Jamaal Bowman’s primary challenger calls the incumbent ‘viscerally anti-Israel’
Pastor Michael Gerald, left, and Rep. Jamaal Bowman, right. Photo by Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for The Recording Academy and Michael Gerald/Linkedin
By Jacob Kornbluh August 2, 2023
Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a two-term Democrat who has taken flack over his criticism of Israel, has attracted his first primary challenge — a candidate who says his support for the Jewish state is rock solid.
Michael Gerald, a pastor at the Shiloh Baptist Church in Tuckahoe, New York, and a deputy commissioner at the Westchester County Department Of Correction, filed paperwork last week to run in the Democratic primary next year.
Gerald, 56, described himself in an interview as a “fierce supporter” of Israel and called the incumbent “viscerally anti-Israel.” He said Bowman’s positions in general don’t align as well as his with voters in New York’s 16th District — Southern Westchester County — and the Democratic Party.
Bowman on Israel
Bowman, 47, has had a strained relationship with Jewish leaders in his district since he beat longtime Jewish Congressman Eliot Engel in 2018. Tensions rose after he expressed support in 2021 for a bill that would add restrictions to U.S. military assistance to Israel. In recent months, he has aligned closely with “the Squad” of House members and their pointed critiques of Israel.
He further frustrated Israel supporters in April, when he opposed a resolution commemorating the 75th anniversary of Israel’s founding and voted against a bill to bolster the Abraham Accords.
And last month, Bowman and eight progressive Democrats voted against a resolution defending Israel against charges of racism. He was also one of seven House members who boycotted Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s speech to Congress.
Bowman has said his record is not anti-Israel, but “about ensuring the safety and security of all Israelis and Palestinians in the region and finally achieving a two-state solution.”
IfNotNow, a group opposed to the Israeli occupation, said they are “grateful” to have “an ally like Bowman in Congress” advocating for climate change, universal healthcare and equal rights — “to which Palestinians should be no exception.”
In some instances, Bowman diverged from his Squad colleagues on Israel. He voted in favor of the replenishment of Israel’s anti-missile Iron Dome defense system in 2021, expressed his opposition to the Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment movement, and joined a congressional trip to Israel that drew backlash from his socialist supporters.
But his coziness with the Squad and stance on Israel could become an issue in a competitive primary. Bowman won the 2022 primary with just 54% of the vote against two Democratic rivals in the deep blue district.
George Latimer, Westchester’s popular county executive, is reportedly considering a run after establishment Democrats and Jewish activists encouraged him to challenge Bowman. But he hasn’t indicated publicly whether he’s inclined.
Pastor in politics
Gerald, who grew up in Trenton, New Jersey, and worked as a state trooper, said he does not anticipate elected officials will endorse a newcomer. “It’d be foolish” for politicians to take a chance on someone without prior experience in this arena, he said. But he expressed hope he would raise a sufficient amount of money to be competitive and connect to voters by focusing on the issues they care about. He named lower taxes, economic support for working-class families and education.
The father of three said he “fell in love with Israel” through the Bible and his faith.
Discussing his own support for Israel, Gerald said critics need to separate its right-wing government from the “great people” of that country. He said he’s not a fan of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu because of his “hard-right policies” on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the judicial overhaul. Gerald said he supports a two-state solution and the expansion of the Abraham Accords. “A representative should give consideration to every vote and not follow one small faction that seems to be anti-Israel,” he said.
He added that Bowman was wrong to boycott Herzog’s speech because members of Congress shouldn’t disrespect a head of state.
Gerald has run for the seat previously. He withdrew from the race in 2022 just weeks after launching his campaign.
Bowman’s campaign said it won’t comment about the representative’s primary challengers.
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