US Rep. Al Green, one of Israel’s fiercest critics in Congress, loses primary battle

Though AIPAC did not formally endorse Menefee during the campaign, pro-Israel voices have considered Menefee more reasonable on issues pertaining to the Jewish state.

By Corey Walker, The Algemeiner

Rep. Al Green (D-TX), one of the most outspoken critics of Israel in the US Congress, lost his reelection bid on Tuesday, marking a victory for Democrats seeking to rebuild support for the Jewish state within the party.

Christian Menefee walloped Green, garnering 69.4 percent of the Democratic primary vote compared to Green’s 30.6 percent.

The whopping margin represents a humiliating sendoff for the progressive 11-time incumbent.

Green’s defeat marks the latest sign that while anti-Israel activism has grown louder inside the Democratic Party, animus toward the Jewish state does not possess enough salience to buoy a fledgling campaign.

The loss was quickly hailed by pro-Israel activists and centrist Democrats as evidence that Democratic primary voters are pushing back against rhetoric they argue has increasingly blurred the line between criticism of Israeli policy and broader hostility toward pro-Israel Jewish Americans.

“Congratulations Rep. Christian Menefee on your victory tonight over one of the most outspoken anti-Israel voices in Congress,” the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the foremost pro-Israel lobbying group in the US, posted on social media.

The race unfolded amid intensifying national tensions surrounding the role of AIPAC, which has become a lightning rod in Democratic politics.

Progressive activists and anti-Israel groups such as Track AIPAC have sought to portray ties to the pro-Israel lobby as politically toxic, while many mainstream Democrats have argued those attacks unfairly stigmatize pro-Israel Jewish participation in politics.

Though AIPAC did not formally endorse Menefee during the campaign, pro-Israel voices have considered Menefee more reasonable on issues pertaining to the Jewish state.

During a debate in the days leading up to the primary election, Menefee called for “peace” in Gaza but stopped short of accusing Israel of war crimes or genocide.
“Look, what I want is peace, now,” Menefee said.

“I want a lasting ceasefire so that not a single baby in either Israel or Gaza has to worry about being bombed.”

Following his defeat, Green issued a retort to AIPAC, denying that he’s “anti-Israel” while accusing Israel of “genocide” in Gaza.

“Afraid to come out during the election, AIPAC has finally reared its ugly head its insidious prevarication,” Green said in a statement.

“I am not anti-Israel; I am anti-sending any more of hardworking American’s tax dollars to Israel. AIPAC, which has not denounced the genocide in Gaza, seems to perceive every person who denounces the slaughter of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinian men, women, and especially children under the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu as anti-Israel.”

Green had emerged as one of Congress’s sharpest critics of Israel following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on the Jewish state, opposing military aid packages for Israel and accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of committing crimes against humanity in Gaza.

But political analysts say his defeat highlights the limits of anti-Israel messaging in competitive Democratic contests, particularly among older Black voters, moderates, and suburban Democrats who continue to support Israel’s existence as a Jewish state while backing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

An increasing amount of data also indicates that the Israel-Hamas conflict remains a low priority for voters.

Tuesday’s result also comes as Democratic leaders struggle to contain escalating internal divisions over Israel.

Earlier this year, the Democratic National Committee rejected a resolution condemning AIPAC’s influence in Democratic primaries, despite mounting pressure from progressive activists.

At the same time, some prominent Democrats backed by pro-Israel groups have openly criticized Israeli settler violence in Judea and Samaria and called for humanitarian protections for Palestinians, underscoring that support for Israel within the party is evolving rather than disappearing.

Some prominent Democrats have gone further, outright accusing Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza during its defense war against Hamas.

Still, Green’s defeat is likely to energize pro-Israel organizations heading into the 2026 midterms, where Democratic incumbents supportive of Israel have increasingly found themselves targeted by progressive challengers running on anti-AIPAC and anti-war platforms.

Though support for Israel has become increasingly difficult to maintain in the Democratic Party, a slew of AIPAC-endorsed candidates emerged victorious in recent Democratic primary competitions, suggesting that support for the Jewish state is not a deal-breaker for most voters.

Reuters reported earlier this month that more than 100 Democratic candidates nationwide have aligned themselves with anti-AIPAC organizations, reflecting a growing generational divide inside the party over US-Israel relations.

But Tuesday’s result suggests that, at least in some districts, Democratic voters remain resistant to candidates whose critiques of Israel are viewed as too sweeping or ideologically rigid.

For pro-Israel Democrats already anxious about rising antisemitism and growing hostility toward Jewish institutions after the Oct. 7 massacre, Green’s loss was seen not just as a local political upset but also as a warning shot to the party’s activist left.

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