Several members of the Squad — including Reps. Ilhan Omar, Jamaal Bowman, and Cori Bush — are facing serious primary threats this year for their anti-Israel activism. Yet they are not backing down. In fact, they are intensifying their support for the anti-Israel protests that are rocking the country, even as an increasingly large segment of the nation is opposed to the protest movement’s illegal tactics and anti-Semitic rhetoric.
Omar dialed up the controversy significantly this week when she accused Jewish students at Columbia University of being “pro-genocide.”
Speaking in reference to the Jewish students who are participating in the encampment at Columbia and those who are not, she said, “I think it is really unfortunate that people don’t care about the fact that all Jewish kids should be kept safe, and that we should not have to tolerate antisemitism or bigotry for all Jewish students, whether they’re pro-genocide or anti-genocide.”
The executive director of the Anti-Defamation League, Jonathan Greenblatt, responded to this accusation by saying: “It is abhorrent that a sitting member of Congress would slander an entire group of young people in such a cold, calculated manner. This is how people get killed.” Today, Axios reported that Omar is now facing the threat of a censure for those comments from Republican Rep. Don Bacon.
Yet the threat greater than censure that Omar faces as a result of these comments is Minnesota’s primary on Aug. 13. Don Samuels — who lost to her by only 2 percentage points, or less than 2,500 votes, in 2022 — is back for another showdown. And Samuels is taking full advantage of Omar’s inflammatory rhetoric. On Sunday, he sharply criticized her claim that Jewish students were supporting genocide, writing:
You can disagree with the Israeli government while standing with the Jewish community. You can call out antisemitism without labeling Jewish students you disagree with as “pro-genocide”. And, instead of embracing him, you could condemn the words of the student leader who said “Zionists don’t deserve to live.”
You didn’t, and instead of apologizing, you’re doubling down. Our district needs new leadership.
Fellow Squad member Jamaal Bowman is facing an even more acute threat than Omar in the form of Democrat George Latimer. The most recent poll for June’s Democratic primary in New York’s 16th congressional district placed Bowman a full 17 percentage points behind Latimer. To make the situation all the worse for Bowman, Latimer is being assisted with extensive funding from two pro-Israel groups, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the Democratic Majority for Israel PAC.
You may think that, with such a threat on the horizon, Bowman would dial back rhetoric in support of anti-Israel radicals. However, the opposite is the case. In response to the protests at Columbia University, Bowman has accused the university’s administration of “suppress[ing] fundamental freedoms of expression.” He said in a press conference, “They seem to be folding to pressure from a right wing Congress’ weaponizing of the unfolding events in the Middle East as a means to suppress fundamental freedoms of expression.”
Then, Bowman was “duped” by the parody “Chief Rabbi of Gaza” social media account that makes fun of radical anti-Israel activists with satirical anti-Israel commentary. When “Rabbi Goldstein” told Bowman, “I would love to host a fundraiser for you,” Bowman’s account responded: “Thank you! How do we get in touch with you?” A follow-up message from Bowman’s team sought to connect “Rabbi Goldstein” with “a member of our finance team.”
Missouri’s Cori Bush is likewise facing a primary challenger backed by both the AIPAC and the Democratic Majority for Israel PAC. In the most recent poll in that primary race, from February, Bush registered 28 percent support compared to her challenger Wesley Bell’s 50 percent support. In large part due to Bell’s support from pro-Israel organizations, he “has more than twice as much as cash on hand” as Bush, according to the most recent FEC campaign filings.
In concert with Omar and Bowman, Bush has continued to back the anti-Israel protests with adamancy. Last week, while expressing her support for the anti-Israel protests, she accused the Israeli government of perpetuating a “genocide” against civilians. “[Y]oung folks on college campuses across our country are standing up & speaking out for what‘s right: ending the Israeli government’s genocide of Palestinians,” she said on X. Bush continued by arguing that it is “unconscionable” that “public officials have chosen to condemn, ridicule & belittle student activists for being outraged that their tax & tuition dollars are used to fund these atrocities.”
For now, AIPAC is not backing primary challenges against other members of the Squad, but the organization’s spokesman, Marshall Wittmann, told the Hill that it is “evaluating other primary races involving detractors of the U.S.-Israel relationship.” That could potentially include getting involved in Omar’s primary race in Minnesota’s 5th congressional district. Involvement in other Squad races is less likely, as it appears that Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib — who represents heavily Muslim Dearborn — and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are safe this cycle.
Tlaib’s all-but-assured victory comes despite the fact that she has engaged in perhaps the most inflammatory anti-Israel rhetoric of any member of the Squad. Last November, she was censured for defending the chant “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” Then, earlier this month, she refused to condemn the chants of “Death to America” that took place at a protest in her district when prompted to do so. When a Fox News reporter asked her to condemn those chants, she said, “I don’t talk to Fox News,” and claimed the network was using “racist tropes.” When the reporter continued to prompt her, asking, “Is chanting death to America racist?” Tlaib responded: “I’m talking about your guys’ racist tropes. You guys know exactly what you do. I know you’re Islamophobic.” In response to all the happenings at Columbia University, Tlaib attacked universities for shutting down encampments and claimed students were protesting “genocide.” She said on X: “From UM to Vanderbilt to USC to Columbia, students across our country are being retaliated against for using their constitutional rights to protest genocide. It’s appalling.”
Ocasio-Cortez, for her part, has referred to the anti-Israel protests at universities as “Palestinian human rights protests” and claimed that there have been “asymmetric crackdowns” against them.
Even in spite of the serious ouster threats against them — and growing opposition to their support for the anti-Israel protests — members of the Squad are feeling better about their reelection prospects. That’s because fellow Squad member Rep. Summer Lee achieved victory last week in a closely watched primary race that pitted her against a pro-Israel challenger, Bhavini Patel.
In her victory speech, Lee stressed that her fellow Squad members should carry the momentum from her victory into their own races. “We got this victory here in Pittsburgh, but this is just the first step. This was the first race,” she said. “So we gotta make sure that we have the same energy and we pick it up and we take it over to New York next. And when we’re done with Jamaal Bowman, we’re heading over to St. Louis, where we’ll make sure … Cori Bush gets over the finish line.”
The question is how far Reps. Ilhan Omar, Jamaal Bowman, and Cori Bush can push their rhetoric while still holding onto their seats.
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