US Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) speaks during the National Action Network National Convention in New York City, US, April 7, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

US Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) complained about the amount of attention given to antisemitism and accused the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) of racism during a Tuesday interview with the Higher Learning podcast. 

Higher Learning hosts Rachel Lindsay and Van Lathan asked Bowman if he believed the attention given to his views on the Israel-Hamas war have served as a distraction during his Democratic primary. Bowman agreed and argued that the US Congress has focused outsized attention on Israel at the expense of its constituents. 

“Every other week, with all due respect, it seems like we’re voting on a bill related to Israel in support of Israel or reasserting that we are not antisemitic,” Bowman said.

Bowman said “racism” is the reason why Congress supposedly addresses the needs of Jews more urgently than its black and brown constituents

“The organization AIPAC, they’re funded mostly by racist, MAGA Republicans. And most of their resources go towards challenging black and brown members of Congress who happen to be critical of Israel, whether it is the occupation or apartheid or what’s happening right now,” Bowman said. 

He added that AIPAC, the foremost pro-Israel lobbying group in the US, has had more time and opportunity to build “political power” and “economic power” than “marginalized folk” such as black Americans and immigrants. 

Bowman then accused George Latimer, his opponent in the Democratic primary, of being financed by “MAGA Trump donors.” Bowman also pointed to AIPAC’s endorsement of Latimer as proof of his opponent’s lack of progressive bona fides. 

“So this is an individual who is endorsed by AIPAC, which is mostly funded by MAGA Republicans, the same MAGA Republicans who didn’t certify the election results in 2020, the same MAGA Republicans who are trying to take your reproductive freedom, the same MAGA Republicans trying to take our voting rights,” Bowman said. 

Bowman, who has long been a fierce critic of Israel, has found himself embroiled in a heated primary battle in New York’s heavily-Jewish 16th Congressional District. During a debate on May 13, Bowman claimed Latimer sees him as “an angry black man.” Bowman attempted to use Latimer’s relationship with AIPAC to tie him to Republicans. 

“George Latimer has taken money from AIPAC, who also supports Republican candidates,” Bowman said. 

In a statement, AIPAC responded to Bowman’s claims, noting it supports candidates “based solely” on their support for the US-Israel relationship and has backed many black and Hispanic candidates.

“Rep. Bowman’s scurrilous and shameful attacks won’t hide his record of aligning with an extremist, anti-Israel fringe,” an AIPAC spokesperson told The Algemeiner. “We back candidates based solely on their support for the US-Israel relationship, as the Jewish state battles Iranian terrorist proxies. In fact, AIPAC is the top fundraiser for Congressional Black Caucus members and Hispanic Caucus members.”