Michael Blake, a far-left primary challenger to Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) who has grounded his challenge largely in criticism of Torres’ pro-Israel stance, flipped his view on the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement during his campaign.

In January, at a candidate forum, Blake affirmed his opposition to the BDS movement and highlighted anti-BDS legislation he helped sponsor as a state assemblyman. But in an X post on Friday, he reversed his position on the issue.

“I oppose efforts that punish [BDS movement] participation,” Blake said on X. “My previous support of NY bills was wrong b/c I didn’t understand the harm incl. the ‘Palestine exception’ on speech & academic freedom for Palestinian rights. Gov’t must protect Free speech & reject retaliation & fear.”

That stance is at odds with the position he staked out just two months ago in a forum with the Ben Franklin Club. 

Asked whether he supports New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s efforts to divest the city from investments in Israel, Blake said during the forum, in audio obtained by Jewish Insider, “I have repeatedly — as it relates to the BDS movement itself — have not been in that same position. … As you’ve seen, when I was in the Assembly, I was one of the co-sponsors,” adding that “there is a broader variance.”

The longtime local political organization ultimately endorsed Torres.

In a position paper for a previous congressional campaign obtained by JI, Blake proudly touted his support for anti-BDS legislation. He said he was “pleased to see” bipartisan opposition to the BDS movement, as well as pledged to support anti-BDS legislation in Congress and described the movement as antisemitic.

Blake’s flip-flop on the issue is emblematic of his broader repositioning on Israel-related issues as part of his congressional campaign. Blake was once a close ally of AIPAC and a strong supporter of Israel, but has staked out a strongly anti-Israel line in the campaign.

Blake’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

In the same Ben Franklin Club event, asked initially about Mamdani’s divestment efforts, Blake focused his response on aid to Israel, saying that he supports “divestment” from the Israeli government while also suggesting he would protect funding for Iron Dome — a position unlikely to satisfy the far left.

“I’m not going to give a blanket answer on everything because obviously there’s variance to that question, but when we talk about what’s happening around the war itself, I think there definitely should be a divestment in place to what’s going on in the war,” Blake said in another clip obtained by JI. “I think it’s very different as it relates to the protection of the Iron Dome — I think there’s a different distinction that’s there but I’m giving that clarity of that position, because I think saying just holistically can be ambiguous there.”

Blake has also sought to simultaneously capitalize on the insurgent energy of Mamdani’s rise, and to draw support from the democratic socialist’s detractors. Earlier this month, he joined a rally of public housing advocates that attacked Mamdani’s decision to exclude tenants of city-run apartments from hearings on poor living conditions.

Blake has also repeatedly touted the support of local advocacy group Veteran Action Now and its founder Kevin Meggett, who has vocally criticized the mayor and his allies in the Democratic Socialists of America.