Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ), favored to be the next senator from New Jersey, told Jewish Insider his family background as the child of Korean immigrants who experienced their homeland being torn apart by war gives him a “sense of empathy” for Jewish Americans’ feelings toward Israel. 

“My parents were born at the end of the Korean War, into a conflict that divided my ancestral homeland. My family lives in South Korea right now, many of them just a few kilometers from the most fortified, dangerous borders in the entire world. There’s a madman with his finger on the button that can send nuclear weapons to annihilate my family and annihilate their existence,” Kim said in a recent interview, referring to North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. 

“While I don’t claim to have a perfect understanding of the concerns of the security of Israel and what Jewish Americans feel. I have a sense of empathy.”

“I’ve seen what that fear of nuclear weapons, what that fear for security is. It’s sad that we have to have these types of crises around the world in this day and age. Something could happen in the Korean Peninsula that just could completely devastate my family, change our entire way of life,” he said. 

Asked what he wants to see the U.S. do to counter Iran’s nuclear program, Kim called the matter “an absolute priority.”

“I have family living under the threat of nuclear annihilation from a dictator in North Korea and would never want the Israeli people or anyone to live under that ever present threat of nuclear weapons,” Kim said in an e-mailed statement. “The United States should focus on a comprehensive strategy that includes the strongest possible sanctions that must be done in coordination with a global coalition that includes other major powers.”

“Greater pressure is needed on China and Russia in particular as their engagement and aid to Iran weakens international pressure and sanctions. Supporting Ukraine is vital to countering Russian capacity to lift up Iran. Diplomatic, military, and economic levers must be focused on isolating Iran, countering and dismantling their terror network, restricting their access to critical technologies and materials, and building up defense and deterrence capabilities in Israel and throughout the Middle East in partner nations like Jordan.”

“As strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities are assessed by military experts to only be able to delay rather than destroy capabilities, this should be used as a last resort, as it would risk further regional conflict and larger loss of life without achieving lasting results,” he continued. 

Kim, 42, is running to succeed former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), the former Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman who was forced into retirement by a federal corruption conviction. Kim jumped into the primary against Menendez before other ambitious New Jersey politicians, and even though he faced a serious challenge from New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy, his early success forced her to drop out of the race before the primary.

On Israel policy, Kim says he’s supportive of the Jewish state’s right to defend itself, noting his advocacy on Capitol Hill for Iron Dome and Iron Beam funding, but he’s concerned about the potential for more devastation from continued fighting in the region. 

“I’m very worried about this. The thing that keeps me worried the most is the prospect of the conflict right now growing into an even broader regional war,” Kim told JI. “There is a worry that this could intensify. That’s why I’ve been very supportive of Iron Dome, Iron Beam, other programs to be able to try to make sure we’re keeping civilians safe, because I think that’s often where you see that escalation rise.”

After Israel’s killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, Kim said in a statement that it should prompt a moment of “rebuilding and healing” in the region to end the conflict. 

“[Nasrallah’s death] needs to signify the end of an era defined by terror in the Middle East, and turn the page towards greater peace and stability. Nasrallah served as a tool for Iran’s nefarious efforts, and was responsible for killing thousands of Israelis, Lebanese, Syrians, and others across the region,” Kim said.

“The Middle East faces a crossroads; it can descend further into regional conflict, leading to greater violence and war that only furthers Nasrallah’s legacy of death and destruction, or its leaders can recognize that larger conflict is not inevitable or sustainable,” the statement read. “The Lebanese people deserve security and peace, just like Israelis, Palestinians, Syrians, and others who suffered from Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed militias that terrorized the Middle East. And we must use this moment to bring the larger conflict to an end and start the process of rebuilding and healing.”

Kim says he holds Israel to the same standards as the United States and our allies, and when asked about whether he would ever support conditions on offensive military aid — as some progressive Democrats have called for — responded that he expects Israel to operate within the bounds of international law. 

Pressed on if that meant he supports the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. and Israel, Kim responded affirmatively. That memorandum serves as the current conditions Israel must operate under in order to purchase lethal military aid; it includes the requirement that Israel must follow international law when it comes to warfare.

Kim is facing Republican Curtis Bashaw, a real estate developer, in the general election. He is favored to win, given the state’s Democratic lean. 

Kim has distanced himself from some of his progressive backers on Middle East policy. But his ties to the left-wing group Indivisible, which has called on its members to exert pressure on lawmakers to back an immediate cease-fire, had raised concerns among some in New Jersey’s Jewish community.

On domestic antisemitism, Kim voted against the Antisemitism Awareness Act back in May, when the legislation passed the House by a 320-91 vote. He argued at the time that the bill “could be used to limit speech in a way that runs contrary to our values as Americans and doesn’t include the common sense critical steps that I’ve long advocated for like surging resources to houses of worship to help protect congregations against targeted hate.” 

He called on House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to instead bring up the Countering Antisemitism Act for a vote, which has yet to happen in either chamber. 

Asked about his opposition to the Antisemitism Awareness Act, Kim said he “got frustrated” by Johnson choosing to bring that legislation up for a vote over the Countering Antisemitism Act.

“That really frustrated me. I think that we need to clearly send the message that there should be no politicization when it comes to antisemitism in our country. This should not be an issue that either party uses for gotcha votes or trying to make political turmoil. We should try to show as much unanimity as humanly possible, to be able to show that we are, in a bipartisan way, in a nonpartisan way, standing up against antisemitism. The Countering Antisemitism Act would have been the way to go.”

Jewish Insider’s features reporter Matthew Kassel contributed to this report.