In the midst of a tense political race between Rep. Jamaal Bowman and Westchester County Executive George Latimer leading up to the Democratic primary election for the seat in New York’s 16th Congressional District, Bowman is now being publicly targeted by a Pro-Israel organization.
The two candidates are currently in a tight competition, with Latimer not being hesitant to voice his support for Israel, while Bowman has been vocally Pro-Palestine.
Bowman (D-Westchester, Bronx) has accused the United Democracy Project, which is affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), of spending considerable funds to unseat him and silence his direct criticisms of the war waged by Israel in Gaza.
The representative says the group is bankrolled by substantial conservative donors who usually back pro-Trump Republicans.
“New Yorkers know that if George Latimer is willing to sell out to Donald Trump’s biggest donors, he will sell you out, too,” Bowman said.
The two candidates shared contrasting stances over Israel during their first debate on Monday night, in which Bowman accused Latimer of being “bought and paid for” by pro-Israel donors, while Latimer argued the former Bronx middle school principal should be focusing more on legislation rather than media attention.
Currently, the Republican-led house is pushing a measure that would influence Biden to end a pause on delivering large bombs to Israel that have been dropped on Palestinian people in Gaza. This occurs as the White House announced a new $1 billion arms sale to Israel, a move that Bowman and other representatives called “disappointing.”
Bowman argues that the government should be doing much more to end the war in Gaza, negotiate an end to its joint 57-year occupation of Palestine, and establish an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.
In response to the UDP and AIPAC’s campaigning against Bowman, some other officials have voiced their disagreement with the group’s course of action.
“Voters- not GOP billionaires- should be the ones who decide Democratic primaries,” said Jasmine Gripper, a member of the Working Families Party, which is supporting Bowman.
The 16th Congressional District covers most of the southern half of Westchester, and some smaller portions of the Bronx.
This election for the Democratic primary will take place on June 25th, 2024.
