The swing-district nominee told JI she wouldn’t be campaigning with her fellow nominee Adam Hamawy, who has been dogged by past ties to Islamist extremists
Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Rebecca Bennett, Democratic congressional candidate in New Jersey, during a primary election night event in Bridgewater, New Jersey, on June 2, 2026.
Add JewishInsider on GoogleRebecca Bennett, the Democratic nominee in New Jersey’s swing 7th Congressional District, distanced herself from a fellow Democratic nominee, Adam Hamawy, who is running in a neighboring district.
Hamawy has attracted national scrutiny over his past association with Omar Abdel-Rahman, the terrorist known as the Blind Sheikh, and his work for a charity in Bosnia that was subsequently shuttered as al-Qaida front group. Republicans have sought to tie Bennett, a military veteran running on a more moderate platform, to Hamawy, who is also a veteran.
“Rebecca Bennett is not going to campaign with or endorse Adam Hamawy this fall, as she is laser focused on flipping New Jersey’s seventh district, lowering costs, and getting corruption out of Washington,” a Bennett campaign spokesperson told Jewish Insider.
Bennett has carved out a relatively moderate and pro-Israel platform. She’s set to face Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) in the November midterm election, after a commanding win in the Democratic primary earlier this summer.
Hamawy’s campaign has said in statements that his “entire career and life have been defined by his patriotism and deep love of this country,” and described his testimony in defense of the Blind Sheikh as his “civic and legal duty,” carried out while Hamawy was a member of the Army. It also has brushed off criticisms of his involvement with the al-Qaida-tied charity as “desperate,” “absurd” and “gross and bigoted.”
Plus, Lasher lashes out on Israel ‘obsession’
(CJ Gunther/Getty Images)
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner and his wife Amy Gertner wave to supporters as they arrive to Platner's Primary Election event on June 9, 2026 in Blue Hill, Maine.
Good Wednesday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we break down the results of yesterday’s Democratic Senate primary in Maine, and look at how senior House Democrats are suggesting they’re unaware of New Jersey congressional candidate Adam Hamawy’s controversial past. We have the exclusive on the introduction of the Jewish American Security Act by Reps. Dan Goldman and Mike Lawler, and report on a new survey from the Israel Democracy Institute that found that Israeli confidence in President Donald Trump’s commitment to Israel’s security hit a new low. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Rabbi A.D. Motzen, Gwyneth Paltrow and Somaliland President Abdirahman Irro.
Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by JI Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with assists from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.
What We’re Watching
- We’re continuing to watch the situation in the Middle East after Iran fired at U.S. installations in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain overnight, following what the U.S. described as “self-defense strikes” targeting Iranian radar and air-defense sites in response to Iran’s downing of a U.S. Apache helicopter with two crew members on board (both were rescued).
- Shortly after the U.S. strikes, President Donald Trump shared a clip from an episode of “The West Wing” in which the fictional President Jed Bartlet debates “the virtue of a proportional response.”
- Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi is in the United Arab Emirates today, where he’s slated to meet with senior officials in the Gulf state. He will travel to Israel over the weekend to formally inaugurate Hargeisa’s embassy in Jerusalem.
- Back in Washington, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is scheduled to mark up the HEAL Act this morning.
- The annual Congressional Baseball Game is taking place this evening at Nationals Park, rain or shine.
- The Israel Allies Foundation is holding a belated Jerusalem Day reception this evening on Capitol Hill.
- In New York, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations is holding its annual convening on antisemitism today.
- Elsewhere in New York, the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation is holding its annual gala tonight, where the group will honor New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and former Israeli hostage Elkana Bohbot.
- The Democrats running in the NY-07 congressional race — Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, City Councilmember Julie Won and New York state Assemblymember Claire Valdez — will square off tonight in a debate hosted by PIX 11.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S JOSH KRAUSHAAR
Maine Democrats rallied behind scandal-plagued oyster farmer and military veteran Graham Platner as their Senate nominee against Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in Tuesday’s primary, turning to a left-wing outsider running against the political and institutional establishment as its standard-bearer for the general election.
Platner — whose controversies, including his now-covered Nazi tattoo and abuse allegations, have unnerved many Democrats — will be a political test over whether his brand of progressive populism can win over swing voters in a state critical to the Democrats’ hopes of winning back the Senate.
“In trying so hard to understand me, [the media] failed to understand that this is not about me at all. This is a movement about us, about the far too many, working far too hard and struggling far too much,” Platner said in his victory speech.
Attacking “forever wars,” Platner railed against the Trump administration’s war in Iran, and slammed Collins for “closing hospitals while using our tax dollars to destroy them halfway around the world.” (The line was an apparent attack against Israel’s targeting of Hamas terror infrastructure that was often lodged in medical facilities during the war in Gaza.)
Platner won about 72% of the primary vote despite Gov. Janet Mills remaining on the ballot, a solid enough showing amid all the controversies that should mute any calls for him to drop out of the race. In a statement on Platner’s victory, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) reiterated their support for the nominee: “In November, Maine voters will elect Graham Platner, and we will win a Senate majority.”
Mills, for her part, did not mention Platner at all in her statement about the election results.
SIDESTEPPING QUESTIONS
Senior House Democrats profess ignorance of Hamawy’s controversial past
Top House Democrats are mostly avoiding questions about Adam Hamawy, the controversial Democratic nominee in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District claiming they are unfamiliar with his background, including his association with Omar Abdel-Rahman, the terrorist mastermind known as the Blind Sheikh and his service with a nonprofit in Bosnia shuttered as an al-Qaida front group, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Responses: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) sidestepped multiple questions about Hamawy in an interview on Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing” this weekend. Reps. Greg Meeks (D-NY) and Jim Himes (D-CT), who are both in line to lead key national security committees if Democrats retake the House, told JI they did not have enough familiarity with Hamawy and his history to comment. But Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) joined other moderate Jewish Democrats in raising concerns, lamenting that he wants leaders, “who don’t have Nazi tattoos or close ties with convicted terrorists. It’s really not too much to ask.”
EXCLUSIVE
Goldman, Lawler lead bipartisan group of lawmakers on House version of comprehensive antisemitism bill
Reps. Dan Goldman (D-NY) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) are leading 28 colleagues in introducing a House version of the Jewish American Security Act, the package of antisemitism-related legislation introduced by Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and James Lankford (R-OK) last month in the Senate, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Notable quotable: “Words of condemnation are no longer enough,” Goldman said in a statement. “Since the October 7th attacks, there has been a systematic failure in Congress and in our communities to counter the threat posed by surging antisemitism across this country.” Goldman, a co-chair of the House antisemitism task force, said the bill would change that pattern: “Whether on campus, at synagogues, or online — the Jewish American Security Act will provide the tools necessary to help secure our at-risk communities to practice their faith without fear. American Jews cannot be asked to bear this burden alone. As Americans, we must stand shoulder to shoulder with those under siege by hate.”
Funding increase: The House Appropriations Committee approved a $40 million increase in its funding proposal for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program for 2027, boosting its recommendation to $355 million, in a Tuesday night session that stretched into Wednesday morning, JI’s Marc Rod reports.
SCOOP
Stefanik, Gillen introduce bill to reform campus antisemitism adjudication procedures
Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Laura Gillen (D-NY) this week introduced the Student Protection and University Accountability Act, which aims to compel schools to institute clear policies for addressing antisemitism and other forms of discrimination under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, or lose their federal funding if they fail to do so, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
What it does: The bill requires schools to designate a specified Title VI coordinator and to develop clear procedures, including providing timely notifications to complainants, for investigating student complaints and publicize those procedures, as well as to publicly display guidance from the Department of Justice on Title VI complaints. Schools would be required to certify annually to the Department of Education that they are complying with these provisions, and would be ineligible for federal funding if they fail to comply for two years in a row.
CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE
Israeli confidence in Trump’s commitment to Israel’s security falls to new low
The share of Israelis who believe the country’s security is a primary consideration for President Donald Trump has plummeted to a new low, according to a new poll, revealing a sharp shift in public attitudes as the U.S. and Israel diverge on their strategies and ultimate goals of the war with Iran, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.
Survey says: The survey, conducted by the Viterbi Family Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research at the Israel Democracy Institute from May 31 to June 5, found that 44% of Israelis believe Israel’s security is a central consideration for the Trump administration, a decline from the 60% recorded in March at the beginning of the Iran war. The drop was even more pronounced among Jewish Israelis, where confidence fell 23 points over the same period, from 64% to 41%.
MONEY IN MICHIGAN
UDP jumps into Mich. Senate race with $2 million ad buy supporting Stevens
Nearl
LASHING OUT
Micah Lasher says he’s ‘exhausted’ by political ‘obsession’ with Israel
Micah Lasher, a Democratic New York state assemblymember running to fill the seat of retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) in Manhattan, raised concerns on Monday that “the political dialogue” in his primary “is obsessed with Israel,” a key topic of discussion in the heavily Jewish 12th Congressional District, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports. Lasher made the remarks while participating in a candidate forum at B’nai Jeshurun, a synagogue on the Upper West Side.
Fed up: During the forum on Monday night, the moderator, New York Times opinion columnist Michelle Goldberg, asked Lasher where he stood regarding continued U.S. aid to Israel — a question that has been repeatedly posed to him and his opponents throughout the race. Lasher has said he backs funding to boost Israel’s Iron Dome missile-defense system and opposes efforts to condition U.S. aid to Israel that single out the Jewish state. Rather than answering Goldberg’s question directly, Lasher sounded increasingly frustrated as he described feeling “exhausted by the obsession on a plot of land the size of New Jersey.”
