Pro-Israel groups are ramping up efforts to target incumbent progressives who have criticized both Israel’s military action in Gaza and continued U.S. support for Israel, even as the first member of the so-called “Squad” survived a primary challenge this week.
Rep. Summer Lee (D‑PA) defeated moderate rival Bhavani Patel this week. Lee had been one of the earliest and most vocal critics of Israel’s military response to the Oct. 7 attacks and represents a district with a significant Jewish population.‘
Lee’s challenger focused on her views on Israel throughout the campaign, but the congresswoman was not a target of influential groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee or the Democratic Majority for Israel PAC. Both groups opted to stay out of the primary.
“The hardest thing to do in politics is to defeat an incumbent member of the House. We didn’t …