Rep. Jamaal Bowman is apologizing for introducing with praise a speaker who has accused Jews of exploiting the Holocaust to legitimize Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
Mr. Bowman, New York Democrat, wrote on X that he did not know about certain “reprehensible comments” made by academic Norman Finkelstein about the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas against Israel, prior to a panel discussion at the Andalusia Islamic Center in Mr. Bowman’s district in Yonkers last week.
“I had seen a few interviews but was unaware of Norman Finkelstein’s completely reprehensible comments before this event. And when he made comments on October 7th at this event, I strongly condemned his language and will always continue to do so,” Mr. Bowman wrote Saturday.
“I apologize deeply to any of my friends and neighbors hurt by my comments and will continue to fight the scourge of antisemitism in our country and across the world.”
The Washington Times contacted Mr. Finkelstein but did not immediately hear back.
Jewish Insider first reported that Mr. Bowman faced pushback after making laudatory remarks about Mr. Finkelstein, the son of Holocaust survivors whose other relatives were killed in Nazi death camps and who has become a polarizing figure because of anti-Israel comments he has made over the years.
“I’m a bit starstruck,” Mr. Bowman said of Mr. Finkelstein, whose 2000 book, “The Holocaust Industry,” was criticized for making claims of promoting conspiracy theories about Jewish extortion.
In his introductory comments, Mr. Bowman thanked the scholars on the panel for “delivering the truth to us.”
More recently, Mr. Finkelstein extolled Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack and described the slaughter as a “heroic resistance” similar to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. He wrote in his substack that “it warms every fiber of my soul — the scenes of Gaza’s smiling children as their arrogant Jewish supremacist oppressors have, finally, been humbled.”
Mr. Bowman, whose Westchester-Bronx district comprises many influential Jewish residents, faces a formidable primary opponent this election year.
His Democratic challenger, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, has the support of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a powerful pro-Israel group whose super PAC has spent money running attack ads against Mr. Bowman, who supports a permanent cease-fire in Gaza.
Mr. Bowman is among a group of progressive “squad” members being targeted by AIPAC in primaries for their stances on Israel.
Mr. Finkelstein was denied tenure at DePaul University in 2007, following a lobbying effort by attorney and Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, a frequent defender of Israel, who accused Mr. Finkelstein of antisemitism.
He has stated support for Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia in Lebanon, and compared Israel to Nazi Germany. Mr. Finkelstein has brushed off these accusations by his opponents, Jewish Insider reported, claiming they are politically motivated.
The House censured Mr. Bowman last December for triggering a fire alarm in a U.S. Capitol office building when the chamber was in session. Mr. Bowman pleaded guilty in October to a misdemeanor, agreed to pay a $1,000 fine and serve three months of probation.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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