Worthy Reads
Mae Alsalama: The Associated Press’ Melanie Lidman spotlights Avichay Adraee, who is retiring next week as the IDF’s first Arabic-language spokesperson, having pioneered the position more than two decades ago. “The military’s claim to have found Hamas infrastructure under a luxury hotel in Gaza made little impact, but Adraee said his satirical video of a Hamas leader leaving a Trip Advisor review for the tunnels was widely shared. He has sent birthday messages to singers and holiday greetings to Arab influencers, even exchanging public messages with Lebanese journalists who work for Hezbollah-linked outlets. ‘We want people to be exposed to the really important and serious messages, the information we’re trying to convince them of, but if you want them to remember you, you have to be more creative,’ he said.” [AP]
The Platner Paradigm: The New York Times’ Bret Stephens suggests that Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner’s candidacy could end the “inconsistent standards selectively applied” to fit certain political biases. “If Platner can pass muster among Democratic primary voters, then the differences between him and Donald Trump are mainly of degree, not of kind. You may still agree with Platner’s politics, and if you’re in Maine, you may still think he’s a better choice than Collins. What you can no longer do, at least not with any intellectual integrity, is to use moral litmus tests to try to disqualify political figures from the opposing party. To be fine with Platner, knowing what you know now, should also require burying #MeToo in the graveyard of discarded progressive shibboleths.” [NYTimes]
Bibi’s Blind Spot: The Wall Street Journal’s William Galston observes the steep drop in support for Israel among broad swaths of Americans. “More than a decade ago, Mr. Netanyahu abandoned his country’s longstanding policy of cultivating bipartisan American support and made a hard right turn toward the Republicans. Today, Republicans over 50 are the only demographic group to give him and his country majority support, even as controversy about American policy in the Middle East rises among younger Republicans, along with anti-Jewish attitudes on the MAGA right and the radical left. Here as elsewhere, Israel’s veteran prime minister has been tactically clever but strategically foolish, leading his country into a political cul de sac.” [WSJ]
Police the Platforms: In the Washington Times, Sander Gerber and Shawn Chenoweth call for the implementation of federal reforms to address malign behavior on social media platforms. “Algorithms do not distinguish between civic contributions and coordinated manipulation by U.S. adversaries. They optimize for attention. The result is a feedback loop that brings fringe narratives into the mainstream and, ultimately, sows national division. The risks are not just to our national security. They are also commercial. The issue is not what people are allowed to say; it is whether users and advertisers know who is speaking and how much of the apparent public reaction is real.” [WashingtonTimes]
Word on the Street
President Donald Trump met with former Israeli hostage Rom Braslavski in the Oval Office on Tuesday; Braslavski, who was released from Hamas captivity in Gaza last October, had been unable to join a group of hostages who met with the president late last year, soon after the release of the remaining living hostages…
Senior officials in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence reportedly told employees to expect widespread staff cuts in the coming months as part of Trump’s directive to interim DNI Bill Pulte to further shrink the office, which initially saw layoffs following outgoing DNI Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation last year…
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) poured cold water on suggestions that he mount another presidential bid; Sanders, who will be 87 on Election Day 2028, said at a National Press Club event that he “suspect[s] that’s not going to happen”…
The Trump administration‘s plans for a $1.5 trillion defense budget seem increasingly shaky as top Senate Republicans on the Appropriations Committee said Tuesday that they do not believe a third reconciliation bill — expected to fund a portion of the defense budget, among other matters — can pass this year, even as House Republicans say they plan to charge ahead…
Speaking at an Agudath Israel of America event on Tuesday, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said that the Department of Justice will soon file charges in another hate crime case targeting the Jewish community, adding that the DOJ is also looking into cases relating to antisemitic discrimination by local planning departments and commissions in the Northeast…
Progressive activist Randy Villegas, who is running to unseat Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) in California, claimed victory on Tuesday in the jungle primary over Jasmeet Bains, a moderate Democrat who had been favored by pro-Israel leaders as well as the party’s national leadership, JI’s Matthew Kassel reports…
Some Democratic lawmakers are threatening to withhold their dues to the DCCC over its boosting of Bains, which included a $135,000 ad buy…
Politico reports that Sherif Soliman, who was tapped by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani earlier this year to head the city’s Office of Management and Budget, may have violated ethics laws when he briefed a group of Democratic Socialists of America members on the city’s finances…
Harvard University will expand its kosher food offerings following a $100 million gift from the Zimmer Family Foundation that will go in part to bringing kosher dining options to the school’s Eliot House; Stuart Zimmer, who made the donation with his wife, Jennifer, said they hoped “to ensure that every Jewish student feels genuinely welcomed and at home on campus”…
Jewish groups in the Tampa, Fla., area are joining calls for local officials to cancel two upcoming Kanye West shows in the city, amid a wave of cancellations of the rapper’s concerts in Europe tied to his past antisemitic rhetoric…
A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in federal prison for sending an antisemitic message to a Jewish public official in the state telling the official to “[g]o back to Israel or better yet, exterminate yourself and save us the trouble. … We will not stop until your kind is nonexistent”…
In response to the viral image of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg coming face-to-face with Jose Alvarado when the Knicks guard crashed into spectators during Monday night’s NBA Finals game, Bloomberg posted on X, “Great to meet NYC’s homegrown star, @AlvaradoJose15. But next time, Jose, just call me. Let’s go Knicks!”…
Actor Gwyneth Paltrow is the celebrity face of a new advertising campaign promoting Aviv Melisron’s 51 PARK development in Herzliya, Israel…
Berlin’s Babka & Krantz Jewish bakery shuttered its flagship shop, six months after the eatery, which was opened by Polish and Israeli immigrants, closed its second location; the owners cited, in part, “constant verbal abuse” faced by employees in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks…
New York-based real estate owners Michael and David Shabsels declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in New Jersey last Thursday, both personally and under their umbrella group, Simad Holdings, a move that could affect thousands of Jewish campers just as the summer season is getting underway, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Jay Deitcher reports…
U.K. officials charged a fifth individual — a teenager — in connection with a March arson attack targeting Hatzola ambulances in the heavily Jewish London suburb of Golders Green…
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed that France had banned Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country, saying that the far-right Israeli official “actively promotes the annexation of the West Bank … [as well as] the creation of new settlements in the West Bank, [and] the recolonization of Gaza”…
The Associated Press does a deep dive into the tensions surrounding the unknown whereabouts of a Palestinian man with Ukrainian citizenship who had escaped Hezbollah custody in Beirut after having been accused by Lebanese officials of plotting attacks in the country; the disappearance of Khaled al-Aydi comes as Hezbollah cracks down on Israeli efforts to infiltrate the terror group…
Iran’s national football federation said that U.S. officials had revoked the ticket allocation for the team’s soccer fans planning to attend the Islamic Republic’s three U.S. matches…Oscar-winning costume designer Albert Wolsky, who as a teenager fled Nazi Europe and went on to accumulate scores of film credits, including “Sophie’s Choice” and “Grease,” died at 95…
Pic of the Day
Agudath Israel of America celebrated the retirement of Rabbi Abba Cohen (fourth from left), the longtime director of the group’s Washington office, and the opening of the group’s new D.C. headquarters near the Capitol. In addition, the organization announced at Tuesday’s event that Rabbi A.D. Motzen will be taking Cohen’s place as the new head of the Washington office.
Birthdays
Actor and the older sister of comedian Sarah Silverman, Laura Silverman turns 60…Author of award-winning books about her experiences before, during and after the Holocaust, Aranka Davidowitz Siegal turns 96… Emmy Award-winning TV journalist who has worked for CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN and PBS, he is the author of 14 books, Jeff Greenfield turns 83… Musician, producer, composer and conductor for film and television, Randy Edelman turns 79… Physical therapist at the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Andrea Sachs… Cathy Farbstein Miller… Senior director of communications for CoGenerate, Stefanie Weiss… Former attorney general and then governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer turns 67… Director of strategic accounts at Pharmacy Management Solutions, Avi H. Goldfeder… Blogger and columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, Neil Steinberg turns 66… Film, television and stage actor, Gina Gershon turns 64… President and CEO of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), Michael Makovsky… Israeli film and TV Actor, Avital Abergel turns 49… Veteran of nine NFL seasons as an offensive tackle, he is now the athletic director of Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, Calif., Mike Rosenthal turns 49… VP of strategic partnerships at the Birthright Israel Foundation and director of community education at NYC’s Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, Rabbi Daniel Kraus… Professor at the Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, Yascha Mounk turns 44… Economic commentator on Israel’s Channel 13, Matan Hodorov turns 41… Publisher of The New York Sun, he is also honorary chairman of The Algemeiner, Dovid Efune… Actor, producer, writer and director, Joseph Paul “Joey” Zimmerman turns 40… CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council Bay Area, Tyler Gregory… Singer, composer and entertainer in the contemporary Jewish religious music industry, Simcha Leiner turns 37… CEO of NYC-based Encounter Programs, designed to transform communal engagement with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Yona Shem-Tov… Belgian singer and songwriter, known as “Blanche,” Ellie Noa Blanche Delvaux turns 27…
House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Greg Meeks said of the Democratic N.J. congressional nominee, ‘I don’t like to talk about somebody I don’t know’
DREW ANGERER/AFP via Getty Images
Dr. Adam Hamawy speaks during an AFP interview after meetings on Capitol Hill, in Washington DC, on June 14, 2024.
Top House Democrats are mostly avoiding questions about Adam Hamawy, the controversial Democratic nominee in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, saying they are unfamiliar with his background, including his association with Omar Abdel-Rahman, the terrorist mastermind known as the Blind Sheikh, and his service with a nonprofit organization in Bosnia shuttered as an al-Qaida front group.
A small number of moderate Jewish Democrats have spoken out against Hamawy, expressing concerns about his potential elevation to the House, and frustration with what his and others’ rise signals about the state of the Democratic Party.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who congratulated Hamawy on his victory last week — as he traditionally does with most Democratic nominees — sidestepped multiple questions about him in an interview on Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing” this weekend.
“I haven’t spoken to him, he’s going to have to speak for himself and address these allegations,” Jeffries said in response to a question about Hamawy’s testimony in defense of Abdel-Rahman, before criticizing the administration over the war in Iran and high gas prices.
Asked again, he criticized Republicans for their own controversial comments, and the administration over cost-of-living issues.
Though some Democrats and high-ranking Republicans have raised concerns about Hamawy’s fitness to serve on committees related to national security, Democrats poised to lead some of those committees told Jewish Insider they aren’t familiar with him.
Rep. Greg Meeks (D-NY), the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told JI he hadn’t been following Hamawy’s primary race and hadn’t yet spoken with him.
“I’d have to have a conversation with someone like Bonnie Watson Coleman or somebody that might know him, or tell me a little bit about it before I can say anything in that regard,” Meeks said, referring to the retiring congresswoman whom Hamawy is seeking to replace. “I don’t like to talk about somebody I don’t know, and I’ve not looked at his background or anything else of that nature.”
Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) declined to comment last week, saying he did not know enough about Hamawy to discuss the situation.
Other Democrats, including Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), have expressed concerns about Hamawy and his election, and Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) joined them this week.
“I’m a simple guy, and want leaders that will help us fix this broken economy and keep Americans safe … and who don’t have Nazi tattoos or close ties with convicted terrorists. It’s really not too much to ask,” Landsman told JI.
Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) said when asked about Hamawy’s fitness to serve on national security-related committees, “We’ll cross those bridges when we get there.”
“I have concerns about his past associations, and we’ll measure him on what he does, if and when he gets here,” Schneider, a co-chair of the Congressional Jewish Caucus, told JI. “That was a decision the voters of New Jersey made. That’s how our democracy works.”
Hamawy’s campaign has insisted in statements that his “entire career and life have been defined by his patriotism and deep love of this country,” and described his testimony in defense of the Blind Sheikh as his “civic and legal duty,” carried out while Hamawy was a member of the Army.
“At the time, the man in question was one of very few religious figures in what was then a very small Muslim community in New Jersey — he saw him speak in religious settings in his early 20s. Dr. Hamawy condemns that man’s violent rhetoric and actions, and all violence, hatred and terrorism — and he will always. Dr. Hamawy had no contact with this person after they were arrested.”
