Changing Israel positions test NY House race

ALBANY, New York — Rep. Jamaal Bowman, an outspoken Israel critic, has made calls to end the war in Gaza a central theme of his House primary near New York City. His opponent, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, is backed by pro-Israel groups and has largely sided with the country through the conflict.

But the ongoing humanitarian disaster in Gaza, and events like the killing of World Central Kitchen relief workers, are changing the dynamics of the race — testing the limits of Democratic support from even a stalwart backer of the Israeli government.

Latimer called the bombing deaths of seven aid workers a “horrific incident” in an interview with POLITICO, stopping just short of outright criticism of Israel.

“It’s a horrible thing that happened, and it shouldn’t have happened,” he said last week. “But whether or not there was a purposeful element to it has to be seen.”

It was the latest incident in the war to draw international condemnation and came after the recent disapproval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Latimer’s broad support for Israel has shown no signs of shifting since he launched his campaign in New York’s 16th Congressional District, which is made up of a mix of affluent white-collar enclaves and working-class urban neighborhoods in Westchester and the Bronx.

But like many prominent Democrats, Latimer is adjusting his rhetoric as the war continues, calling into question the durability of holding a pro-Israel stance in the closely watched June 25 primary.

Latimer’s allies say the primary has always been about more than just Israel policy, citing Bowman’s vote against an infrastructure spending package and his pulling of a Capitol office building’s fire alarm. They believe voters have already made up their minds about Israel and few can be persuaded.

Yet the war and the candidates’ evolving strategies in public and behind the scenes show the tightrope both Latimer and Bowman have to walk in the fiery intraparty fight in one of the nation’s largest Jewish districts — and the potential upside for Bowman as party leaders begin to moderate their support of Israel.

“What it shows is the growing fissure in the Democratic Party between AIPAC [American Israel Public Affairs Committee], its Republican mega-donors and the 100 to 200 Republicans they endorse that oppose core Democratic values, like elections and abortion rights,” Usamah Andrabi, a spokesperson for the left-leaning Justice Democrats, an activist group in New York, said.

Latimer, a veteran suburban politician, initially built his primary challenge in part as a contrast to Bowman over Israel. He traveled to the country following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack weeks before formally launching his long-expected bid for the Democratic nomination.

And prior to his careful remarks this week, he has shown no sign he will dial back his stance even as prominent Democrats across the party’s ideological spectrum — from Schumer to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — have been emboldened to criticize how the Israeli government is conducting the war.

Latimer’s position has come with the financial backing of major pro-Israel groups, including AIPAC, and the endorsement of Democratic Majority for Israel political action committee.

David Weprin, a Queens state assemblymember and Latimer supporter, said Latimer’s staunch backing for the country is the reason why he’s getting “so much support from the pro-Israel community.”

“I think he’s been consistent,” Weprin said. “We’re all concerned about innocent lives. But that doesn’t change the facts. Israel was attacked and is defending themselves. They’re doing everything they can to eradicate Hamas.”

But for Bowman and his allies, the changing views of the war within the party is a signal his left-leaning views of Israel are closer to the mainstream, he and his campaign said. And Bowman is trying to turn the support Latimer has received from pro-Israel organizations into a negative by accusing him of being aligned more with Republicans than key Democrats.

Fellow Squad member Ocasio-Cortez accused Israeli leaders of genocide — criticism Bowman shares.

Schumer’s stunning rebuke of Netanyahu and call for new elections in particular upended the primary, and Bowman embraced the admonishment of the Netanyahu-led government by America’s highest-ranking Jewish elected official and a fellow New Yorker.

Bowman has seized on the speech as a sign that he is closer to the prevailing attitude among Democratic voters that the war must end.

“I'm aligned with our constituents,” Bowman said in an interview with POLITICO. “Senator Schumer is aligned with our constituents. And that is just the truth of the matter.”

Schumer’s office did not comment.

Latimer has stayed clear of commenting on Schumer’s address, underscoring how fast-moving public opinion over the war has become.

“I’m not going to add my voice in any way that agitates one side or the other if the goal is to find peace,” Latimer said. “It may take a longer time than I am on this planet.”

That stance has not put Latimer at odds with AIPAC’s low-key, yet critical, reaction to the Schumer speech.

“We strongly endorse and support George Latimer,” AIPAC spokesperson Marshall Wittmann told POLITICO. But Wittmann did not respond to questions over whether AIPAC can still endorse candidates who back Schumer's position.

Still, Latimer emphasized how he believes Bowman’s views and those of his left-leaning allies on Israel are out of touch with the district.

“I think you have some individuals whether it’s The Squad or whoever it is that define themselves as hostile to Israel,” Latimer said. “They’ve said things like ‘free Palestine, river to the sea’ — that’s an extreme position from some people who identify themselves as Democrats, but it’s not a mainstream position.”

Democrats in New York have historically been among the nation’s most vocal supporters of Israel. Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul traveled there soon after the attack by Hamas. Rep. Ritchie Torres of the Bronx has also praised Israel as a tolerant liberal democracy.

An ascendant left-leaning wing within the party in New York and nationally has taken a more critical view, and Bowman is among them. That’s why moderate Democrats wanted Latimer, who has never lost an election in his career, to run.

“It’s about the DSA versus what we can call the regular Democratic Party,” Democratic consultant Hank Sheinkopf said, referring to the Democratic Socialists of America. “It’s about pro-cop versus anti-law enforcement. It’s about the far left versus the deep center.”

Major public polling is yet to be conducted in the race, and the seat is a safe one for Democrats in November.

But even in New York, views on Israel are shifting.

A statewide Siena College poll in February found Democratic voters were virtually split over sending additional military and economic aid to Israel, with 44 percent in support. In October following the attack, it found 57 percent of Democrats backed aid to Israel.

Bowman, first elected in 2020, has regularly decried the war’s impact on civilians in Gaza.

Bowman and his allies have also highlighted the support Latimer has received in the race from the AIPAC, the prominent pro-Israel organization that is pouring $100 million into races this election year to defeat left-leaning candidates and those not staunchly in support of Israel.

The group has contributed more than $600,000 to Latimer’s campaign as of February, federal election filings show.

Bowman, in the interview, accused Latimer of being “a tool of AIPAC.”

“My opponent has decided to align himself with GOP mega-donors instead of the Senate majority leader from New York, who is the leader of our party in the United States Senate. I guess my opponent has made that decision,” Bowman said.

There’s a fine line for the candidates.

Bowman, who defeated incumbent Rep. Eliot Engel in a Democratic primary in 2020, had to walk back heated comments, which included casting doubt on reports that Israeli women were raped during the attack by Hamas. He subsequently called the sexual violence “a reprehensible fact that I condemn entirely.”

Even with his opponent’s missteps, Latimer believes the outcome of the race will not be solely fixed on Israel. Bowman has amassed a record they expect will be at odds with voters, Latimer supporters said.

Assemblymember Amy Paulin, a Latimer ally, expects voters will also weigh Bowman’s voting record and his presence in the district, which she said has been lacking.

“This is a primary, so even if George wasn’t perfect Israel in the mind of someone, he’s certainly going to be a lot more perfect than the congressman who has been increasingly anti-Israel, increasingly against the Jewish community,” Paulin said.

Emily Ngo contributed to this report. 

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article misstated the year Rep. Jamaal Bowman was elected to Congress. Bowman was elected to Congress in 2020.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article misstated the district Assemblymember David Weprin represents. Weprin represents Queens.