No Primary Challenge to 4 of NJ’s 5 Super Israel Dem Caucus: Conaway, Gottheimer, Norcross, Pou Unchallenged #NJAIPACMAGADem5
FightBackBetter is analyzing the NJ Democratic Primary and independent congress challengers including Green Party challengers to determine the viability of building a Peace Caucus among NJ’s congressional delegation.
There are 5 NJ Democrats in Congress that are in the SUPER STAND FOR ISRAEL NJ CAUCUS: George Conaway CD 3, Josh Gottheimer CD 5, George Norcross CD 1, Frank Pallone CD 6 and Nelly Pou CD 9.
All of them have received significant AIPAC and other pro-Israel funding. They are hopelessly hitched to Israel and they take Israel lead even on Trump aligned legislation even when Israel is not the centerpiece.
One recent example was a January Carte Blanche vote for funding a wish list of waste for the disastrous foreign policy of the Trump administration. The bill created slush discretionary funds for repressive ICE and border policing operations and $3.3 billion in funding for Israel. To their credit, Lamonica McIver CD-10, Robert Menendez Jr. CD-8 and Bonnie Watson Coleman CD-12 voted it down. The 5 super Israel crew of course endorsed the reckless Trump State Department “Minibus” bill.
On February 28, Israel and United States launched a war of aggression, first strike unprovoked full scale attack on Iran, including within the first hour a massacre at a girl’s elementary school killing 178 mostly children but including teachers, staff and rescuers. Immediately congress launched into an effort to cover up the slaughter and passed a resolution smearing Iran as a terrorist nation when it was the US and Israel that carried out a Hitlerist first strike terrorist attack, slaughtered the school children and carried out full scale carpet bombing of civilian structures including schools, hospitals, work sites, dwellings, city centers . . . US Congress rushed to pass a resolution calling the victims under the falling bombs “terrorists.”
The voting was the same configuration among the Democrats with the same 5 super Israel crew voting for the smear resolution that created bipartisan sentiment toward the terror massacre being launched by the USA and Israel.
Now is a time when NJ is counting upon the Democrats to challenge the Trump administration and the MAGA cult that controls the Republican Party including on the issue of the destructive US – Israel War Upon the Nations and Peoples of Iran, Lebanon, Gaza and the Middle East. These 5 NJ Democratic Congress members consistently vote for MAGA controlled laws and resolutions whenever Israel is a factor. They clearlly put Israel ahead of the interests of American people and the voters of NJ. They are on AIPAC speed dial and that is where they get their voting instructions. The presence of these MAGA supporting elements within the Democratic Party sabotage the abiliy of Democrats to oppose the war and to consistently oppose the Trump Administration.
US opposition to MAGA policies is completely undermined by this Israel control over the votes of NJ’s Democratic Congressional Caucus members. Also it renders impossible the ability for the Democratic Party to thwart the deadly foreign policy disasters of the Trump administration.
Of the 5 ALWAYS ISRAEL FIRST NJ Congress members, only one has any primary challenge. Israel Firster Frank Pallone (CD 6) has two challengers, well known anti-genocide and pro-peace activist John Hsu who also challenged Pallone in 2024 is in the race. FightBackBetter has reached out to candidate Hsu to see if he has interest in calling for a “Peace Block” among NJ’s congressional delegation and candidates. Green Party candidate for CD 4 Barry Bendar has laid out a fine Peace Block platform and blueprint for ending US – Israel war on the Middle East region at this link. John Hsu has made his opposition to the US – Israel war upon the MIddle East peoples clear. The other CD 6 candidate in the Democratic Primary Katie Bansil’s campaign site makes no mention of Israel or war and she is not known to have been protesting about the genocide as John Hsu has in recent years.
It is a level of maturity – the John Hsu challenge. Any movement to challenge war and genocide should make sure they do everything the can to put especially the super Israel – firsters: Conaway, Gottheimer, Norcross, Pallone and Pou in check. We are reaching out to the Green Party and other independent forces to see if any candidates are on the horizon to challenge in these Israel controlled congressional districts.
As of now only CD 6 has any kind of opposition to the Israel First Democratic Congressional Caucus.
We can immediately address this by getting candidates petitions for peace and anti-genocide candidates in CD 1, 3, 5 and 9. Hopefully also those who believe in an electoral fight can start to develop a strategy to remove the AIPAC poison from NJ. We can build independent strength outside the Democratic Party – that is the best path.
The lack of progressive Democrat challenge of 4 out of the 5 Dem Israel First held seats speaks to those of us on the periphery who are subject to constant critique if we dare say anything bad about Democrats. If you want to show us we do not need to build independently – you need to show us you are ready to challenge the MAGA, Israel, pro-war element that controls Democratic congressional power. Right now there is no effort to challenge Israel’s control of the 5 Israel First seats at all aside from CD 6 – John Hsu‘s challenge.
If you have some commentary on the questions this editor is raising – a rebuttal – etc. write to me at Editor@FIghtBackBetter.com . If this article does not lead to conversation it is missing its mark. Lets lift up our votes and our voices.
FIghtBackBetter will do a deeper dive into the other 7 Congressional Districts shortly.
CONCLUSION FOR NJ CD’s 1, 3., 5, 6 AND 9
The conclusion here is that there are NO GOOD CHOICES for Democrat for Congress in NJ’s congressional disitricts 1, 3, 5 and 9. In each of those cases the Democratic Party incumbent is unchallenged and are absolutely under AIPAC control – always voting for legislation that is supported by Israel even if it supports MAGA policy mayhem. In CD 6 you can consider John Hsu’s candidacy as a possible way to assert your support for a fight to end the US – Israel war on the peoples of the Middle East region. The lack of a challenge in CD 9 to AIPAC poisoned Nellie Pou is particularly unfortunate in that the district includes Paterson which is among the largest Palestinian enclaves in the USA. Sadly it is represented by an unchallenged supporter of the genocide of their kin, Nellie Pou.
Stay tuned for more details on the other 7 Congressional Districts coming shortly.
