Congressman beats challenger who wants to condition US aid to Israel
Rep. Richard Neal's victory over progressive Alex Morse came after pro-Palestine Democrats won primaries earlier in the election year. Neal was endorsed by a large pro-Israel group.
A pro-Israel Democrat handily defeated a primary challenge from a progressive, more pro-Palestine opponent in Massachusetts on Tuesday. Another Democratic candidate supportive of the Palestinian cause also lost in the northeastern state.
Both these results stand in contrast with the recent success of Democratic candidates critical of Israel in other states.
Rep. Richard Neal defeated Alex Morse by about 25,000 votes in Massachusetts 1st District, which includes the western city of Springfield. One group that spreads awareness on Palestinian issues said politicians are beginning to question the US-Israel relationship in a way they did not in the past, despite Morse’s defeat. They referenced Morse’s suggestion that the United States condition some assistance to Israel.
“The political landscape is certainly changing,” Palestine Advocacy Project spokesperson Sarah Gold told Al-Monitor. “Only five years ago it would have been unthinkable for a prominent politician to seriously suggest conditioning military aid to Israel.”