The campaign has dismissed criticisms of his involvement with Benevolence International, the organization closed down as an al-Qaida front years after he volunteered, as “desperate,” “absurd” and “gross and bigoted.” It has stated that he volunteered to provide medical assistance to victims of the Bosnian genocide, and that Benevolence International was approved at the time by the Bosnian mission to the United States and the United Nations.
Hamawy, despite his past ties to a convicted terrorist, faced minimal scrutiny from outside groups — including many of his primary rivals
Islam Dogru/Anadolu via Getty Images
Adam Hamawy, a plastic surgeon, is seen during an exclusive interview at in New York, United States on April 24, 2024.
Adam Hamawy’s victory on Tuesday in a closely watched congressional primary in New Jersey, which elevated an outspoken critic of Israel whose past ties to a convicted terrorist had drawn scrutiny during the campaign, is raising questions over why the far-left Democrat did not face outside opposition from the pro-Israel group AIPAC or its well-funded super PAC.
Hamawy, who won 28% of the vote in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, prevailed with a modest plurality over the multi-candidate primary field competing to succeed Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ). With 93% of the vote counted on Wednesday, Brad Cohen, the mayor of East Brunswick and a Jewish Democrat who touted his support for Israel while identifying as an AIPAC member, placed second with 15%. Hamawy is all but assured a seat in Congress next year as the district heavily favors Democrats.
Despite a double-digit deficit, Cohen’s performance exceeded many expectations, indicating that he likely could have finished in a stronger position with help from AIPAC’s super PAC, United Democracy Project, some local Jewish leaders suggested in interviews on Wednesday.
While Cohen posted relatively robust fundraising figures, pulling in $700,000 over the course of the race, he struggled to keep up with Hamawy, a plastic surgeon and Army veteran who claimed just over $1 million. Notably, Hamawy also drew support from a newly created super PAC, American Priorities, launched as a left-wing counterweight to AIPAC, which spent more than $1.5 million in the primary to bolster his ascendant campaign.
UDP’s conspicuous absence as American Priorities aggressively promoted Hamawy during the final days of the primary allowed the new group to shape the narrative as he drew skepticism over his efforts to downplay a decades-old association with a radical Muslim cleric convicted of inspiring the 1993 World Trade Center bombing as well as his work for a now-shuttered al-Qaida-linked front group in Bosnia.
Such vulnerabilities were the sort that UDP would presumably have been eager to exploit to thwart an extreme detractor of Israel who had argued against the country’s Iron Dome missile-defense system that protects civilians from attacks.
UDP, which looked at all of the candidates in the crowded field, had considered backing Cohen but ultimately determined he did not have a credible chance of winning, according to a source familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to address a confidential matter.
Patrick Dorton, a spokesperson for UDP, defended the group’s choice not to engage. “We play in races where we have a reasonable opportunity to win,” he explained in a brief interview with JI on Wednesday. “This was a multi-candidate field with obviously the anti-Hamawy vote very split.”
“We didn’t see a path to victory,” Dorton said broadly of the primary. “We did a careful analysis of the race, including polling, and came to the conclusion not to get involved.”
Steve Klinghoffer, a Jewish community leader and philanthropist and a former AIPAC board member, strongly disagreed with UDP’s assessment. He said he had “numerous conversations” with AIPAC to try to convince the group to get involved in the primary but declined to share what he had been told in response.
“If they stay out there’s a good reason,” noted Jason Shames, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, who said he spoke with AIPAC about the primary and got the sense that the group did not “see much upside” in being directly involved. “I give them the benefit of the doubt,” he told JI, calling the group “very careful” and “more strategic” than critics might think.
“In my assessment, this was a missed opportunity, and it’s greatly disturbing,” Klinghoffer told JI, calling the primary “highly winnable” and citing “private polling that showed it would be closer” if AIPAC had devoted its resources to the contest.
Still, Jewish and pro-Israel leaders in New Jersey were largely divided about AIPAC’s decision, with some saying they trusted UDP’s calculus and others expressing more skepticism about its motivations.
“If they stay out there’s a good reason,” noted Jason Shames, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, who said he spoke with AIPAC about the primary and got the sense that the group did not “see much upside” in being directly involved. “I give them the benefit of the doubt,” he told JI, calling the group “very careful” and “more strategic” than critics might think.
Ben Chouake, the president of NORPAC, a pro-Israel advocacy group in New Jersey that endorsed Cohen, said there were more complex challenges at play that had influenced the result beyond AIPAC’s decision to hold its powder.
“We supported Brad Cohen and raised a fair amount of money for him and tried to put together a ground game within the Jewish community,” he told JI. “But I don’t think our community, as a whole, is as unified as it needs to be.”
But he believed AIPAC’s involvement “absolutely” could have made a difference in the race, saying the vote tally was not insurmountable. “I think it was a worthwhile effort for us,” he stressed. “I’m not upset that we did it.”
Cohen, who sought to draw attention to Hamawy’s controversial past ties in the closing stretch of the race, did not respond to messages from JI seeking comment.
Even as UDP now sits on a nearly $95 million war chest to use in the midterms, it also has reason to stay on the sidelines, as the AIPAC brand has become increasingly toxic among Democrats who have vowed to reject its support.
The super PAC had also endured an embarrassing setback in March in a nearby northern New Jersey Democratic special election, where it spent heavily to block Tom Malinowski, a moderate former congressman who had expressed interest in conditioning U.S. aid to Israel. The foray backfired, however — propelling a progressive activist with far more antagonistic positions on Israel to the House.
The reputational damage stemming from that effort still lingers in New Jersey, according to some Jewish leaders. One pro-Israel leader speculated that AIPAC simply “got gun-shy,” after its handling of the March election. Outside the state, UDP has otherwise shown a penchant for caution — most recently investing in a Democratic congressional race in a Maryland district home to a more moderate constituency.
“My guess is they probably were afraid this time that by coming in to support Brad, it might have harmed a very good candidate,” a Jewish Democrat told JI, noting it “raises a question of what AIPAC’s strategy” is going forward. “I think they need to also look in the mirror” and “assess this terrain very carefully” in weighing “what they’re going to do in the future.”
“Unfortunately, it’s a tougher climate for AIPAC and other pro-Israel PACs, especially on the Democratic side,” Mark Levenson, a Jewish community leader in New Jersey, told JI. “The environment has changed.”
Amid a national political landscape now favoring anti-establishment, left-wing sentiment of the sort espoused by Hamawy and his progressive allies in other key races, AIPAC likely “understood its brand had taken a hit, particularly in New Jersey,” said one Jewish Democrat who viewed Hamawy’s election as a troubling sign of the party’s direction. “AIPAC called it wrong previously.”
“My guess is they probably were afraid this time that by coming in to support Brad, it might have harmed a very good candidate,” the activist said on Wednesday, noting it “raises a question of what AIPAC’s strategy” is going forward. “I think they need to also look in the mirror” and “assess this terrain very carefully” in weighing “what they’re going to do in the future.”
Dan Cassino, a political scientist and pollster at Fairleigh Dickinson University, said it was “hard to imagine that there were a lot of Hamawy supporters who would have turned against him because AIPAC was opposed to him,” given their already jaundiced view of the group.
“If AIPAC had gotten involved very early, and thrown around enough money to dissuade some candidates from running, they could have made a difference,” he told JI. “But once that field was set, I don’t think they could have changed the result,” he said, pointing out the “risk that getting involved in a race that led to another win for a disfavored candidate would hurt AIPAC’s credibility even more.”
Micah Rasmussen, the director of Rider University’s Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics, argued it “would be foolish to blame AIPAC for the results of the election,” saying the “single thing that could have changed the outcome is for the field of candidates to have consolidated behind one candidate as a viable alternative to Adam Hamawy.”
“Whatever else might be said about AIPAC, they are not political novices,” he told JI. “No one can believe they sat on their hands because they couldn’t think of anything else to do.”
“You’re really left to wonder,” Rasmussen mused, “whether they view Adam Hamawy as a foil or a lightning rod for Jewish voters across the country.”
‘Anybody that's tied to that should never be elected to Congress, and if he is, I think should never serve on a national security committee,’ Rep. Michael McCaul told JI
DREW ANGERER/AFP via Getty Images
Dr. Adam Hamawy speaks during an AFP interview after meetings on Capitol Hill, in Washington DC, on June 14, 2024.
Some lawmakers are warning that the past terrorist ties of Adam Hamawy, the Democratic nominee in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District expected to be elected to the House in November, could pose a national security risk and that he should be barred from serving on sensitive committees working on national security issues.
Hamawy was an associate of convicted terrorist mastermind Omar Abdel-Rahman, known as the Blind Sheikh, and testified in Abdel-Rahman’s defense when he was on trial for his involvement in a series of terrorist attacks in New York City. Hamawy also volunteered for the Benevolence International Foundation, a charity operating in Bosnia that was later shuttered as an al-Qaida front.
He also volunteered at the European Hospital in Gaza during Israel’s war with Hamas, denying when he returned that there was any terrorist activity at the hospital or any tunnels underneath it. Israel killed Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar in a tunnel system under the hospital.
Members of Congress are exempt from usual security clearance vetting procedures applied to other federal officials, and all members are able to access certain House-wide classified briefings.
But members serving on several key committees touching on national security and foreign policy, such as the Foreign Affairs, Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, have more regular access to a much wider range of classified briefings and information. Caucus leadership is responsible for assigning committee posts.
Some of Hamawy’s potential future colleagues — largely Republicans — say that Hamawy should be barred from those committee postings if he’s elected. As a military veteran and having focused much of his campaign on foreign policy issues, Hamawy would ordinarily be a likely candidate for such committee assignments.
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), the former chair of the Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security committees and a former U.S. attorney focused on counterterrorism and national security, told Jewish Insider that Hamawy “should be barred from any national security committee.”
“The Blind Sheikh, Ramsey Youssef, the ‘93 World Trade Center bombing — the original plot was to hit 12 Jewish synagogues simultaneously, symbolic of the 12 tribes of Israel,” McCaul said, “and so anybody that’s tied to that should never be elected to Congress, and if he is, I think should never serve on a national security committee — because then you get access to classified information.”
In a statement to JI, a campaign spokesperson said, “Hamawy’s entire career and life have been defined by his patriotism and deep love of this country,” and emphasized that he was in the military during the time of the Blind Sheikh trial.
“As a witness, he performed his civic and legal duty to testify truthfully under oath and contribute to the system of laws and justice he defended while serving our country in the Army,” the statement, similar to ones the campaign has provided in the past, continued. “At the time, the man in question was one of very few religious figures in what was then a very small Muslim community in New Jersey — he saw him speak in religious settings in his early 20s. Dr. Hamawy condemns that man’s violent rhetoric and actions, and all violence, hatred, and terrorism — and he will always. Dr. Hamawy had no contact with this person after they were arrested.”
The campaign also dismissed reporting on his relationship with the Blind Sheikh as “bad-faith, guilt-by-association attacks” started by a “designated hate [group].”
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) said that Hamawy’s eligibility for national security posts “obviously … has to be a conversation we’ll have to have once we get past the general election.”
