JEWISH WORLD

10 JEWISH WORLD • JUNE 14-20, 2024 The 9ace In The 1 th C+ Jamaal Bowman’s hostility to Israel is an issue By JAMES BERNSTEIN W estchester County Exec- utive George Latimer, running in a Democratic primary to unseat incumbent U.S. Rep. Jaamal Bowman in the 16th district, said he is a solid sup- porter of Israel but “wouldn’t give them a blank check,” and stressed pocketbook” issues such as afford- able housing, transportation and saving the environment. Latimer, in his second term as county executive, is asking voters not to focus on his age - he’s 70 - and instead to consider his decades as a State Assemblyman and a State Senator, and the progressive mea- sures he initiated in Westchester, in- cluding acquiring electric buses and providing residents with free bus transportation this summer. David Alpert, former chairman of the Westchester County Democratic Party, said he has known Latimer for 49 years. “He’s a modern day George Washington,” Alpert said. He noted Bowman’s votes against a resolution condemning anti-Semi- tism and another to continue to fund the government. Alpert, chairman of Latimer’s fund-raising efforts, said “a tremendous amount opf money” has already been raised, although he declined to provide an amount,. The 16th district includes more than half of Westchester County and most of its major cities – White Plains, Mount Vernon, Yonkers and New Rochelle among them. About ,3,CTI65 202 50 percent of the approximately 700,000 people in the district are Black and Latino, according to Cen- sus data. About 10 percent of voters are Jewish, but Jews make up two to three times that share of the Demo- cratic electorate. The Israeli-Hamas war has come to the forefront in the Democratic primary, slated for June 25. Bow- man, 44, who was first elected in 2020, is perceived by many Jewish voters as a member of the Demo- crats’ progressive Squad - Rep Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Cori Bush of Missouri, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Summer Lee of Pennsylvania – when it comes to his views on Israel. Bowman won his seat three years ago by defeating the staunchly pro-Israel chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Commit- tee, Eliot Engel, in a primary. A former teacher and mid- dle-school principal, Bowman has come under harsh criticism for some of his votes and statements, He was one of 10 House members who voted against a bipartisan reso- lution calling for standing with Isra- el. His calls for a ceasefire in the war have been criticized by two dozen rabbis as a “position of ap- peasement toward Hamas’s terror regime.” AIPAC, which has spent millions of dollars targeting Bow- man’s left-leaning allies in recent election cycles, is supporting La- timer. Bowman has not visited a syna- gogue since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, although his office said he is planning a series of meetings with Jewish leaders to “combat hate.” In an interview, Latimer noted 9ep. 1amaal )owman’s poor record on Isra el has 1ews li]ing in the 1 th +istrict looking to his challenger, .eorge 3atimer. Rep. Jamaal Bowman with, from left, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Rep. Jon- athan Jackson and Rep. Cori Bush, demands that President Biden order Israel to declare a ceasefire in Gaza. continued on page 23 George Latimer, Jamaal Bowman’s opponent, speaking at an event calling for the release of the Israeli hostages being held in Gaza, in the Garden of Remembrance in White Plains last October.