The Shift: Doctor who served in Gaza wins New Jersey primary

On Tuesday, Dr. Adam Hamawy won the Democratic primary in New Jersey’s 12th district. He’s expected to easily cruise to victory in November, as it’s a solidly blue area. He will replace retiring Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman in the House.

Hamawy, a veteran and surgeon, traveled to Gaza in 2024 and 2025 on medical missions. Last month I spoke to him about his campaign and what compelled him to run for office.

“What I witnessed there really compelled me to get more involved. I’ve seen war before; I’ve been to Iraq,” he told me. “I know the horrors of war, but what I witnessed was a genocide. I saw more children and civilians blown up than ever in my life. It was so horrible that when I came back, I felt it was my obligation to go to Congress and speak about what I had seen. These are American bombs that are being dropped. These are our taxpayer dollars that are being used.”

“Then, as a community physician, I’ve been struggling every year just to take care of my patients here at home,” he continued. “I know the problems with the health insurance industry. I have to fight with them every day just to be able to get a CAT scan or to get a surgery approved. We’re told that we don’t have enough money for health care or Medicare for all. But I personally witnessed that we always have enough money for bombs.”

Hamawy’s win is obviously another loss for the Israel lobby, but it goes beyond simply having another critic in Congress.

The newly-launched pro-Palestine American Priorities PAC spent over $1.5 million on pro-Hamawy ads, the most it has ever spent on a candidate. A few years ago the idea of a pro-Palestine group being able to wield that kind of money in an election would have seemed ridiculous, as only one side could afford to put up that kind of cash.

“American Priorities is the first organization that may be able to match AIPAC one-to-one in some races,” noted the American Prospect in February.

Some in the pro-Israel camp are wondering why AIPAC didn’t do more to stop Hamawy, as they could have backed Brad Cohen, an actual AIPAC member who also ran.

Patrick Dorton, a spokesperson for AIPAC’s United Democracy Project’s Super PAC, admitted to Jewish Insider that the group “didn’t see a path to victory.”

“We did a careful analysis of the race, including polling, and came to the conclusion not to get involved,” he explained.

That same Jewish Insider piece quotes Dan Cassino, a political scientist at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

“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 the website. “But once that field was set, I don’t think they could have changed the result.

Cassino said AIPAC’s involvement would have also been a risk that could have “led to another win for a disfavored candidate [and] would hurt AIPAC’s credibility even more.”

This is further proof that, while AIPAC remains a powerful player in U.S. elections, their work has become more challenging.

Iran Resolution

On Wednesday, President Trump was confronted with a rare rebuke of his foreign policy, as the House finally passed an Iran war powers resolution. The resolution directs the administration to remove forces from Iran, unless Congress votes to officially authorize the intervention.

The effort passed 215-208. Every Democrat backed it, and four Republicans jumped party lines: Rep.s Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Thomas Massie (R-KY) Tom Barrett (R-MI) and Warren Davidson (R-OH).

The GOP had canceled a vote on the subject last month, in fear that it would pass. The Senate passed a similar vote.

“The move was also the latest reflection of divisions between Republicans in Congress and the president on a range of issues as their interests diverge in the run-up to the midterm congressional elections,” notes the New York Times.

The move comes amid a new Axios report that Trump berated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a recent phone call.

“You’re f*cking crazy,” Trump allegedly declared. “You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.”

Trump has since admitted that he got angry at Netanyahu, effectively confirming the story, but he points also points out that the U.S./Israel relationship remains strong.

It’s important to note that the Axios report came from Barak Ravid, who is essentially a stenographer for the U.S. and Israeli governments. He was used by White House officials throughout the Biden era to push certain narratives and his role has remained the same during Trump’s term.

It’s clear that this administration is flailing amid an unpopular war, and looking for exit ramps that save some face.

Trump has denounced the War Powers Resolution, claiming that Democrats “are fueled by Trump Derangement Syndrome,” and that the four Republicans who voted for it are “GRANDSTANDERS” who “should be ashamed of themselves.”

Last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed that the War Powers Act is unconstitutional.

“President Trump has now received two clear and unmistakable signals from a majority of the Republican-controlled House and Republican-controlled Senate: end this war before more harm is done to American security and the American economy,” said National Iranian American Council Jamal Abdi in a statement. “President Trump needs to stop dithering and bring this disastrous war to a close before more harm is done. Otherwise, more harm to the nation and more political blowback will follow.”