He also referenced his concerns about state Rep. Chris Rabb, a Democratic nominee in Philadelphia, and said that Democrats should hold Rabb to the same standard as former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) — after she shared “false flag” theories about the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting — for sharing a false flag conspiracy theory about the mass shooting at a Hanukkah gathering at Sydney’s Bondi Beach last December.
Rabb has disavowed and condemned the Bondi Beach post shared by his Instagram account, attributing it to a campaign contractor who has since been dismissed.
“We want to win elections, we want to win the House, we want to win the Senate,” Moskowitz said. “But expanding the tent to the point where we’re taking people in that don’t really share our values, I think, is a long-term mistake.”
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) told reporters he has “significant concerns when you have somebody who affirmatively testified for the defense in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and volunteered for an organization that was a front for al-Qaida.”
He said that Hamawy’s past “raises significant questions that, frankly, I think he has not adequately addressed,” and that if Hamawy is elected, “there needs to be an investigation into his ties to these incidents and organizations, and that’s something that I don’t think people should take likely.”
Lawler stopped short of saying that Hamawy should be disqualified from service on any national security committee, saying again that there should be a “thorough investigation” and that he “certainly would have significant concerns about him serving on any committee, let alone in Congress.”
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) said on X that “there is no way [Hamawy] can have a security clearance. National security risk.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who congratulated Hamawy on Tuesday evening for his victory — as he traditionally does for Democratic House nominees around the country — told The Free Press on Wednesday that he hasn’t yet had a conversation with Hamawy about his past affiliations, but planned to speak to him some time on Wednesday.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said on X, “Not even ties to terrorists are too extreme for the modern day Democrat Party.”
Renewed scrutiny of congressional hopefuls Graham Platner and Adam Hamawy highlight the potential for far-left candidates to complicate the party’s midterm ambitions
Sophie Park/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Graham Platner, Democratic Senate candidate for Maine, left, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) during a Fighting Oligarchy event in Portland, Maine, on May 25, 2026.
The latest revelations that Graham Platner, the Democrats’ anti-establishment, far-left standard-bearer in the Maine Senate race, was sending sexually explicit texts to as many as a dozen women while he was married — an issue his wife raised to campaign staff as a potential liability — is another sign that the candidate’s extensive baggage may be too much for the party to handle. (As commentator Haviv Rettig Gur posted on X: “I’m starting to think that SS tattoo might have been a red flag.”)
Meanwhile, a New York Times interview, published over the weekend, with leading New Jersey Democratic congressional candidate Adam Hamawy about his past affiliations with Islamist extremists is going to raise more red flags for Democrats.
Asked about his travels with Omar Abdel Rahman, known as the “Blind Sheikh,” who was connected to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, Hamawy downplayed the spiritual leader’s jihadist sermons. “He wasn’t preaching death and destruction all the time,” Hamawy said. “He had certain views that he spoke in certain forums, but that’s not what he did every single day.”
With the calendar now approaching June, it’s yet another reminder that Democrats are on the verge of nominating some truly radical and damaged candidates for congressional office as a critical mass of primaries take place this month.
Many of the races are taking place in safely blue seats, so Democrats haven’t raised that much concern over candidates such as Hamawy, whose terror ties (including volunteer work for what was later revealed as an al-Qaida front group) at the very least, raise questions about suitability for public office.
But others, such as Platner, are running in battleground Senate seats where the stakes couldn’t be higher. In California and Montana, candidates are running in swing districts where the battle for the House majority will be fought.
If May was the month that tested President Donald Trump’s power over the Republican Party (lesson: he’s still firmly in control of GOP voters), June will be the month that determines whether the Democratic Party is going to abandon its moderate moorings and nominate a roster of radicals.
The stakes couldn’t be higher — especially for Jewish Democrats, who have been among the leading voices alarmed by the rise of these candidates, who, not surprisingly, often hold virulently anti-Israel views and don’t have a problem mainlining antisemitic rhetoric.
While Platner’s expected nomination and Hamawy’s potential one are generating the most attention, several under-the-radar races will have a direct bearing on the Democrats’ midterm prospects.
In California’s congressional races, the pro-Israel advocacy group Democratic Majority for Israel has been involved in two swing-district races where the group fears left-wing candidates could jeopardize the party’s chances of a pickup. In the seat held by Rep. David Valadao (R-CA), the group endorsed Assemblywoman Jasmeet Bains and has been airing ads on her behalf in the Central Valley-based district.
Bains is facing a Democratic challenge from school board trustee Randy Villegas, who has landed endorsements from many of the leading anti-Israel lawmakers in Congress and who many Democrats fear could cost the Democrats a seat if he’s the nominee against the battle-tested Valadao.
In the race to succeed retiring Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) in a San Diego-area district, the pro-Israel group has endorsed San Diego Councilwoman Marni von Wilpert, who is running against Ammar Campa-Najjar, who is of mixed Palestinian and Mexican American descent and has twice unsuccessfully run for Congress. The district was redrawn to elect a Democrat, but it still remains a competitive battleground.
In Iowa, Democrats will be choosing whether to nominate the party-favored state Rep. Josh Turek, the more moderate candidate, or go with a true-blue progressive in state Sen. Zach Wahls. The nominee is expected to face Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) in a state that Democrats hope will become competitive, given the rough national environment for Republicans.
And in Montana’s 1st District, in the race to succeed retiring Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT), Jewish leaders are alarmed by several candidates in the Democratic primary field over their anti-Israel rhetoric and online antisemitic activity. Army veteran Matt Rains appears to be the most mainstream Democratic candidate of the four in the race, but lags behind in fundraising.
The district has been solidly Republican since its creation, but in a Democratic wave, it’s competitive enough that it could flip. Given the extreme rhetoric of some of the Democratic candidates, however, that prospect would be less likely.
Also of note: Los Angeles voters will be determining which two candidates will square off in a runoff for mayor. Assuming embattled Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass finishes in the top two, her opponent will either be running further to her left (Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman) or to her right (reality star Spencer Pratt). The matchup will determine whether the campaign focuses more on catering to progressive voters or moderates disenchanted with the direction of the city.
‘The lack of transparency calls into question who he really is, and whether or not he's the right person for the 12th Congressional District,’ said Hamawy opponent Mayor Adrian Mapp
Islam Dogru/Anadolu via Getty Images
Adam Hamawy, a plastic surgeon, is seen during an exclusive interview at in New York, United States on April 24, 2024.
Several of Adam Hamawy’s opponents in the Democratic primary in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District are challenging the candidate to explain his ties to Omar Abdel-Rahman, the convicted terrorist known as the Blind Sheikh, as well as his service with a charity later shuttered as a front for al-Qaida years after he volunteered.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) is now also joining them in seeking more clarity on the first-time congressional candidate’s background.
Many of Hamawy’s other Democratic rivals appeared hesitant to address the military veteran and physician’s past ties to Islamist extremists, with only Mayor Adrian Mapp of Plainfield publicly addressing the weeks-old reporting about Hamawy testifying in defense of Abdel-Rahman.
Mapp told JI he was “shocked” at the news of Hamawy’s time in Bosnia with the Benevolence International Foundation, an al-Qaida-tied group — and disturbed at what he described as the plastic surgeon’s “refusal to be forthcoming” about his involvement with either Benevolence International or his testimony on behalf of the Blind Sheikh.
“Can you explain why you were in Bosnia in association with an entity that was raided, and believed to be a front for al-Qaida? Can you explain that to the American people and especially to the people in the 12th Congressional District?” Mapp posed to his opponent. “The lack of transparency calls into question who he really is, and whether or not he’s the right person for the 12th Congressional District.”
Hamawy has so far dismissed questions about his associations in the 1990s as Islamophobia, but Mapp maintained he had no objection to a Muslim serving in the seat. He added that the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, that Abdel-Rahman was convicted for inspiring, was personal to him, as he said his brother worked as a security guard in the complex at the time.
Brad Cohen, the mayor of East Brunswick, N.J., likewise said Hamawy’s past ties require further explanation.
“Adam Hamawy has never denounced his association with the terrorist responsible for murdering six Americans and injuring more than 1,000. He stuck by a terrorist who called for death to Jews and Christians and to Muslims whom he did not consider radical enough,” Cohen told JI. “Adam has never explained why he traveled to Bosnia with an al-Qaida-linked organization just a year after his mentor tried to bring down the World Trade Center. These are questions that demand urgent answers and it is deeply troubling that Dr. Hamawy has refused to provide them.”
Somerset County Commissioner Shanel Robinson, another candidate in the race, called on Hamawy to explain his relationship with the Blind Sheikh further, while also praising his military service.
“As a fellow veteran I truly appreciate Adam’s service to his country, and know that it speaks to his patriotism. Adam’s relationship with Sheikh Abdel Rahman was thirty years ago, but Adam and I are both asking the people of New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District to select us for positions of authority in the federal government,” Robinson said. “The voters will judge us on our entire adult lives, the choices we have made, and the people we associate with regardless of whether it was 30 days or 30 years ago. Therefore, the voters deserve to hear directly from Adam about this. In the end, it will be up to them to decide.”
Gottheimer emphasized the connections between the Blind Sheikh, al-Qaida and the 9/11 attacks.
“This hits close to home. I represent a lot of families who lost loved ones on 9/11. I also co-chair the Intelligence Committee’s Review of the 9/11 Commission Report,” Gottheimer said. “Based on what I’ve read, I have serious questions and deep concerns about his associations with terrorist organizations and leaders who have attacked America, from the ‘Blind Sheik’ to Al Qaeda. He needs to answer these questions and explain himself to New Jersey voters.”
Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ) did not address the substance of the issue, but told JI, “It’s going to be up to the voters in New Jersey’s 12th District to consider these allegations.”
Sam Wang, a Princeton University professor, offered a defense of Hamawy, the only one of his opponents reached by JI to do so.
“At the time that Adam Hamawy was in Bosnia, Muslims were under attack. I take him at his word that he was performing a humanitarian mission. It is consistent with his character,” Wang said.
In a statement, a Hamawy campaign spokesperson said that “these questions have been asked and answered” and said that his “entire career and life have been defined by his patriotism and deep love of this country,” noting his military career and work at Ground Zero after 9/11.
The spokesperson noted that Hamawy was and remained in the military during the time of the Blind Sheikh trial.
“As a witness, he performed his civic and legal duty to testify truthfully under oath and contribute to the system of laws and justice he defended while serving our country in the Army,” the spokesperson said. “At the time, the man in question was one of very few religious figures in what was then a very small Muslim community in New Jersey – he saw him speak in religious settings in his early 20s. Dr. Hamawy condemns that man’s violent rhetoric and actions, and all violence, hatred, and terrorism — and he will always. Dr. Hamawy had no contact with this person after they were arrested.”
The spokesperson also called attacks on his work with Benevolence International in Bosnia, “desperate,” “absurd,” and “gross and bigoted.”
“Dr. Adam Hamawy, as a young medical student and member of the US military, volunteered to provide medical assistance to victims of the Bosnian genocide, per the suggestion the Bosnian mission made to him on how to help via a United Nations approved route,” the spokesperson said.
