Former Minneapolis City Councilmember Don Samuels

Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) razor-thin margin of victory in Tuesday’s Democratic primary in Minneapolis is raising questions about why pro-Israel political action committees didn’t back former City Councilman Don Samuels in the race, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports. 

Different candidates: It’s a question that Samuels, who lost to Omar by just 2,500 votes, is asking, too: “We were very, very frustrated by the lack of support from organizations that have ‘Antone fatigue,’… maybe ‘Black male opponent fatigue’ — not understanding that there are different kind of candidates, and that my potential for beating Ilhan was very high,” Samuels told JI on Wednesday, referring to Antone Melton-Meaux, who challenged Omar in the 2020 primary. 

Mum’s the word: Two years ago, Omar, who has faced allegations of antisemitism from fellow legislators, vanquished Melton-Meaux, who received millions of dollars from pro-Israel donors — a community that roundly sat out this year’s contest. In addition to holding back funds from this year’s race, political action committees affiliated with AIPAC, Democratic Majority for Israel, Pro-Israel America and the Jewish Democratic Council of America also chose not to endorse Samuels. 

Public confrontation: Publicly, none of the pro-Israel PACs have expressed regret about opting not to get involved. But privately, pro-Israel Democrats told JI that they feared getting involved would backfire and give Omar a boost. “People went to the right conclusion that she was vulnerable, she may be vulnerable locally, but that nationalizing the race would be a mistake. So can you be helpful without making it a big national event?” asked one Democrat who supports pro-Israel causes. “The question for people who want to make a difference, want to support pro-Israel candidates, want to ensure pro-Israel support, have to work through: How can you be most helpful?”

Bad reputation: Constituents argue that support from activists and donors outside the Minneapolis-based district might not have been enough to help Samuels, and that the barrage of pro-Israel spending last year may have worked to Omar’s advantage. Melton-Meaux “was perceived by the public as a puppet for the cause, and if AIPAC had put any money in [for Samuels], I think it would have tarnished [him],” a member of the Twin Cities Jewish community, who requested anonymity to speak freely, told JI. 

Decisive moment: Samuels would’ve taken the support — if it had been offered. “I know that there were people I called and that were called on my behalf to say, ‘We need your help, we need your endorsement, we need your dollars, we need your support,’” Samuels recalled. “And they said, they said it very clear, ‘We’re not going to invest in this. Antone lost. She can’t be beaten. And so we’re looking at other races where we can have more impact and where our dollars will be more likely to make a difference.’ So we had to just eat it.”

Read the full story here.

Maxwell Frost

Maxwell Alejandro Frost, a leading Democratic candidate in the crowded race for an Orlando-area House seat in Florida’s Aug. 23 primary, has gained national attention as one of the first members of Generation Z to run for Congress. From a policy standpoint, the 25-year-old gun safety activist is also carving out a unique lane on Middle East issues. In a lengthy position paper, for example, he describes himself as both “pro-Israel” and “pro-Palestinian,” vowing to engage proactively in “bringing peace to a region that so desperately needs and deserves it,” Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

Balanced approach: Frost has indicated that he will pursue a nuanced and somewhat more balanced approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict than one might expect of a staunch progressive aligned with the activist left on domestic policies. In a candidate questionnaire solicited by JI, he distanced himself from measures that would penalize Israel, rejecting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement as “problematic” and opposing calls to condition U.S. aid to Israel. He is “committed to supporting” continued military assistance that “helps ensure” Israel “can properly defend itself.”

Praise from Torres: Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) told JI that Frost, whose campaign he has endorsed, is developing “a “measured, mainstream position on an issue that often generates more heat than light,” adding: “He approaches public policy with an open mind and an open heart, and that applies to issues relating to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or the American-Israeli relationship. He has deep empathy for the plight of both Israelis and Palestinians. He strongly favors a two-state solution and strongly disfavors anything that undermines a two-state solution, whether it be the delegitimation campaign of BDS or the creation of settlements in the heart of a would-be Palestinian state.”

Assessing the field: Frost is among 10 candidates in the race to succeed outgoing Rep. Val Demings (D-FL) in Florida’s redrawn 10th District. While he has led the field in fundraising, the limited publicly available polling suggests that another candidate, state Sen. Randolph Bracy, is well-poised to win. Bracy was endorsed by Democratic Majority for Israel in January, but the pro-Israel group does not appear to have prioritized the race. A spokesperson said on Monday that DMFI was “not in a position to share anything” about the matchup “at this time.”

‘Critical role’: Despite his lack of experience in the foreign policy realm, Frost suggested that he is committed to engaging with Middle East issues in a substantive manner if he is elected to the House, where the Gen Zer would likely be the youngest member of Congress. “As a pro-Israel, pro-Palestinian member of Congress,” he wrote in his position paper, “I will do everything in my power to make sure the United States steps up to serve in this critical role.”

Read the full story here.

Governor Kathy Hochul signs a legislative package to support Holocaust survivors in educational, cultural and financial institutions on Aug. 10, 2022.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation on Tuesday that will improve Holocaust education in classrooms, acknowledge in state museums art stolen from Jewish homes during the war and recognize financial institutions waiving reparation fees for survivors, Jewish Insider’s Tori Bergel reports.

Class curriculum: The headlining bill of the package acts upon a law enacted in 1994 requiring state schools to teach about the Holocaust. Sponsored by Assemblymember Nily Rozic and state Sen. Anna M. Kaplan, the new legislation works directly with the New York State Education Department, which will conduct audits in each district to see whether or not those requirements are being met. “I think it is really imperative that we teach Holocaust [education] to our kids in a meaningful way so that they can learn from it,” she said. “And based on all the statistics that we’ve been seeing here in New York, which has been a home to so many Holocaust survivors, we’re doing a very bad job.” 

Honest art: The second bill, also sponsored by Kaplan along with state Assemblymember Charles D. Lavine, will require all museums throughout the state to acknowledge and make public note of any artwork being displayed that had been stolen or looted from Jewish owners by the Nazis. “Too many people [today] remain ignorant of the indiscriminate wholesale murder of more than six million Jews by the Nazis during World War II, plus the countless examples of humiliation and, in cases such as this, blatant profiteering,” Lavine said.

Bank list: The final bill, sponsored by state Sen. Zellnor Myrie and Assemblymember Simcha Eichenstein, will require the Department of Financial Services to publish a list of all banks waiving fees for Holocaust survivors receiving reparation payments. “These fees may sound small, but to survivors living on fixed incomes, $40 per transaction adds up quickly,” Myrie told JI. “We can’t stop banks from charging these fees — but the state can use its “soft power” to encourage banks to waive these charges for Holocaust survivors and commend those who choose to do so. Annually publicizing and updating the list of these banks will also help survivors and their families make more informed financial decisions.”

Read more here.