Jewish legislators back rival
The Squad member has accused Israel of ‘genocide’ in its war against Hamas in Gaza, previously asserted evidence and testimony of Hamas rapes during Oct. 7 attacks was ‘propaganda’
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WASHINGTON (JTA) — The three top Democrats in the US House of Representatives endorsed Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a fierce Israeli critic, days after the party’s leading Jewish group endorsed his primary challenger.
The endorsement is not unusual — House leaders in both parties routinely favor incumbents facing tough primary races — but it comes as the New York lawmaker is facing a challenge from a popular local elected official, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, who has blasted Bowman’s Israel rhetoric and recently gained the backing of the Jewish Democratic Council of America.
The endorsement Friday, distributed by Bowman’s campaign, emphasized his local bona fides and did not touch on his condemnations of Israel, which he has accused of “genocide” in its war against Hamas in Gaza.
“Congressman Bowman’s life experiences — raised by a single mom in public housing and founding a public school serving low-income children in the Bronx — have shaped him into a public servant who fights for economic justice and in defense of historically underrepresented communities,” said the statement by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar of California.
Bowman was first elected in 2020 and is part of the Squad, the group of progressive Democratic representatives who are broadly critical of Israel. He represents a district that spans Westchester and part of the Bronx in New York City, and is home to a sizable Jewish community.
The Israel-Hamas war has become a focus of the campaign. Latimer has been firmly supportive of Israel since Hamas’s October 7 attack, in which terrorists slaughtered 1,200 people in southern Israel and seized 253 hostages.
In addition to the “genocide” charge, Bowman recently walked back a statement last year casting doubt on claims that Hamas committed rapes in its October 7 massacre on Israel, which launched the war. He has also lost the endorsement of J Street, the liberal Israel lobby.
The Jewish Democratic Council of America announced its endorsement of Latimer on Thursday alongside 21 other candidates, including New Yorkers Mondaire Jones in the 17th district and Josh Riley in the 19th district.
In a statement, the council’s chair-elect, Susie Stern, called Latimer an ally to Jewish New Yorkers who “resolutely stands behind our community when challenging moments arise, including the current one.”
Latimer hailed the council’s endorsement as well as the group’s support for causes including supporting Israel, fighting antisemitism, combating gun violence and protecting abortion rights.
“As we continue to build our grassroots campaign, their support will be vital for making sure every voice is heard in this critical election,” Latimer said in a statement.
Latimer entered the race in December after months of speculation that he would mount a challenge to Bowman, who was first elected in 2020 and after receiving encouragement from Jewish supporters. He has also nabbed an endorsement from the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC. The Democratic Majority for Israel, an advocacy group, applauded his entry into the race.
Both candidates raised around $1.4 million in the last quarter of 2023.
Bowman, a former middle school principal, unseated longtime incumbent Eliot Engel, who is Jewish, in 2020. His ties with many Jewish constituents had frayed before October 7 due to his criticism of Israel. He angered Jewish voters early in the war by urging a ceasefire on October 16 in a statement that did not mention Hamas, terrorism or Israeli hostages.
The Hamas-run health ministry says over 32,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7. The terror group’s figures are unverified and don’t differentiate between civilians and combatants. Israel has said it has killed some 13,000 Hamas members in Gaza fighting, in addition to some 1,000 killed inside Israel in the aftermath of the terror group’s October 7 invasion and onslaught.
Separate from the war in Gaza, the congressman has faced other controversies in recent months. In January, the Daily Beast reported that Bowman had promoted 9/11 conspiracy theories on his personal blog in 2011. The House formally censured Bowman in December for pulling a fire alarm at the US Capitol, which he said was an accident.
Luke Tress of New York Jewish Week contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.