Several other competitive candidates in the race contacted by JI about Hamawy’s past ties did not respond to requests for comment or declined to comment. No other Democratic members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation — including Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) — responded to requests for comments.
Hamawy, boosted by $1.5 million in spending from the anti-Israel American Priorities super PAC, his own strong internal fundraising and unified support from national progressives, has emerged as the apparent front-runner ahead of Tuesday’s primary race.
More moderate candidates have divided the vote, with their support mainly concentrated in their local communities. But a last-minute infusion of nearly $400,000 by a largely unknown super PAC, Project 218, is set to boost Sue Altman, a former progressive organizer and staffer for Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ), ahead of the primary election on Tuesday. Altman has faced more than $250,000 in attack ads from the Florence Avenue Initiative, a super PAC whose backers are unknown.
Plus, Green going, going, gone
DREW ANGERER/AFP via Getty Images
Dr. Adam Hamawy speaks during an AFP interview after meetings on Capitol Hill, in Washington DC, on June 14, 2024.
Good Wednesday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we have the scoop on the ties between New Jersey congressional candidate Adam Hamawy and a Bosnian organization with which he volunteered that was later shuttered for providing support to Al-Qaida, and report on Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s comment that he struggles with whether Israel should exist as a Jewish state. We report on the just-released text of the final version of New York State’s “buffer zone” legislation, and have the exclusive on a new report that documents a $65 million Qatari campaign to influence U.S. education. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Mike Needham, Bezhalel Machlis and James Tisch.
Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by JI Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with assists from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.
What We’re Watching
- We’re awaiting the final results of yesterday’s runoffs in Texas, which saw Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton trounce Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and antisemitic sex therapist Maureen Galindo defeated in the Democratic primary in the state’s 35th Congressional District. More below.
- We’re monitoring the situation in Iran as the Islamic Republic begins to lift its monthslong internet blackout across the country. Reuters reported on Tuesday that the Pentagon clashed with Elon Musk’s Starlink after the satellite internet company raised the price of deploying direct-to-cell services as well as the cost of its satellite Wi-Fi network used by the Defense Department for its kamikaze drones.
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan railed against Israel earlier today while making remarks on the occasion of the Muslim holiday of Eid-al Adha, suggesting that “the tyrant known as [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu will learn the necessary lesson at the hands of the world’s Muslims.”
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S JOSH KRAUSHAAR
In last night’s Texas primary runoffs, Democrats successfully prevented a virulent antisemite from becoming the party’s nominee in a battleground House race, while voters also ousted one of the party’s longtime anti-Israel lawmakers for a younger, more pragmatic replacement.
On the Republican side, President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was the decisive factor in Paxton’s sweeping victory over Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), a widely respected pragmatic conservative who served for years in party leadership.
The results painted a picture of a volatile electorate in both parties. A late push by the Democrats’ House campaign arm and the pro-Israel advocacy group Democratic Majority for Israel helped prevent sex therapist Maureen Galindo, who advocated putting pro-Israel Jews in internment camps as part of her campaign message, from winning a valued nomination in Texas’ swing 35th Congressional District.
Johnny Garcia, a Bexar County sheriff’s deputy long touted by national Democrats as a top recruit, won the Democratic nomination by 28 points (64-36%) despite finishing in second place in the primary. He will face Republican Air Force veteran Carlos de la Cruz in the general election.
DMFI’s political action committee touted its role as an early endorser of Garcia’s campaign, and for being one of the first and few groups to raise the red flag on Galindo’s extreme views. In its victory statement, DMFI also condemned the efforts from a secretive GOP group to spend nearly $1 million on Galindo’s behalf, in hopes of elevating a more vulnerable Democratic candidate to the general election.
On the positive side, an extremist was defeated thanks to leading Democratic Party organizations and officials rushing to condemn her candidacy. It’s a sign of how institutions can use their power to unify in speaking out against hate. On the other hand, she still won over one-third of the runoff vote despite the full-court press from Democrats to oppose her, a sign that it may take aggressive measures simply to stop a crank from prevailing.
Pro-Israel leaders also cheered the resounding defeat of Rep. Al Green (D-TX), who has alienated the Houston Jewish community with his anti-Israel votes in Congress in recent years and lackluster constituent services. Green lost by nearly 40 points to Rep. Christian Menefee (D-TX), who was just elected to Congress in a neighboring district and was forced to run against his colleague as a result of redistricting.
SCOOP
Leading N.J. Dem congressional candidate Adam Hamawy volunteered with Al-Qaida-tied group in Bosnia
Adam Hamawy’s past relationship with terrorist mastermind Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman has loomed over his rapid rise in the race to succeed retiring Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ). Just one year before Hamawy took the witness stand on the sheikh’s behalf at his 1995 trial, the congressional candidate traveled to Bosnia with a group subsequently shut down for providing “logistical support” to Al-Qaida, Jewish Insider’s Will Bredderman reports.
Trip talk: In a 1996 interview with the Newark Star-Ledger, according to a copy JI recovered through an archive of print publications, Hamawy described volunteering in Bosnia during the summer of 1994 with a Chicago-based nonprofit called the Benevolence International Foundation. “I worked in Sarajevo for 10 days and then the rest in Zenica, a large regional center in central Bosnia,” Hamawy, who had just graduated from medical school, told the paper about the five weeks he spent with the organization. Sarajevo and Zenica were the exact cities where Benevolence International maintained its offices — offices that Bosnian authorities raided in 2002, part of a joint effort with U.S. authorities to dismantle the group, which they had identified as a front for Al-Qaida.
SCOOP
El-Sayed said he struggles with question of whether Israel should exist as a Jewish state
Abdul El-Sayed, the far-left Democratic candidate for Michigan’s Senate seat, said at an event with Jewish supporters last week that he struggles to answer questions about whether he believes Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
What he said: El-Sayed, in response to a question from an audience member about him sidestepping inquiries about Israel’s right to exist, said, “I often struggle with the question that people ask in this particular scenario, because what they now ask is, ‘Do you believe in the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state,’ which, to me, forces the question of a definition of what a Jewish state means.” El-Sayed continued: “I need folks who want to ask me that question [to explain] what it is that they mean by that, and how that is consistent with any form of liberal values that we say we believe in here in the United States.”
ALL BUFFED OUT
Final New York state buffer bill makes blocking access to religious institutions a misdemeanor
The final version of the New York state “buffer zone” legislation passed by the state Legislature on Tuesday makes it a Class B misdemeanor — one of the lowest levels of criminal offense — to “knowingly” infringe on the right of access or egress to a religious institution, or to cause those entering or exiting to fear for their safety from a distance of less than 50 feet, Jewish Insider’s Will Bredderman reports.
Where it landed: The language is less punitive than the legislation that Gov. Kathy Hochul initially endorsed, which would have made it a low-level felony for demonstrators to obstruct doorways and driveways at houses of worship. But the 50-foot enforcement zone in the final draft is twice as large as the one described in the earlier versions of the bill, and would apply to sidewalks as well as private parking lots and other entry points.
EXCLUSIVE
New report documents $65 million Qatari campaign to influence U.S. education at all levels
Qatar has spent more than $65 million to influence U.S. education over the past 17 years through Qatar Foundation International, with efforts targeting all levels of education including K-12, universities, teacher training programs and national education networks, according to a new report from the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy. ISGAP, in its report, called for a federal investigation of Qatar’s influence efforts targeting American education — and some lawmakers on Capitol Hill appear eager to join those inquiries, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Beyond its purview: The report alleges that QFI has gone significantly further than supporting Arab-language education, as QFI now claims is its goal, and has instead undertaken efforts to exercise influence over social studies, science, technology, art and mathematics curricula, activism and educational professional development programs — and deliberately engaged in efforts to shield its work and influence, using the credibility of host organizations to which it provided funding.
RED FLAGS
Josh Shapiro warns of ‘very dangerous’ efforts to target AIPAC supporters in Democratic Party
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro warned of the dangers of efforts within the Democratic Party to single out AIPAC, telling Politico in a new interview that painting the pro-Israel group as “toxic” could be seen as silencing Jewish voices in the American political system, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.
What he said: “I think it’s been used cynically by some to try and silence certain voices, to try and say that certain people participating in politics shouldn’t count, or should be viewed in a toxic way,” Shapiro said in the interview, which was released on Tuesday. Where some Democrats have recently distanced themselves from AIPAC, Shapiro declined to do so. “Do I agree with every political decision they’ve made, every endorsement they made? Of course not,” said Shapiro. “I think what we have seen is a weaponization of that. And I think that is a danger for our system.”
Taking aim: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a recent interview with Politico, arguing that the Israeli premier has committed war crimes and that his actions make American Jews less safe.
CONTROLLER CONTEST
Los Angeles controller race pits mainstream Democrat against anti-Israel incumbent
Kenneth Mejia, the incumbent controller of Los Angeles who is running for reelection in next week’s primary, bolted from the Democratic Party in early 2024 to protest American support for Israel after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks and the ensuing war in Gaza. The L.A. controller has no jurisdiction over anything Israel-related but Mejia said he “could no longer be part of a party that pays for bombs to be dropped overseas while people here in America and in L.A. are struggling to put food on the table and a roof over their head.” That’s provided an opening for his opponent, real estate executive Zach Sokoloff, to go after Mejia, painting him as insufficiently Democratic, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.
What he’s saying: “From my standpoint, Los Angeles is still a staunchly Democratic town,” Sokoloff told JI in a recent interview. “I think that it’s healthy for parties to evolve as the world evolves, and I guess remaining loyal to the Democratic Party for me means being involved in that conversation, not abandoning it.”
Scene in Sacramento: California’s state Assembly on Tuesday advanced the Safe Worship Zone Act, which if signed into law would establish 100-foot no-protest zones around the entrances of houses of worship; the effort comes on the heels of similar efforts in New York City and at the federal level.
