Tipsheet

A Squad Member's Stance on Israel Could Impact Next Year's Senate Race in PA

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  October 24, 2023 6:45 PM

Last week, we covered how Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA), a lesser known member of the Squad, is facing a primary challenger for her response to Hamas' attack on Israel earlier this month. As has been the case with other Squad members, her response to the terrorist attack certainly leaves something to be desired. Her response to the situation hasn't gotten much better, especially since she partook in a Squad press conference last Friday to demand a "ceasefire." Lee's response may not just affect her own race, but next year's Pennsylvania Senate race where vulnerable Democratic incumbent Bob Casey, Jr. is running for reelection, especially if Republican candidate Dave McCormick has anything to say about it.

McCormick announced last month, the clear frontrunner given all of his early endorsements and the lack of challengers. He had run last year as well to replace retiring Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA), but narrowly lost the primary to Dr. Mehmet Oz. As he campaigns, McCormick has not only touched upon Casey's stance on supporting Israel, but also on Lee's own problematic narratives.

Since the terrorist attack, McCormick has frequently posted over X and sent out press releases calling to mind concerns for our ally in the Middle East. 

One such post shared a screenshot of Lee's problematic post from from October 17, demanding a ceasefire. Worse, Lee was reposting Al Jazeera, a network that has been criticized by Israel for putting out "propaganda," and which was also fact-checked for its claim that an Israeli rocket struck a hospital in Gaza.

As Townhall had been right about all along, the rocket that caused an explosion at a hospital in Gaza did not come from Israel, but rather was a misfired rocket from Jihad.

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"Rep. Lee has become an agent of disinformation & Bob Casey should stop supporting her while she is spreading Hamas’ lies," the post read in part, calling out the senator for such a connection.

Such a narrative was one similarly put out by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), a fellow Squad member who has been particularly problematic in spreading false news about the Israel-Hamas war, and has since been condemned by both parties in both chambers. McCormick has tied Casey to Tlaib too, as well as Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), another Squad member.

A day later, Lee acknowledged that reports were saying otherwise, though she still continued to stick to her narrative of calling for a ceasefire and made it a "both sides" issue when it comes to supposed, unspecified "misinformation."

McCormck also called attention to how Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who defeated Dr. Oz last November, was quicker in his foreceful condemnation of the narrative of Squad members like Lee, Tlaib, and Omar. As Guy posted at the time, Casey's own response came not long after McCormick ramped up the pressure.

McCormick had also spoken to Fox Business Network's Maria Bartiromo about the race last Thursday, including when it comes to Casey's unwillingness to call out fellow Democrats. 

"My opponent, Senator Casey, has not demonstrated moral clarity and I called him out on that. It's important that our leaders stand up and make it clear that this was a barbaric act against Israel and that we need to stand by our ally," he said, in reference to his post over X.

McCormick and other Republicans have continued to call out Casey for association with Squad members. On Monday, Matthew Brooks, the CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition, authored an op-ed for The Washington Times, "Sen. Bob Casey is no friend of Israel," his subheadline reading "We need senators with moral clarity."

As the piece mentioned at one point towards the end:

In 2019, Mr. Casey criticized Israel for barring Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from visiting. In addition, Mr. Casey failed to support the Combating BDS Acts of 2021 and 2023. These bills would have allowed state and local governments to divest from entities that support the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. The movement seeks to delegitimize Israel and destroy it through economic and diplomatic means.

The legitimacy and security of Israel, our fellow democracy and America’s greatest ally in the Middle East must be the first pillar of U.S. foreign policy in the region. Our elected officials must stand up for Israel against regimes such as Iran and groups like Hamas that want to wipe Israel — and its millions of Jewish citizens — off the face of the earth.

McCormick posted a screenshot of the op-ed to his X account.

This matter of Democrats in disarray over slowness from some members to call out their own for their anti-Israel and anti-semitic talking points comes as White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed earlier this month that they're "not sensing division" in the Democratic Party on this issue.

More recently, Jean-Pierre on Monday gave particularly poor responses when asked about the rise in anti-semitism by focusing on Islamophobia and the targeting of Muslims instead. She also refused to delve much into the rampant rise of anti-semitism occuring on college campuses throughout the country.

Forecasters consider the race to favor Casey, but only slightly. The 2024 Senate map is looking good for Republicans, especially compared to 2022, when it comes to the confidence of holding onto seats they're defending as well as those seats they're looking to pick up with the seats Democrats are defending. Other top vulnerable Democratic incumbents include Sens. Jon Tester (MT) and Sherrod Brown (OH), as well as Sen. Joe Manchin (WV), if he even decides to run for reelection and as a Democrat.