Israeli press alarmed as criticism of Israel becomes winning recipe in US politics
A string of primary victories by left-wing Democratic candidates has triggered alarm across Israeli media and pro-Israel circles, with commentators warning that support for Israel no longer guarantees "political success".
The victory of democratic socialist Melat Kiros over 15-term pro-Israel US Representative Diana DeGette in Colorado’s primary election on Tuesday added to a series of wins by candidates who have challenged Israel’s influence over US politics, opposed the genocide in Gaza and described Israel as an apartheid state.
Kiros's win followed wins by three Democratic Socialist candidates backed by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, as well as another in a Philadelphia congressional primary and one in the Democratic primary for mayor of Washington DC.
The Democratic Socialists are a left-leaning faction that often contests primary elections with the Democratic Party and is becoming a formidable force within the US left.
Israeli outlets have treated the results as more than a domestic US political story. They have framed them as another sign that Israel’s standing in the US – particularly among Democratic voters – is collapsing amid its wars on Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Iran.
In an editorial published on Thursday, The Jerusalem Post, whose owner has been closely associated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warned that the Democratic Party was moving further away from Israel.
“Who would have thought that we would ever be looking back nostalgically on the days when the anti-Israel “Squad” in the US Congress numbered only four people?” the editorial said.
: Israeli press alarmed as criticism of Israel becomes winning recipe in US politics
Congressional candidate Brad Lander (left) with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani after declaring victory in Brooklyn on 23 June 2026 (AFP/Spencer Platt)