Worthy Reads
Blow to Beijing: In The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy’s Michael Singh posits that the war with Iran has revealed the limits of Beijing’s global influence. “[China] hasn’t come to the aid of its key economic partners like the U.A.E. Meanwhile, China’s relations with Iran, its supposed strategic partner, have been tenuous. Beijing has cautiously aided Tehran — buying oil and reportedly providing limited military support. Iran repaid the favor by seizing a Chinese vessel the same day President Trump and Mr. Xi met in Beijing. (Iran also fired on a Chinese vessel days before.) The moves indicated to both leaders exactly what Tehran thought of suggestions that China could force Iran to open the strait.” [WSJ]
Georgia on My Mind: The Washington Post’s editorial board raises concerns about the Republic of Georgia’s pivot to authoritarianism as the country increasingly aligns itself with American adversaries. “The United States’ once-stalwart ally in the region, Georgia, is increasingly turning anti-American. Its government, headed by the Georgian Dream party, has for years openly played footsie with Russia at the expense of its Western ties. Less well-known is that it has also been cultivating ties with Iran.” [WashPost]
Ceasefire in Name Only: In The New York Times, Lebanese writer Rana Hanna reflects on decades of failed ceasefires as a result of Hezbollah’s continued entrenchment in the country. “The state binds itself to agreements on behalf of an actor it can neither compel nor control. A Lebanese cease-fire is a document about the cessation of violence that leaves intact every internal mechanism that produced it. … Having lived all my life with war as the backdrop, I am hesitant to believe that things could change. But I need to. A cease-fire in Lebanon that ends the need for future cease-fires would have to happen on two planes. We would have to sign a peace treaty with our neighbors, and we would have to sign another with ourselves.” [NYTimes]
Word on the Street
Secretary of State Marco Rubio tapped longtime advisor Mike Needham to serve as assistant to President Donald Trump and deputy national security advisor…
The Justice Department filed a third lawsuit against UCLA, alleging that the school violated Jewish students’ civil rights by being “deliberately indifferent” to antisemitism in the months after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks, including the creation in spring 2024 of an anti-Israel encampment on the campus…
Republicans in both chambers of Congress are urging the Trump administration to move to permanently dismantle the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, with a new letter from House Republicans calling for a reworking of Palestinian refugee programs in the region, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…
An appellate court granted Mahmoud Khalil a stay of a previous order that denied the former Columbia University anti-Israel protest leader a rehearing of his case as the Trump administration seeks to deport him…
CUNY School of Law once again featured anti-Israel activity at its commencement ceremony on Thursday, allowing antagonistic student activity during its graduation events for the fourth straight year, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports…
Brooklyn’s Park Slope Coop voted by a 2-to-1 margin in favor of boycotting Israeli products, capping off a yearslong endeavor by activists to end the institution’s sales of Israeli-made items including olive oil, hair products and some brands of tahini…
The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office announced it was filing a hate crime charge against a California man who was captured on security footage attacking a visibly Jewish man as he was walking home from synagogue; the victim said that the alleged assailant shouted “Free Palestine!” in the aftermath of the attack…
“CBS Evening News,” hosted by Tony Dokoupil, reached 4 million viewers last week as the Bari Weiss-led network newscast makes inroads against rivals ABC and NBC…
British authorities in Bath are conducting a new probe into social media posts from the former mayor of the city, who resigned after coming under fire for sharing content suggesting that the recent arson attack on Hatzola ambulances in the heavily Jewish London suburb of Golders Green was an “Israeli false flag operation”…
Jordanian-American tech entrepreneur Amjad Masad, who has frequently criticized Israel, was honored by Jordanian King Abdullah II…
The Financial Times reports on the challenges facing the Trump administration’s Board of Peace, which has not received much of the $17 billion in pledged funds for operations; the group received $3 million from Morocco and $20 million from the United Arab Emirates to support the office of Board of Peace head Nickolay Mladenov, while another $100 million was given by the UAE to fund a currently stalled police-training program…
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the death of Hamas military head Mohammed Odeh in an IDF strike in Gaza City, 11 days after Odeh was tapped to succeed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, who was also killed in an Israeli strike…
The IDF formally dismissed Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, the former military advocate-general, who last year admitted to leaking footage from the Sde Teiman detention center that allegedly showed the abuse of a Palestinian detainee by Israeli forces…
Israeli carrier Israir is planning to launch a direct route between Israel and New York City this summer, joining Arkia and El Al, which currently operate regular long-haul flights from Ben Gurion Airport to New York; Israir’s entry into the market comes as U.S. carriers Delta and United continue to delay a resumption of flights to Israel following the outbreak of war with Iran…
The U.S. and Thailand are accelerating talks for the Southeast Asian country’s state-controlled energy company PTT PCL to purchase some $5.4 billion in U.S. energy products per year; the talks, which began last year, ramped up following the onset of the Iran war, as Qatar, which is second only to the U.S. in liquefied natural gas exports, faced extensive damage to its energy infrastructure…
Elbit CEO Bezhalel Machlis told Reuters that the defense contractor is in the process of developing hardware to thwart Hezbollah’s fiber-optic drones, which have evaded Israeli defensive systems and targeted both IDF soldiers and civilians in recent weeks…
Indian authorities said that Iran released 10 Indian sailors who had been imprisoned in the Islamic Republic since the Palau-flagged oil tanker they were on was seized by Iranian forces last July…
Loews Corp Chairman James Tisch was elected as the new co-chair of the Council for a Secure America…
Newspaper mogul Donald Newhouse, who headed Advance Publications’ newspaper division, died at 96…
Pic of the Day
World War II veteran and Holocaust survivor Ralph Brunn, 101, joined by U.S. Navy veteran Barry Steelman, threw out last night’s ceremonial first pitch at the Baltimore Orioles’ home game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Camden Yards for Jewish Heritage Night.
Birthdays
Stage, film and television actor and producer, Ben Feldman turns 46…
Professor emeritus at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, he is the author of over 80 books, Philip Kotler turns 95… Founder of Val d’Or Apparel and Cannon County Knitting Mills, Martin “Marty” Granoff turns 90… CEO of British real estate firm Heron International, he was knighted in 2024, Sir Gerald Ronson turns 87… Senior U.S. district judge for the Central District of California, Christina A. Snyder turns 79… Retired in 2014 as school rabbi and director of Jewish studies at The Rashi School, a K-8 Reform Jewish school in Dedham, Mass., Ellen Weinstein Pildis… Partner in the D.C. office of ArentFox Schiff, he wrote a book about the struggle for Jewish civil rights during the French Revolution, Gerard Leval turns 76… Analytical psychotherapist, author, and Jewish Renewal rabbi, Tirzah Firestone turns 72… Former MLB pitcher who played for the White Sox and Pirates, he is now a financial advisor at RBC Wealth Management, Ross Baumgarten turns 71… Emmy Award-winning actor, comedian and director, Richard Schiff turns 71… Owner of a 900-acre plant nursery in Kansas, he is a former MLB pitcher and was an MLB All Star in 1979 and 1982, Mark Clear turns 70… Marriage counselor, therapist and author, Sherry Amatenstein… U.S. ambassador to Argentina during the Biden administration, he served for six years as chairman of the National Jewish Democratic Council, Marc R. Stanley turns 69… Beverly Hills-based immigration attorney, founder and chairman of the Los Angeles Sephardic Jewish Film Festival, Neil J. Sheff… EVP of talent and technology at Phibro Animal Health, Jonathan Bendheim… Chicago-based reporter at The New York Times, he was a Rhodes Scholar and then a longtime senior editor for The New Republic, Noam Scheiber… Director of development at the Livingston, N.J.-based Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy, Grant Silverstein… Science of Success columnist for The Wall Street Journal, Benjamin Zachary Cohen… Director of legislative affairs and policy at General Atomics, Katherina “Katya” Dimenstein… Assistant district attorney for Dallas County, Joshua A. Fitterman… Reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer since 2012, Andrew Seidman… Emily Cohen…
After traveling with the ‘Blind Sheikh,’ Hamawy worked with Benevolence International Foundation, later shuttered as an Al-Qaida front
Islam Dogru/Anadolu via Getty Images
Adam Hamawy, a plastic surgeon, is seen during an exclusive interview at in New York, United States on April 24, 2024.
Adam Hamawy’s past relationship with terrorist mastermind Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman has loomed over his rapid rise in the race to succeed retiring Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ).
Their relationship spanned a 1991 road trip the two took together to Detroit, Hamawy’s service as the sheikh’s translator for a press conference in which Abdel-Rahman denied any role in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and Hamawy’s testimony on the sheikh’s behalf at his 1995 trial, where the Islamist leader was convicted of plotting to carry out a campaign of terrorist attacks in New York City.
But just one year before Hamawy took the witness stand to describe his travels with Abdel-Rahman, the now-Congressional candidate made a different journey with another party entangled in terrorist conspiracies: to Bosnia, with a group subsequently shut down for providing “logistical support” to Al-Qaida.
In a 1996 interview with the Newark Star-Ledger, according to a copy Jewish Insider recovered through an archive of print publications, Hamawy described volunteering in Bosnia during the summer of 1994 with a Chicago-based nonprofit called the “Benevolence International Foundation.”
“I worked in Sarajevo for 10 days and then the rest in Zenica, a large regional center in central Bosnia,” Hamawy, who had just graduated from medical school, told the paper about the five weeks he spent with the organization. “We went out to hospitals around the area and in the mountains to check what supplies they needed and we tried to deliver them.”
Sarajevo and Zenica were the exact cities where Benevolence International maintained its offices — offices that Bosnian authorities raided in 2002, part of a joint effort with U.S. authorities to dismantle the group, which they had identified as a front for Al-Qaida. The 9/11 Commission Report would later identify the foundation’s base in the Bosnian capital as part of the “impressive array of offices [that] covertly provided financial and other support for terrorist activities” that Osama bin Laden established in the early 1990s.
Hamawy, who has scored endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) in his New Jersey congressional bid, did not respond to repeated questions about his relationship with Benevolence International and his contacts and activities in Bosnia.
The plastic surgeon has emerged as a frontrunner in the congressional race despite his relationship with the “Blind Sheikh” receiving significant coverage in recent weeks. A 1995 court transcript shows how the then-medical student Hamawy described meeting the Islamist leader in 1991, visiting him at his home and accompanying him on a 13-hour van trip to a conference in Detroit. In the courtroom, he and the sheikh greeted each other warmly, and Hamawy denied a government informant’s claim that Abdel-Rahman had urged the assassination of the then-president of Egypt.
But no other publication has reported Hamawy’s connection to Benevolence International since the Star-Ledger interview in 1996.
According to evidence federal prosecutors proffered in court, and the affidavits of federal agents, the 2002 raids on the Bosnian offices recovered weapons; correspondence between the group’s chief executive, Enaam Arnaout, and bin Laden from the 1980s and 1990s; letters from other Al-Qaida leaders on battles and financial transactions; a photo of Arnaout and bin Laden together; an organizational chart of Al-Qaida; a handwritten list of top donors to the terror organization; copies of never-before-seen documents concerning Al-Qaida’s 1988 founding and its admission policies; and details regarding training camps and Al-Qaida operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sudan.
According to Marko Atila Hoare, a political science professor and historian at the Sarajevo School of Science and Technology, the early 1990s saw a global mobilization of Muslims to aid their co-religionists in the Balkans. Facing a Serbian onslaught, the embattled Bosnian government accepted this support, even though the involvement of foreign Islamic militants would later cause frustration and embarrassment for authorities there.
“A lot of them wanted to go and defend Muslims from non-Muslims persecuting them,” Hoare said, noting that the chaos of war allowed many groups to operate with little scrutiny from officials or the outside world. “You had these organizations like Benevolence, like the Third World Relief Agency, which were operating in this chaotic situation, and some of them were absolute fronts for radical Islamists, and others were ordinary charities. But in these ordinary charities you could also have radicals or extremists infiltrating them.”
Hoare said that not every volunteer who came to the country, even with Benevolence International, was “a hardcore jihadist with terrorist intent.” But among those who took up this “cause celebre in the Muslim world,” as he called it, was Al-Qaida.
