Michigan Dem Gives a Blunt Answer on Antisemitism in Her Party

A Michigan state senator running as a Democrat for the United States Senate was asked at a primary debate last week: Is there a problem with antisemitism within the Democratic Party?

Mallory McMorrow’s answer was simple, clear and to the point.

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“There is,” she answered.

“At the Democratic convention, an attendee yelled an antisemitic slur at my husband, who is Jewish and was walking with my 5-year-old daughter,” McMorrow added. “That is terrifying.”

McMorrow’s stance represents a growing split within the Democratic Party: those who have grown increasingly critical of the State of Israel, to the point that the hostility spills over into Jew hatred; and those who continue to support the Jewish state and are alarmed by the spike in antisemitism within their own ranks.

Politicians like Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.); Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.); Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.); Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.); and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) represent the former group, often voting to block arms sales to Israel.

Others, such as Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.); Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.); Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.); Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.); and Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.) fall into the latter camp.

Nevertheless, McMorrow, has positioned herself as middle of the road compared to her challengers Abdul El-Sayed, who has harshly criticized Israel and called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal,” and Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), who is staunchly pro-Israel.

Instead, McMorrow said she would have supported the latest proposed bill to block arms sales to Israel and blamed the Netanyahu government for the ongoing violence but added that Democrats must exercise caution directing their criticism narrowly at the Israeli government and not at Jewish people generally.