Rep. Jamaal Bowman is facing criticism in his Westchester, New York, district after a text exchange showed him asking a rabbi to send photos of them together so he could show he has Jewish friendships.
According to a report by Jewish Insider, the New York Democratic congressman asked the unidentified Jewish leader during Mr. Bowman’s 2022 reelection campaign, “Do you have pics of us? So I can show the world I’m friends with Jewish People.”
“I was uncomfortable,” the rabbi said of the request, adding that he “kind of joked around with him about it.”
“I don’t want to be his court Jew,” he told Jewish Insider. “That wasn’t what I signed up for.”
Justin Brasch, a Jewish Democrat who serves on the White Plains City Council, told the outlet that Mr. Bowman “is not someone who wants to build bridges with Jews and the Jewish community. … He doesn’t reach out. He doesn’t reach back. He’s not interested at all in the Jewish community.”
The Washington Times reached out to Mr. Bowman’s campaign for comment but did not hear back.
Mr. Bowman is fighting for a third term and suffering from disappointing polls and a financial disadvantage versus his primary opponent, Westchester County Executive George Latimer.
Recent polls show the congressman trailing Mr. Latimer by 17 points.
The June 25 primary is expected to determine the kind of Democratic lawmaker whom voters in the district, composed of parts of the north Bronx and southern Westchester County, want to send to Washington after the Nov. 5 general election.
Mr. Bowman, a member of the liberal Squad, has been under fire the past few months by several pro-Israel organizations that have endorsed Mr. Latimer and blasted the congressman’s pro-Palestinian position.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee and its super PAC have spent over $14 million in TV ads slamming Mr. Bowman.
Mr. Bowman, meanwhile, has accused Mr. Latimer of being the “number one recipient of AIPAC money in the country,” adding, “AIPAC is funded by right-wing Republicans who want to destroy our democracy.”
Mr. Bowman and Mr. Latimer faced off Tuesday at a final debate where the congressman railed against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s scheduled speech to Congress on July 24.
“It sends the wrong message and it’s not what we should be doing at this time,” Mr. Bowman said.
Mr. Latimer said that if he were in Congress he would attend the speech. He did add that he disagreed with the Israeli leader’s recent criticism of President Biden.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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