Pro-Israel smear campaigns have ended many political careers in the past, but they’re now falling flat. This shift is one of the clearest signs that Israel’s standing in U.S. politics has changed, likely permanently.

This week, Dr. Adam Hamawy, a surgeon who volunteered in Gaza amid the genocide, won New Jersey’s 12th District primary. The win is obviously another loss for the Israel lobby, but it goes beyond simply adding another critic to Congress.

A combat surgeon who volunteered in Gaza during the genocide is one of the surprise leaders in the Democratic Party race to replace Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman in New Jersey’s 12th district.