The federal evidence file in the case against Benevolence International and Arnaout described how the terror organization deployed a representative to the Balkans in late 1992 on a fact-finding mission for bin Laden, part of a plan “to establish a base for operations in Europe against al Qaeda’s true enemy, the United States.” The materials assert that senior Al-Qaida officials credited Benevolence International with obtaining funds and weapons for the jihadist group, as well as with helping Al-Qaida secure arms for Bosnian militants.
By the time Hamawy arrived, the Syrian-born Arnaout had already been arrested in Croatia on suspicions of weapons smuggling, according to a 2002 handbook from the Austrian National Defence Academy — and then “apparently managed to escape from prison” and continued “forming and supervising the Training Centres” near Zenica (An attorney for Arnaout called this account of his client’s activities “unsupported,” and asserted he lacked the “practical military experience” to carry them out.)
The area near Zenica was where Hamawy reported working in 1994. It was also where the Bosnian Army had recently set up its “El Mujahedin” unit, for foreign fighters who had poured into the warzone, according to the European Court of Human Rights. And among the organizations providing the unit with “funds and assistance,” the court found, was the Benevolence International Foundation.
According to the testimony of FBI agent Robert Walker, Benevolence International was originally the creation of Saudi Sheikh Adel Abdul Jalil Batterjee, a since-sanctioned Al-Qaida financier. The group, Walker attested, operated in tandem with the terror group across multiple nations, providing it with “logistical support.”
“BIF was used in the early 1990s by Usama Bin Laden as a means to transfer money to bank accounts, generally held by purported relief organizations, in countries where al Qaeda members or associates were conducting operations,” the Walker affidavit, which cites multiple confidential informants, reads. “Arnaout was an administrator for Usama Bin Laden who disbursed funds at times on behalf of Bin Laden.”
Arnaout incorporated the Benevolence International branch in the United States in 1992 and served as its chief executive. In 1994, the year Hamawy volunteered with the group, its leadership included Mohamed Loay Bayazid, an alleged Al-Qaida co-founder who sought to secure weapons-grade uranium for the terrorist group. In December of that year, Bayazid was arrested in San Francisco in the company of bin Laden’s brother-in-law, Al-Qaida lieutenant Mohammed Jamal Khalifa.
Walker’s informants also described Arnaout as a “close associate” of Afghan militant commander Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, and the Bosnian office raid turned up video footage of the two men together. The FBI affidavit in turn linked Hekmatyar to Hamawy’s associate and travel companion, the Blind Sheikh Abdel-Rahman — another ally of bin Laden, who also allegedly encouraged his followers to wage jihad in Bosnia.
In 1996, Hamawy told the Star-Ledger he had gotten in contact with Benevolence International through the “Bosnian mission to the United States,” and made no mention of the then-freshly convicted Abdel-Rahman. The article also said his work in Bosnia had occurred “under the auspices of the United Nations High Command for Refugees.” No U.N. agency of this name exists, although there is a High Commission for Refugees, which was unable to confirm that it worked with Benevolence International in Bosnia. Hoare, the historian in Sarajevo, described the U.N.’s work in the country during the war as “corrupted” by local interests and actors, many with ill intent.
Records show that in 1994, the counselor and second deputy ambassador at the Bosnian mission in New York was a New Jersey native named Saffet Catovic. In December 2001, the time of the first federal raids upon Benevolence International’s offices outside Chicago, Catovic was widely quoted as the foundation’s spokesman.
“[The collapsing Bosnian state was] forming these missions in different countries on an ad hoc basis, with what they had, the people they had,” said Hoare, who did not speak directly to Catovic’s case. “It was a very sort of chaotic, ad hoc situation where it was very easy for people to infiltrate missions.”
An imam, Catovic has remained prominent in New Jersey politics and religious affairs, and last fall hosted Hamawy on a YouTube panel discussion of the Gaza conflict. Members of Catovic’s family have donated to Hamawy’s congressional campaign, Federal Election Commission records show.
Catovic did not respond to repeated questions about his contact with Hamawy during his time in the Bosnian mission. Hamawy and his campaign similarly did not answer whether Catovic provided any referral for his work with Benevolence International, or whether the Blind Sheikh had ever referenced the Bosnian conflict in his presence.
Arnaout ultimately pleaded guilty to a racketeering charge in 2003, admitting he had raised money for purported humanitarian purposes and funneled it to the Bosnian military. The Justice Department dropped its terrorism charges, and the judge in the case criticized some of the evidence federal authorities presented as overly reliant on personal associations.
However, the same judge ruled in the Justice Department’s favor in 2019 when it moved to strip Arnaout of his U.S. naturalization status. The prosecutors cited — among other factors — Ernaout’s employment at Benevolence International and the group’s links to Al-Qaida.
In his defense at his denaturalization trial, Arnaout admitted having been “an acquaintance” of bin Laden and Hekmatyar, but continued to deny any ties to terrorist activity. His attorney underscored that the criminal terrorism allegations against him “were never proven.” He entered a settlement agreement with the federal government that remains under seal.
The U.S. Treasury Department and the United Nations Security Council continue to include Benevolence International on their lists of entities sanctioned for terrorist connections, although the group has long since ceased operations. The foundation has been the target of numerous civil lawsuits from parties harmed on 9/11.
On the campaign trail, Hamawy has stressed another part of his volunteer record: his eight years as a U.S. Army officer during the Global War on Terror, which saw him work in a host of military hospitals, including one in Baghdad.
He has referenced his time in Bosnia only glancingly, gently correcting a Turkish state TV interviewer that his work in the Balkans was not through the Army but “another volunteer mission.” He did not mention Benevolence International by name.
He also told a local New Jersey station, “I was in Bosnia early on in ‘95” — which, if accurate, would mean he either spent more time in the country than he acknowledged in the 1996 Star-Ledger interview, or was there during a different period than he described to the newspaper.
But what has given the plastic surgeon such recent prominence has been his volunteer work in the Gaza Strip during Israel’s war with Hamas, including at the European Hospital in Khan Younis. The IDF struck the hospital repeatedly in 2025 to take out an underground Hamas command center that it said operated beneath the medical center.
In multiple interviews in far-left media, Hamawy has denied the existence of such a terrorist post, and insisted to Jacobin that the facility was “a completely benign civilian hospital with no tunnels underneath it.”
The IDF has contradicted his account with footage of subterranean passages, including where it reported recovering the body of Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar. Hamas subsequently confirmed the killing.
Dr. Adam Hamawy, seeking Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman’s seat in New Jersey, pays $7,900 a month to rent his own medical offices as a campaign HQ
DREW ANGERER/AFP via Getty Images
Dr. Adam Hamawy speaks during an AFP interview after meetings on Capitol Hill, in Washington DC, on June 14, 2024.
Dr. Adam Hamawy’s New Jersey plastic surgery practice, which offers such procedures as Brazilian butt lifts, hair transplants and post-pregnancy “mommy makeovers,” is charging his own congressional campaign $7,900 a month for office space.
Filings with the Federal Election Commission reveal that Hamawy, running on a fervent anti-Israel platform to replace retiring Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), has already relayed the first rent check to Princeton Plastic Surgeons, for which state business records show the candidate himself as the sole owner. And there’s more campaign cash headed to the clinic in the months ahead, a spokesperson told Jewish Insider.
“We would much rather be spending this money on paid media, literature, or anything else, but we are running a grassroots campaign in one of the most expensive real estate markets in America, and a space for our volunteers to gather and organize is crucial,” an emailed statement reads.
The campaign maintains it arrived at the $7,900-a-month payment to Hamawy’s business by consulting a compliance firm. It also alluded to federal regulations that allow a campaign to pay companies linked to the candidate so long as it purchases all goods and services at market rate.
Hamawy’s financial disclosure to the House Ethics Committee estimates the value of his practice at one-quarter to half-a-million dollars, and shows that it paid him a salary of $138,461 last year. It had paid him $11,538 for 2026 as of the end of the disclosure period on April 3, a few weeks after the campaign made its first $7,900 payment.
Hamawy’s team at first insisted his practice could have charged another tenant as much as $10,000 a month, and thus Princeton Plastic Surgeons is “losing money they could be making, not earning extra money.” However, on further questioning, the campaign acknowledged that no other entity had shown interest in subleasing space inside a cosmetic procedure center.
“Princeton Plastic Surgeons tried to find a tenant when Dr. Hamawy decided to run for office, but the Princeton-area is a saturated medical market and they were unable to find interested tenants besides the campaign,” the spokesperson wrote.
The campaign maintained that the FEC had informed their compliance firm that Princeton Plastic Surgeons could not legally provide the space as an in-kind contribution, but did not provide written advice. Federal guidance allows for the donation of “assets which the candidate has a legal right of access to or control over.”
Business records show that multiple other entities associated with Hamawy operate out of his plastic surgery offices, including his nonprofit Global Surgery Fund, which raised funds to support his work in Gaza during the recent conflict. However, JI found that this organization had never registered to operate as a charity in New Jersey.
Questioned about this, the Hamawy campaign said that an attorney had advised the Global Surgery Fund that it was exempt from state filing requirements — but that it was “now being registered for the sake of additional transparency.”
Records also reveal that in recent weeks, as his campaign got underway, Hamawy transferred ownership of two other companies operating out of the clinic to his children: Dragonstone Ventures and Global Opportunity Consulting. Dragonstone Ventures has a webpage describing it as an “early-seed investor of choice for ambitious, future-thinking founders,” while Global Opportunity Consulting has no online presence.
The campaign described both as “minor business ventures” without significant income. It did not provide a requested list of firms they had invested in.
“Dr. Hamawy divested from the entities to avoid conflicts of interest as he enters a new phase of his public service,” it said in a statement, though it did not explain how handing the companies to his children would eliminate the conflict.
Global Opportunity Consulting paid Hamawy’s wife a $30,000 salary last year, and $7,500 as of early April, according to the candidate’s House Ethics committee disclosure.
The campaign stressed that Hamawy had received his plastic surgery training through a U.S. Army program and that he was on active duty in the military during his fellowship period. He formed Princeton Plastic Surgeons, which has done business under various other names, in 2013.
In 2017, a former patient sued Hamawy, alleging that she had suffered “severe and permanent injuries” due to his negligence while performing a chemical peel. Court records show the case was ultimately “amicably adjusted by and between parties” out of court. The campaign told JI the patient only sought a refund and “additional services,” and that “no settlement was provided.”
Hamawy and his practice faced a separate malpractice suit in 2023 from a patient who alleged he and his staff had ignored her latex allergy when inserting medical drains into her face during a chin lift procedure, resulting in inflammation and “a significant scar.” However, a judge dismissed the case after the plaintiff failed to obtain an adequate affidavit from a medical expert validating her claim of negligence.
Adam Hamawy is running as an anti-Israel activist in a crowded primary to succeed Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, and is backed by well-financed outside groups
DREW ANGERER/AFP via Getty Images
Dr. Adam Hamawy speaks during an AFP interview after meetings on Capitol Hill, in Washington DC, on June 14, 2024.
