Anti-Israel activist and writer Ahmed Moor announced Monday that he is running for the US Senate in Pennsylvania in 2028, launching a challenge to Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, one of Israel’s most outspoken supporters in Congress.
Fetterman has not yet announced whether he intends to seek reelection, but Moor has become the first candidate to enter the race for his seat.
Born in Gaza and raised in Philadelphia, Moor has contributed to left-wing, anti-Israel publications including Electronic Intifada and Mondoweiss. He said his campaign would focus on efforts to “end the war in Iran” and demand “accountability for genocide.”
In a statement published on his campaign website and cited by JNS, Moor accused American politicians of supporting Israel while neglecting domestic priorities.
“A few years ago my birthplace was turned to rubble in a genocide funded by our tax dollars, with the support of politicians on both sides of the aisle who can’t find money for transit or removing asbestos from our schools,” he wrote.
Moor has a lengthy record of opposing Israel and Zionism, including as co-editor of the book “After Zionism: One State for Israel and Palestine.”
In a February interview with The Forward, he defended what he described as “Palestinian resistance”.
“Why are Zionists so resistant to the idea of Palestinian resistance?” he said. “Any normal person would look and say, ‘Of course these people have a right to resist.’”
His criticism of Israel dates back nearly two decades. In a 2009 article for Electronic Intifada, written when he was 24, Moor argued that “‘Zionist Israel’ does not have the right to exist,” and asserted that “Zionism is racism” and “Zionists are racists.”
During the 2014 Gaza war, Moor defended Palestinian Arab rocket attacks on Israeli cities in an article published by the Huffington Post, writing that “naturally, the Palestinians availed themselves of their right to self-defense” by using “crude, unguided workshop missiles to reclaim the balance of fear.”
Since the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023, much of his writing and social media activity has focused on criticizing Israel.
His candidacy sets up a potential confrontation with Fetterman, whose strong support for Israel has repeatedly placed him at odds with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.
Following the October 7 massacre, Fetterman displayed photographs of Israelis abducted by Hamas outside his Senate office and kept them there until all the hostages had returned safely.
In another widely publicized incident, the Pennsylvania senator responded to anti-Israel demonstrators protesting outside his office and accusing Israel of genocide by waving an Israeli flag from the roof of the building.
Fetterman has also warned that his commitment to Israel could ultimately lead him to abandon the Democratic Party if its official position changes.
Speaking in July, he reaffirmed his intention to remain a Democrat but drew a clear distinction regarding Israel.
“If our party ever becomes – and just makes it official – the anti-Israel party, that’s when I would leave because that’s been a moral clarity for me,” Fetterman stated.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) subsequently indicated that Republicans would be prepared to welcome Fetterman into their caucus should he leave the Democratic Party over its approach to Israel.
In September, Fetterman further demonstrated his willingness to cooperate across party lines by delivering a video message at the Pennsylvania Republican midterm convention.
During the unusual appearance, he praised Republican Sen. Dave McCormick and emphasized his readiness to work with President Donald Trump.
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