Accusing Israel of genocide does not cross the line for a leading left-wing group that professes to support Israel.
J Street president Jeremy Ben-Ami said: “We’re now in December of 2023, so we’re more than halfway through, essentially, the [election] cycle. We probably will not change our endorsements in mid-cycle.”
Instead, he explained, statements like those from Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) may impact the group’s endorsement for the 2026 cycle.
Bowman said: “We have all read about genocides. We have all read about mass murders. I cannot believe I am living through one. And I cannot believe I am living through one and the U.S. government is condoning it and being complicit.”
According to Ben-Ami, Bowman “certainly crossed the line in terms of the types of language that we use” but “he’s still within our parameters for endorsement.”
In a vote that was largely split across party lines, the U.S. House of Representatives chose to censure Bowman for his decision to pull a fire alarm on Sept. 30 when there was no fire. The legislator explained his actions, saying “I was rushing to make a vote; I was trying to get through a door. I thought the alarm would open the door.”
