Jewish Democrats back challengers against Squad members Bowman and Bush

Jewish Democratic Council of America had never endorsed against a Dem incumbent

The Jewish Democratic Council of America is backing primary challengers to anti-Israel Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D., N.Y.) and Cori Bush (D., Mo.), marking the first time the group has endorsed against any Democratic incumbent.

The council announced its support for pro-Israel Democrats George Latimer and Wesley Bell, who are running against Bowman and Bush, respectively, in a Thursday press release.

“George Latimer, a longtime progressive leader in Westchester County and a partner to Jewish New Yorkers, resolutely stands behind our community when challenging moments arise, including the current one,” JCDA chair-elect Susie Stern said.

“At an unprecedented moment for Jewish Americans, we are responding with action at the ballot box,” chief of staff Sam Crystal added.

The unprecedented move reflects Bowman and Bush’s vulnerability as they barrel toward their summer primaries.

Both Bowman and Bush have ramped up their anti-Israel rhetoric in the wake of Hamas’s Oct. 7 terror attack, prompting criticism from Jewish leaders in their districts. In November, Bowman accused Israel of “mass murder,” “genocide,” and “ethnic cleansing,” rhetoric that Bush has echoed.

In Bowman’s New York City district, 26 rabbis wrote an October letter that denounced the congressman’s “anti-Israel policy positions and messaging” and encouraged Latimer to run. In Bush’s St. Louis district, a coalition of Jewish organizations similarly accused the congresswoman of “fanning the flames of antisemitism.”

“Representative Bush has shown little outrage against the horrendous attacks by an organization whose very charter calls for the killing of all Jewish people,” the coalition wrote in a November letter.

“To the contrary, in private discussions she has stated repeatedly that she supports the Jewish community, is listening to our fears and concerns, and stands against antisemitism,” the coalition continued. “She then issues public statements that directly contradict what she told us in private.”

In addition to her claim that Israel is committing “genocide,” Bush was one of just two House members who voted against a January bill that barred terrorists who participated in the Oct. 7 attack from entering the United States. Bush said the bill would “target immigrants and incite anti-Palestinian hate.”

Bell condemned Bush in response, calling her vote “offensive and embarrassing to our community.”

“We will never be a safe haven for terrorists, and we need a Congressperson who knows better,” he said in a statement.

Neither Bowman nor Bush responded to requests for comment. Last month, the lawmakers teamed up to hold a joint fundraiser in Los Angeles, which was hosted by a number of anti-Israel activists who defended Hamas’s attack on the Jewish state, the Washington Free Beacon reported.

Bowman will square off against Latimer in late June, while Bush’s primary date against Bell is Aug. 6. The winners of those primaries are expected to win their general elections in November.