Jamaal Bowman slammed over tokenism for seeking photo to show he's ‘friends with Jewish people’

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Rep Jamaal Bowman, a prominent member of the progressive "Squad," is under fire from Jewish leaders in his Westchester County district. Reports have surfaced that Bowman once requested a picture with a Jewish leader to prove his friendship with the Jewish community, prompting widespread outrage.

Jewish leaders and constituents in the 16th Congressional District are accusing Bowman of treating them as "tokens" and have declared their support for his moderate opponent, George Latimer, in the upcoming Democratic primary.

"I’m looking forward to taking a picture of Jewish leaders enthusiastically watching Bowman’s concession speech," joked Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis.

Evidence of disrespect by Jamaal Bowman

The controversy stems from a private text message that surfaced in a report by the Jewish Insider. The text, dating back to Bowman’s first re-election campaign in 2022, reads: "Do you have pics of us? So I can show the world I’m friends with Jewish people."

Religious leaders in the district, which includes parts of Westchester and the Bronx, told The New York Post that this message epitomizes how Bowman has mistreated the local Jewish community. Rabbi Jonathan Morgenstern, head of Young Israel of Scarsdale, a modern Orthodox synagogue, said the text is a clear example of tokenism.

“One hundred percent I believe that happened,” Morgenstern told the New York Post of the text. “Bowman tokenizes the Jewish people. Bowman went from bad to worse." He added that Bowman has not only burned bridges with Jewish leaders but has also failed to establish meaningful connections.

Efforts to engage with Bowman have often been met with indifference. "We tried to meet with him. We made the appointment — and then he canceled," Morgenstern said. "Rabbis of all denominations know he’s a dangerous man at a time of rising antisemitism. He’s a representative who doesn’t represent us."

Bowman, a member of the left-wing "Squad" alongside fellow New York Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, was notably absent when two Jewish-run businesses in Scarsdale were vandalized with anti-Semitic graffiti.

The congressman’s insensitivity towards the Jewish faith was further highlighted when he held a clergy event on June 13, during the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. Morgenstern informed Bowman’s office that the holiday would preclude "me and the great majority of my Rabbinic colleagues [from attending].”

“Congressman Bowman has consistently been tone-deaf and antagonistic to his Jewish constituents, and his antagonism has spanned the spectrum of the Jewish denominational landscape,” he reportedly told a Bowman staffer.  

Rising tensions over Israel

The discord between Bowman and the Jewish community extends to his stance on Israel. Rabbi Jonathan Morgenstern forwarded a letter to The Post that he sent to Bowman in 2021, criticizing the congressman for accusing Israel of murdering "black and brown" Palestinians.

Morgenstern argued that such rhetoric inflames antisemitic sentiment and makes Jews feel unsafe. “Conflating this age-old conflict with racially charged rhetoric is a betrayal of our entire community, stoking anti-semitic sentiment against Jews and making all of us feel unsafe in our own district,” he said.

Rabbi Scott Weiner, leader of Tamid Westchester Synagogue in New Rochelle, once a supporter of Bowman, now backs Latimer.

Weiner, a self-described "progressive Jew," was particularly incensed by Bowman’s denial of reports that Hamas militants raped Israeli women during an invasion last October. Bowman later apologized for his comments, but the damage was done.

“Bowman totally lost my support before October 7,” Weiner said. "He doesn’t seem to care about Jews in the district — talking to them or working with them," Weiner added.

In a recent interview with WNYC radio host Brian Lehrer, Bowman defended his record, asserting, "Thank God I still have a lot of support within the Jewish community," citing backing from left-wing Jewish groups like Jewish Voice for Peace, which supports the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.

Bowman also accused financiers behind the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) of funding a "racist" campaign against him. During the interview, he reiterated his opposition to Iron Dome defense funding for Israel, a stance he previously supported.

The primary battle between Bowman and Latimer is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched races, highlighting the divide between the Democratic Party’s left-wing and moderate factions. With over $23 million spent on ads, it is the most expensive primary in history, according to Ad Impact, which tracks ad spending.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s affiliated group, the anti-Bowman United Democracy Project, accounts for 61% of the total spending.

Jamaal Bowman slammed on social media

Bowman has also faced significant backlash on social media following these revelations.

"The dude who pulled the fire alarm to disrupt an official proceeding and then lied about it? Not surprising," one user posted on X (formerly Twitter).

"Wow, that's really disappointing to hear. Treating people as tokens is never okay," another wrote.

"He just wants some of that AIPAC money," someone else alleged.

"Since when did anyone respectable think this guy was anything but a lowlife?" a comment read.

"He [is] losing big time. He’s gone," another predicted.

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