The wide open Democratic primary in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District could pose a difficult dilemma for local Jewish voters and national pro-Israel groups, given the candidacy of Adam Hamawy, a physician who served in Gaza and has made criticism of Israel a centerpiece of his campaign.
With a crowded field of candidates staking out a range of views on the U.S.-Israel relationship, the race poses tough strategic questions for the pro-Israel community — if it wants to block Hamawy from becoming the Democratic nominee. With such a divided field, a candidate could win the nomination in the June 2 primary with a small plurality.
The seat is currently held by the retiring Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ).
Hamawy, who posted strong first-quarter fundraising and is winning support from national progressive groups and leaders, is now being championed by American Priorities, an anti-Israel group that aims to counter AIPAC. American Priorities has indicated it’s prepared to spend $2 million supporting Hamawy.
Pro-Israel groups are thus far uninvolved in the race and aren’t indicating any plans to engage.
But a Hamawy victory would create red flags in the Jewish community, given his outspoken anti-Israel stance. Despite his extreme views on Israel, he has a compelling personal biography — he is a veteran combat physician credited with saving Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s (D-IL) life.
A New Jersey Jewish leader told JI that the race presents tough choices for the Jewish community, predicting that Jewish voters are likely to be split among several of the candidates, including Sue Altman, a former state director for Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ), and East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen.
Other candidates, including state Rep. Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, could also prove to be viable challengers, with the support of local political machines.
In addition to recent comments on far-left streamer Hasan Piker’s show in which he said he does not support Israel’s Iron Dome missile-defense system because it insulates Israel from the consequences of war, Hamawy is now also facing scrutiny for comments he made in 2024 after volunteering at the European Gaza Hospital in the enclave during Israel’s war with Hamas.
The Washington Free Beacon resurfaced past comments by Hamawy saying definitively that Gaza’s hospitals were not being used as bases or hideouts for Hamas terrorists, saying that he saw “no fighters at all,” no guns, no combatants and “definitely no tunnels underground.”
A year later, Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar was killed in a strike on a tunnel that ran directly under the European Hospital’s emergency department during a meeting with other top Hamas leaders. Israel has said that the hospital served as a command center during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel and that it found evidence that Hamas hostages were held under it.
Altman ran on a pro-Israel platform in 2024 in a neighboring district but now says she opposes U.S. financial aid for Israel and wants to restrict and condition weapons sales, while arguing strongly in defense of the Iron Dome system and stridently criticizing Hamawy for opposing it. The former progressive organizer is trying to stake out a middle ground to attract both progressives critical of Israel and more pro-Israel Jewish voters.
Cohen is Jewish and has been the strongest supporter of Israel in the field, facing criticism and, in some cases, antisemitic attacks for that position. He once described himself as a member of AIPAC and faced criticism from Watson Coleman over his stance on Israel — she called him a “hard-line supporter of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu” and specifically urged voters to reject him.
Both candidates, the Jewish leader said, are “reasonable people” who are willing and able to have nuanced conversations about Israel and the Jewish community — though they hold differing views on Israel. Jewish voters, they said, could play a significant role in the election, particularly in Cohen’s home area of East Brunswick.
“They both have their followings, and they’re both, I would argue, relatively well-liked both in and out of the Jewish community,” the leader said, highlighting that both also have experience in government.
The leader predicted that Cohen, given his strong and clear support for Israel and his positive reputation in the Jewish community statewide, is likely to be able to unify much of the Jewish vote.
Though he has the support of the local Democratic county organization, whether Cohen can win district-wide remains a question.
A Sunday night debate highlighted the range of views among the candidates on Israel, and the specific nuances that some candidates are trying to capture.
Hamawy, asked about potential conditions on U.S. aid globally, said that “this isn’t about defense.”
“Every country has a right to defend itself, but what we have from the International Criminal Court, what we have from Human Rights Watch, from Amnesty International and what I have seen and experienced in my own eyes isn’t self-defense,” Hamawy said. “It’s a country that is committing genocide and continues to bomb innocent people every day.”
He suggested that, in addition to cutting off aid to Israel, the U.S. should also cut off aid to the United Arab Emirates over its alleged support of a faction in the Sudanese civil war that the U.S. has determined is committing genocide.
Hamawy, who largely agreed with Piker’s positions on various issues when he appeared on his stream, distanced himself from Piker’s recent comments in a New York Times interview advocating for shoplifting.
“We have to abide by the laws. There’s no room for crime. We have to be able to make food affordable for people when they need it,” Hamawy said, “but crime is not the way to go about it, and so I disagree with that.”
Altman emphasized that she was “the only candidate in this race that AIPAC has actually endorsed against” — when she ran against incumbent Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) in 2024.
She said that she believes Israel should exist and that Netanyahu is a war criminal.
“I believe that we should not be sending our taxpayer money to Israel to kill civilians. But I also think the Iron Dome should exist,” Altman said. “Israel’s a prosperous country, however, it doesn’t need our money to support the Iron Dome. It can pay for it on its own.”
She condemned the “atrocities” in Gaza and the war in Lebanon, but she also emphasized that Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis “are terrorist organizations, and Israel should be allowed to defend itself against those organizations.”
Altman also emphasized that antisemitism and Islamophobia at home are not an acceptable reaction to the conflict in the Middle East.
Reynolds-Jackson took criticism from a fellow candidate over past affiliations with AIPAC, and for a trip she took to Israel in 2018.
She said that the “world is a different place” than it was at the time, and emphasized that she visited both Israel and the “Muslim side,” describing them both as “beautiful.” But she also emphasized that a kibbutz she visited in 2018 had been destroyed.
“When we talk about protecting the right for Israel to defend itself, when we talk about the innocent lives that [have] been lost, I am not afraid to say that I am pro-Israel and I am pro-Muslim. These are people that deserve to live in peace,” she said.
Asked earlier in the event about whether she would support suspending any U.S. aid to Israel, Reynolds-Jackson said, “I support Israel, I support the two-state solution,” before criticizing the amount the U.S. spends on military aid in Israel and elsewhere, and emphasizing her opposition to the war in Iran.
Cohen took the most unequivocally pro-Israel stance of the group.
“I believe very strongly in Israel’s right to exist, and not only exist, but to thrive in the Middle East, along with its neighbors. Everybody in that region of the world deserves to live in peace,” Cohen said. “The U.S. has always been an ally of Israel, and we have allies throughout the world that we support with military aid. That aid should not only be for defense, which Israel uses to defend its citizens, 20% of which are Muslim, it also must be able to fight back when attacked, just like we do for every other U.S. ally that we have around the world.”
He emphasized that Israel is a democracy facing threats from terrorists that want to destroy both it and the United States, even as he said he strongly disagrees with Israel’s current leadership.
Cohen also said that his disagreements with Watson Coleman, in spite of her criticism, are “really very few compared to the multiple things which we’ve agreed upon.” He praised her record and legacy in Congress.
Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp, also running for the seat, said he firmly believes that U.S. aid to Israel should be conditioned, while also calling Israel “a very important ally of the United States” with “the right to defend itself against terrorism.”
“I believe that Israel should exist within secure borders and should continue to be a very important ally and partner of the United States,” Mapp said. “On the other hand, I do believe that Palestinian people have a right to exist and a right to defend [themselves] within secure borders, and so we must make sure that we negotiate a peace agreement that will bring the Palestinians and the Israelis together, existing in borders of their own.”
Jay Vaingankar, a 28-year-old former Department of Energy official, also struck out a strongly anti-Israel stance and went on the attack against several other candidates on the stage over their alleged views on the issue or ties to the pro-Israel community.
Adam Hamawy has been endorsed by CAIR, Justice Democrats and a new group affiliated with the Institute of Middle East Understanding
DREW ANGERER/AFP via Getty Images
Dr. Adam Hamawy speaks during an AFP interview after meetings on Capitol Hill, in Washington DC, on June 14, 2024.
A constellation of anti-Israel groups is coalescing behind Adam Hamawy, a doctor who served as a trauma surgeon in Gaza during Israel’s war against Hamas and has been an outspoken critic of Israel, in the competitive Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District. He also recently reported raising $550,000 in the first quarter of 2026, a sizable sum.
Justice Democrats and PAL PAC, a new group affiliated with the Institute for Middle East Understanding that aims to counter AIPAC, both offered their endorsements of Hamawy last month, moves that could bring more national attention and backing to the candidate.
“From war zones to the operating room, Dr. Hamawy has seen firsthand how our government’s misplaced priorities mean life and death for millions of people in America and across the world,” Justice Democrats executive director Alexandra Rojas said in a statement.
“As a physician, he has witnessed the destruction wrought by our tax dollars abroad, while seeing his own patients struggle to afford the healthcare they need at home,” PAL PAC executive director Margaret DeReus said in a statement. “He is a witness with a mandate to ensure our resources fund healthcare at home, not Israel’s war crimes abroad.”
Hamawy had previously been endorsed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations and TrackAIPAC, as well as by former Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), who was also an outspoken critic of Israel. Hamawy was also endorsed by the more moderate Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who credits Hamawy for saving her life after her helicopter was shot down in Iraq.
Sue Altman, a progressive organizer and former senior staffer for Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ), is viewed as a highly competitive challenger, alongside a handful of local officials who are likely to have support in their own communities, including East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen, Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp and state Rep. Verlina Reynolds-Jackson.
Altman advanced to the June ballot despite a slew of challenges to petition signatures she collected.
Micah Rasmussen, the director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University, said that Hamawy’s $550,000 first quarter fundraising haul and the recent endorsements show momentum for his campaign, but “what remains to be seen is whether this translates into forcing Altman to split the outside lane with him. In order for that to happen, he will need to invest his money effectively — presumably in sharing his personal story, which is how he differentiates himself.”
Dan Cassino, the executive director of the Fairleigh Dickinson University poll, said he sees Altman as the frontrunner, “but Hamawy’s fundraising numbers certainly put him in the top tier along with [former Department of Energy official Jay] Vaingankar and a host of local candidates who could win on the strength of name recognition and strong ties to the district. “
Cassino said that, if voters focus on national issues in the election, as they did in the special election in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, that would be a poor sign for Reynolds-Jackson, Cohen and Mapp.
“The endorsements matter, because they serve as a signal to voters in a race where partisanship can’t be used as a heuristic, but anyone who’s closely following the endorsements probably already has a favorite candidate,” Cassino added. “The more important signal is about who is, and is not, a serious candidate: voters are very concerned about tossing their ballots away on a candidate who doesn’t have much of a chance, and endorsements can be used as a signal that a candidate should be taken seriously.”
Rasmussen said that Cohen, who is Jewish, remains one of the stronger candidates in the “establishment lane,” having picked up the endorsement of the Middlesex County Democrats, which have a strong vote-by-mail turnout operation. Middlesex has also made up the largest turnout bloc in the district.
“But … he’s still sharing that crowded establishment lane with candidates from every other county,” Rasmussen said.
Hamawy’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
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