Jewish leaders warn about rising antisemitism in GOP campaigns. AIPAC's 1st ad buy targets a Democrat.


Jewish leaders on Monday expressed alarm about antisemitism they warn is becoming "increasingly normalized in American politics," pointing especially to "a series of bigoted comments from associates or supporters of GOP candidates," The Washington Post reports.
The perceived antisemitism, the Post recounts, includes Georgia GOP Senate nominee Herschel Walker not rejecting Kanye "Ye" West's endorsement, Pennsylvania GOP gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano's "extremist ties and comments about his Jewish opponent," and a recently fired staffer for Nevada GOP Senate nominee Adam Laxalt who had called Judaism a "cult" and tweeted comments attacking Jews.
A Laxalt spokesman on Monday criticized the former staffer's "bigoted opinions." When an Israeli reporter asked Mastriano over the weekend about his perceived antisemitic attacks on Democratic rival Josh Shapiro, his wife, Rebbie Mastriano, answered, "We probably love Israel more than a lot of Jews do."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The rise in antisemitic rhetoric in politics is "disturbing to all of us," American Jewish Congress president Jack Rosen told the Post, and "on the right" the nonpartisan advocacy group doesn't "see the kind of leadership it's going to take to stop the growth of this kind of antisemitic hatred." Former Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Ct.) urged Walker to reject Ye's support given his "explicit and vile antisemitism."
The Republican Jewish Coalition defended the GOP candidates — except Mastriano. Meanwhile, the most influential Jewish lobbying group in Washington, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), targeted Pennsylvania Democrat Summer Lee in its first general election ad of 2022, The Intercept reports.
AIPAC's new United Democracy Project (UDP) political action committee spent nearly $3 million trying unsuccessfully to defeat Lee in the Democratic primary, and the group announced $300,000 of new anti-Lee TV ads on Monday. UDP spokesman Patrick Dorton told The Intercept the race is close and UDP is "focused on races where we can have an impact."
Lee, a Black progressive angling to become part of the progressive Squad, "has not said much about Israel in her short political career," The Intercept reports. Dorton pointed to a single tweet thread in which Lee compared Palestinian protesters to Black Lives Matters and other marginalized groups, and later comments suggesting U.S. military aid be conditioned on Israel's pursuit of peace talks with the Palestinians.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
UDP this year "endorsed more than 100 Republicans who voted to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election," The Intercept reports.
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Quiz of The Week: 30 August – 5 September
Quiz Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures A quick escape, an underground classroom, and more
-
The Week Unwrapped: What does Bake Off say about Channel 4?
Podcast Plus, why are Scottish drug deaths so stubbornly high? And are women in their 30s too anxious about their eggs?
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants
-
Florida aims to end all state vaccine requirements
Speed Read Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to cut vaccine access and install anti-vaccine activists at the FDA and CDC
-
US kills 11 on 'drug-carrying boat' off Venezuela
Speed Read Trump claimed those killed in the strike were 'positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists' shipping drugs to the US
-
Trump vows to send federal forces to Chicago, Baltimore
Speed Read The announcement followed a California judge ruling that Trump's LA troop deployment was illegal
-
Trump crypto token launch earns family billions
Speed Read The World Liberty Financial token is now the Trump family's 'most valuable asset'
-
RFK Jr. names new CDC head as staff revolt
Speed Read Kennedy installed his deputy, Jim O'Neill, as acting CDC director
-
DC prosecutors lose bid to indict sandwich thrower
Speed Read Prosecutors sought to charge Sean Dunn with assaulting a federal officer