Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez loses Democratic Socialists endorsement after she speaks out against antisemitism

AOC said some Israel criticism has crossed into antisemitism in conversation with Jewish experts

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) at a rally for Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) June 22. Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

By Jacob Kornbluh July 11, 2024

The Democratic Socialists of America on Wednesday pulled their conditional endorsement of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for reelection after she hosted an online panel discussion with two leading Jewish experts on antisemitism.

Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, acknowledged in a June livestream with Amy Spitalnick, chief executive of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, and Stacy Burdett, a former senior executive at the Anti-Defamation League, that there had been instances where criticism of Israel had crossed the line into the spectrum of antisemitism.

The DSA’s national political committee said the sponsorship of the virtual event was “a deep betrayal to all those who’ve risked their welfare to fight Israeli apartheid and genocide through political and direct action in recent months, and in decades past.”

Spitalnick responded in a post on X, “The fact that our — nuanced, complex, and frank — conversation on antisemitism is somehow beyond the pale for DSA should tell you everything you need to know.”

The DSA’s issue with AOC

The group initially voted to back Ocasio-Cortez’s reelection two days before the Democratic primaries last month at the behest of the DSA’s New York City chapter. But it was made on the condition that she publicly opposed all funding to Israel and backed the Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions movement.

The NYC-DSA, which had endorsed Ocasio-Cortez without conditions, believed that a conditional endorsement was worse than no national endorsement and requested the organization to withdraw it. After concluding that the incumbent wouldn’t meet the conditions, the national DSA rescinded the offer.

In addition, the DSA took issue with some of the congresswoman’s recent votes on Israel.

The statement said that while it appreciated that Ocasio-Cortez supported a permanent ceasefire and accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, her vote — along with 411 House members — in favor of a resolution that condemned Hamas and equated the denial of Israel’s right to exist with antisemitism was unacceptable. Rep. Tom Massie, a far-right Republican from Kentucky, was the sole member to oppose the measure, while Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a progressive Democrat from Michigan, voted present. The group also objected to Ocasio-Cortez and 20 of her progressive colleagues expressing support for “strengthening the Iron Dome and other defense systems.”

Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a two-term incumbent who was defeated in last month’s primary in New York’s 16th District, has also drawn the ire of the DSA, for taking a trip to Israel with J Street three years ago and for voting for funds to replenish Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. Several chapters across the country called for his expulsion. The DSA’s national leadership chose not to punish Bowman, but conveyed strong disapproval. The local chapter issued a late endorsement for Bowman weeks before the primary after he reached out and expressed remorse.

Jacob Kornbluh is the Forward’s senior political reporter. Follow him on Twitter @jacobkornbluh or email [email protected].

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