Eliot Engel, a former chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and former Democratic congressman from New York, died on April 10. He was 79 years old.
He died “surrounded by family and loved ones in the borough that raised him: The Bronx,” his family stated. “During his over 44 years in public service, Engel fought tirelessly for his constituents at home and for peace and security around the world.”
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee called the Jewish politician a “steadfast friend of the pro-Israel community and an unabashed champion of the U.S.-Israel relationship.” He was a “leading force against efforts to delegitimize our ally Israel, speaking out with courage and conviction against campaigns to isolate the Jewish state and against systemic anti‑Israel discrimination at the United Nations,” it stated.
Engel served 32 years in Congress, representing parts of The Bronx and Westchester, N.Y.
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) called him a “giant of New York politics and one of the greatest champions the Bronx has ever had in Congress,” who was a “trailblazer for the Bronx in Washington, and a fierce advocate for Kosovo and the Albanian community at a time when few others were paying attention.”
The American Jewish Committee stated that Engel, a recipient of its congressional leadership award, was a “steadfast friend of the Jewish people” and a “true partner in advancing democratic values, human rights and the U.S.-Israel relationship.”
Born in the Bronx, Engel graduated from the Bronx campus of Hunter College and earned his law degree from New York Law School. He ran for office in 1977, entering a special election for a seat in the New York state Assembly, where he served until 1988. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1989 to 2021. The prior year, he lost the primary to Jamaal Bowman, a former member of the progressive “Squad” and a critic of Israel.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called Engel a “dear friend going back to when I first met him as a district leader in the Bronx.”
“Eliot was rarely the loudest in the room, but he knew how to do the hard work of legislation,” Schumer stated. “He led the Foreign Affairs Committee with a rare blend of conviction, effectiveness and kindness that has cemented him as one of the great diplomatic leaders of the 21st century.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said that “the son of Ukrainian-Jewish immigrants, Eliot Engel brought the best of the Bronx to Congress” and “fought tirelessly for the people he served.”
Julie Menin, speaker of the New York City Council, stated that “as a proud member of the Jewish community and the son of immigrants, he represented the best of America’s promise.”
