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."
Subscribe to 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.
UDP this year "endorsed more than 100 Republicans who voted to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election," The Intercept reports.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
What does 'conquering' Gaza mean to Israel?
Today's Big Question Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet has approved a plan to displace much of the Palestinian population while seizing and occupying the territory on a long-term basis.
-
Casey Means: the controversial 'wellness influencer' nominated for surgeon general
In the Spotlight Means has drawn controversy for her closeness to RFK Jr.
-
Trump taps Fox News' Pirro for DC attorney post
speed read The president has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, replacing acting US Attorney Ed Martin
-
What does 'conquering' Gaza mean to Israel?
Today's Big Question Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet has approved a plan to displace much of the Palestinian population while seizing and occupying the territory on a long-term basis.
-
Trump taps Fox News' Pirro for DC attorney post
speed read The president has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, replacing acting US Attorney Ed Martin
-
Trump, UK's Starmer outline first post-tariff deal
speed read President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Kier Starmer struck a 'historic' agreement to eliminate some of the former's imposed tariffs
-
Fed leaves rates unchanged as Powell warns on tariffs
speed read The Federal Reserve says the risks of higher inflation and unemployment are increasing under Trump's tariffs
-
Denmark to grill US envoy on Greenland spying report
speed read The Trump administration ramped up spying on Greenland, says reporting by The Wall Street Journal
-
Supreme Court allows transgender troop ban
speed read The US Supreme Court will let the Trump administration begin executing its ban on transgender military service members
-
Hollywood confounded by Trump's film tariff idea
speed read President Trump proposed a '100% tariff' on movies 'produced in foreign lands'
-
Trump offers migrants $1,000 to 'self-deport'
speed read The Department of Homeland Security says undocumented immigrants can leave the US in a more 'dignified way'