Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s (D-NY) progressive stance on the Israel-Hamas war has cost the pro-Palestinian New Yorker another endorsement during his reelection campaign in Westchester County.
Former New York Rep. Mondaire Jones announced Monday his intentions to endorse Bowman’s Democratic opponent, George Latimer, ahead of the primary on June 25. His decision could mark the end of the New Yorkers’ political relationship, while revealing the deeper split in the Democratic Party over the Middle Eastern conflict.
The difference between Bowman and Latimer came into focus during their primary debate in May.
Both candidates were asked if they considered “the phrase ‘from the river to the sea’ hate speech and/or advocating for the eradication of Israel.”
Bowman said, “I do not.”
Latimer told the audience, “I think it is hate speech.”
Jones and Bowman’s unique relationship caught the nation’s eye in 2020 when both New Yorkers won their congressional races, becoming the first two African American men to represent Westchester County in Congress.
Jones’s announcement has been a long time coming. Since Hamas’s attack on Israel in October of last year, the two lawmakers have repeatedly been at odds over the Middle Eastern conflict.
As one of the most progressive lawmakers in Congress, Bowman was one of the first to call for a ceasefire after Hamas attacked Israel and believes the nation’s acts of self-defense amount to genocide. At one point, he called evidence that Hamas raped and sexually abused its victims “propaganda.”
In October, Bowman voted against a bipartisan resolution condemning Hamas’s attack and affirming Israel’s right to self-defense. The resolution, which passed both chambers by an overwhelming margin, followed Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel in October, where terrorists murdered over 1,200 civilians, including women and children.
Bowman was one of only nine Democrats and one Republican who voted no on the resolution, including fellow “Squad” Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Summer Lee (D-PA), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Cori Bush (D-MO), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI).
Bowman’s legislative actions on the Israel-Hamas conflict come despite his district’s large Jewish population.
During the primary debate in May, the black progressive’s challenger, Latimer, noted that Westchester County “includes one of the highest concentration of Jewish residents [and] has one of New York’s highest concentration of Jewish residents.”
He added, “We’ve seen Israel created 75 years ago as a valid country. It has a right to exist. And it has a right to exist with defensible borders.”
More black voters appear to be taking up Latimer and Jones’s case that Bowman is too progressive for Westchester. Last week, the National Black Empowerment Action Fund donated $500,000 to Latimer’s campaign.
Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel’s son has also joined the calls for Bowman’s removal. Last week, Elisha Wiesel denounced Bowman in an ad campaign targeting the New York representative for his stance on antisemitism.
“My father taught me that antisemitism begins with lies and conspiracy theories, and it ends with violence that consumes any society that tolerates it,” Elisha Wiesel said during an ad for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel super PAC. “Will you make your voice heard? Will you confront Jamaal Bowman’s lies and conspiracy theories, or will you sit by silently?”
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Jones is in the middle of his own battle to reclaim a House seat for the Democratic Party. After losing his reelection campaign during a 13-way primary race in 2022, Jones is running against Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) in Hudson Valley’s 17th District. The fight for the seat is one of the state’s most closely watched races as Republicans look to hold their 2022 gains and protect the GOP’s razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Jones, Bowman, and Latimer for comment.