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.”
Odds & Ends
🇵🇸 Palestine is reshaping Democratic Party politics, and nowhere is this clearer than in New York City
🇮🇱 Will Trump sideline Israel in order to make a deal with Iran?
💸 AIPAC smear campaigns aren’t working anymore
🚫 The time for a U.S. arms embargo on Israel is now
🏦 Electronic Intifada: How activists kicked Israel Bonds out of a Michigan scheme
🇴🇲 Responsible Statecraft: Oman walks a tightrope amid Trump’s threats to ‘blow them up’
💲 Drop Site: Super PAC Network Backing Connie Chan Received Hundreds of Thousands from AIPAC
🇺🇸 Common Dreams: ‘Crimes Against Humanity’: US Murders 2 More People in Pacific Ocean Boat Bombing
❌ Counterpunch: It’s Time to Abolish the Office of the Director of National Intelligence
👀 Jewish Insider: UDP faces questions from N.J. Jewish leaders why it stayed on sidelines against Hamawy
💼 The Intercept: New York Comptroller’s Trip to Israel Raised Ethical Concerns, State Commission Said
🏛️ The Guardian: Appeals court temporarily blocks re-detention of Mahmoud Khalil
🇮🇷 AP: With Trump in a holding pattern on Iran war, allies and critics worry he risks getting boxed in
🥁 The American Prospect: We Are Shocked—Shocked—to Find War Criminals at the Israel Day Parade
🥊 New York Times: Group Pledges $2 Million to Fight AIPAC in House Races
This is a remarkable man. I worry that so much damage will be done between now and when Dr. Hamawy enters Congress. My ghastly Congressman, Democratic WHIP Katherine Clark, continues to vote as though her constituents are the racist Jewish settlers in the occupied territories, and not the people of Massachusetts.
The Congressional bill that would forever join-at-the-hip US and Israeli military weapons development is really scary. Congress seems to think it is okay for our sacred ally, apartheid Israel, to conduct Genocide and ethnic cleansing – and the murder of countless US citizens.
This is an incredible, well warranted win! Dr. Hamawy is an honorable humanitarian!
Israel is a democracy. Initially, its most moral army in the world denied that Adam Hamawy was even a doctor! But when public pressure even outside of Israel became too high, it had no choice but to investigate his case and then, finally, after much of the self-self-scrutiny for which it has become famous, justice prevailed. It demoted and IDF officer, showed greatness, offered a sincere apology, and admitted that it was a terrible, terrible, human mistake to let him leave Gaza alive.
Re: 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.
He is correct. The SCOTUS ruled that once the People ratified the Constitution and Amendments that bound the government’s obligations. It could not be overridden by subsequent legislative or executive will. See Marbury v. Madison and Perry v. United States. The War Powers Act is flagrantly unconstitutional, because Article I, Section 8, Clause 10 stipulates: The Congress shall have Power . . . To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations for acts committed by Trump, Hegseth or Rubio. Not vice versa.
Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 doesn’t allow Congress to adopt a resolution that allows a veto or series of ceasefires to be employed to conduct forever wars without a Declaration of War. [The Congress shall have Power . . . ] To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water.
The People and the representatives they elected ratified a Constitution that doesn’t permit the President to act as Commander-in Chief without permission. It definitely does not allow a veto to be substituted for a congressional declaration, Article II Section 2 Powers Clause 1: The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States;
Trump and Hegseth can’t recall retired Article I branch Senators to active duty in Article II or III branch in order to court-martial them or reduce their pension. Any portion of the U.S. Code 10 UCMJ is blatantly unconstitutional if it contradicts Article 1, Section 6, Clause 2: No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States, ,,, and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office. The 14th Amendment Section 4: The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions … shall not be questioned.