Grace Meng has discovered her inner Israel hawk. Meng is the New York City Councilwoman who won a Democratic congressional primary in Gary Ackerman’s district in Queens this summer. In an op-ed in the Jewish Week yesterday, Meng suggested that President Obama “could have been — and still can be — a greater friend to…
In this week?s podcast, host Josh Nathan-Kazis talks with Washington correspondent Nathan Guttman, opinion editor Gal Beckerman and Forward fellow Naomi Zeveloff about the recent announcement that TIAA-CREF, which manages pensions and retirement funds, has sold $72 million worth of stock in the construction equipment firm Caterpillar which has been connected to Palestinian housing demolitions….
Results were mixed last night for New York City congressional hopefuls who ran on their pro-Israel credentials. In Brooklyn, Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries trounced Councilman Charles Barron in a Democratic congressional primary where Barron’s harsh criticism of Israel was a major issue. But in Queens, Councilwoman Grace Meng received nearly twice as many votes as Assemblyman…
A new survey of New York’s Jews out today suggests the advent of a much more politically conservative Jewish community that could shift the balance of local New York politics. The study, conducted by the UJA Federation of New York, knocks down old conceptions of what it means to be a New York Jew. The…
The race to replace longtime Jewish Democratic congressman Gary Ackerman could play out as a contest between Jewish and Asian constituencies in a newly shaped Queens district. Vying to replace him are State Assemblywoman Grace Meng, State Assemblyman Rory Lancman, and New York City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley. The three will face off in a primary…
Democrats walk a fine line these days when they reach out to the organized, activist wing of the Jewish community. One side beckons with an ardent, almost scolding reminder of the Jewish mandate to care for the needy. On the other side, an urgent, almost pleading defense of the Democrats’ record on Israel. The danger:…
As New York draws new congressional lines, Gary Ackerman, an influential House voice on Middle East issues, is at risk of losing his seat to redistricting. New York’s byzantine redistricting process is months away from completion. What is clear is that before New Yorkers go to the polls in November, the state will have two…
On September 19, the Emergency Committee for Israel ran a full-page ad in The New York Times that read: “Tell President Obama: Enough. It’s Time to Stand With Israel.” The ad listed five “steps” that the president might take to prove his pro-Israel mettle, including announcing a plan to visit Israel and reviving a 2008…
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