Jamaal Bowman Loses Primary Election in a Blow to the 'Squad'

Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a vocal critic of Israel and member of the progressive 'Squad,' has lost his primary election to Westchester County Executive George Latimer, a pro-Israel moderate Democrat. The race was marked by the bitter schism within the Democratic Party over Israel and its war in Gaza.

The New York Times has come under fire for its initial headline about Jamaal Bowman's primary defeat, which critics claimed blamed the loss on "a flood of pro-Israel money." The headline was quickly changed without an explanation or editor's note.

Bowman, a vocal critic of Israel, has been a target of nearly $14 million in spending by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which supported Latimer.

Jamaal Bowman Loses Primary Election in a Blow to the 'Squad'

The race was defined in part by the ongoing debate within the Democratic Party over Israel and its war in Gaza following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack.

Bowman has repeatedly criticized AIPAC, accusing the organization of having an undue influence on American foreign policy. However, critics have argued that Bowman's defeat was not solely due to AIPAC's spending and highlighted his own controversial statements and actions, including his arrest for pulling a fire alarm to delay a vote on Capitol Hill.

Jamaal Bowman Loses Primary Election in a Blow to the 'Squad'

The New York Times has a history of fraught coverage of Jewish issues, including an antisemitic cartoon of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu published in its international division in 2019.

In 2019, Times columnist Bret Stephens accused his employer of having "a longstanding Jewish problem" and criticized the paper for its intensely adversarial coverage of Israel.

Jamaal Bowman Loses Primary Election in a Blow to the 'Squad'

The Times' initial headline sparked outrage on social media, with many accusing the newspaper of bias and antisemitism.

After the election, journalist David Zweig noted that Bowman was already trailing Latimer by 17 points before AIPAC began its ad campaign, suggesting that the initial headline was misleading.

The New York Times did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the headline change.

Bowman's defeat represents a setback for the progressive 'Squad' in Congress, which has been a vocal critic of Israel's actions in Gaza.

It remains to be seen how Bowman's loss and the associated controversies will impact future Democratic Party debates on foreign policy and the role of PACs in elections.