Shifting U.S.-Israeli politics loom over Suozzi reelection race

WASHINGTON — In his years representing a Long Island congressional district with a large Jewish population, Rep. Tom Suozzi has established himself as a reliable supporter of Israel.

Now, as he seeks a new term, opponents from both parties are attacking Suozzi from opposite sides on the topic.

Republican challengers say the Glen Cove Democrat is not showing leadership against members of his party who have grown increasingly critical of Israel. The Republicans say they would be backing the Israelis more loudly.

Meanwhile, a Democratic primary challenger attacks Suozzi for supporting President Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran in partnership with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The crossfire reflects the shifting politics of U.S.-Israeli relations, as attitudes toward Israel have cooled among many Democrats while Republicans positioned themselves in support. But Suozzi and Long Island’s other Democratic representative, freshman Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre), have both maintained the strong support of the U.S.-Israel relationship that long held among much of the Democratic Party.

Now, unconditional support for Israel can be a liability in a Democratic primary. And many Republicans are ready to pounce in this fall’s elections, already launching depictions of their Democratic foes as less committed to Israel than they are.

Suozzi's campaign spokesman, Kim Devlin, argues that attempts to paint him as anything less than a strong supporter of Israel, given his decades-long record, "reeks of their desperation."

But in an interview, Suozzi conceded, "I think that Israel and supporters of Israel do have to do a better job to keep bipartisan support for Israel. Because, you know, right now we’ve seen the problems in the Democratic Party."

Suozzi acknowledged that he "doesn’t like a lot of things Netanyahu is doing." But he said, "I think that many of my constituents, as I do, still perceive them as being a persecuted minority that is striving to protect themselves against people that want to kill them and destroy their country."

Gillen was not made available for an interview and is not facing a Democratic primary. Her likely Republican foe in the fall, Jeanine Driscoll, just launched her campaign last week.

But in a statement to Newsday, Gillen said, "I’m proud to represent one of the largest Jewish populations in my district and ensure they have a strong voice in Congress."

Attack line

Even as Suozzi is unveiling legislation Friday to establish "buffer zones" that would restrict protests outside synagogues, his Republican challengers say he is not doing enough to address the growing criticism of Israel within his own party.

"Rep. Suozzi pays lip service to antisemitism issues but doesn't expend any political capital within the Democratic Party to stop its growing obsession against all things Israel," Greg Hach, who is seeking the GOP nomination, said. He accuses Suozzi of silence as "the left systematically normalized anti-Israel hatred."

Even with the ‘buffer zone" idea, Hach said, Suozzi is parroting ideas previously proposed by Gov. Kathy Hochul and Nassau County.

A similar assessment comes from Michael LiPetri, the other Republican running for the GOP nomination to take on Suozzi this fall in New York’s heavily Jewish 3rd Congressional District.

"Democrats like Tom Suozzi claim to fully back Jewish New Yorkers," says LiPetri — who has the backing of President Donald Trump and the local Republican committee. Yet, he said, "when radicals like [New York City Mayor Zohran] Mamdani and The Squad refuse to adequately condemn ‘Free Palestine’ riots and chaos, all we get from Suozzi is a weak tweet and an insincere photo-op." 

Meanwhile, Suozzi’s challenger in the June 23 Democratic primary, Danielle Welch, is criticizing him for supporting the "disastrous" decision to attack Iran.

This double-sided squeeze on Suozzi comes amid polling that shows Americans continue to shift away from unconditional support of Israel in larger numbers. A Pew Research survey this month shows 80% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents viewing Israel unfavorably, with especially sharp increases among voters aged 18 to 34.

New political risks

This steady erosion of American support has been accompanied by growing unease within the Democratic Party over Netanyahu’s handling of Gaza and Iran, and recognition that supporting Israel now can carry political risks.

No longer are concerns able to be caricatured or dismissed as far-left criticisms voiced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Bronx, Queens) and the "Squad" — and other progressives — that have frequently challenged U.S. support for Israel.

Now, Democratic primaries are forcing candidates to distinguish support for Israel from backing Netanyahu's government.

Some Democratic members of Congress — including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-Brooklyn) — are also distancing themselves from the pro-Israel lobbying group, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). For his part, Suozzi does not apologize for his acceptance of donations from AIPAC. Photos of both him and Gillen remain featured on a webpage of the group that enables donors to give.

Also this month, most Senate Democrats — as many as 40 in one of the votes — supported efforts by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to block bomb and bulldozer transfers to Israel. Sanders cited polling showing that three-quarters of Democrats and two-thirds of independents oppose the U.S. sending arms to Israel.

Competing pressures

Non-partisan political strategists say Suozzi and some other Democrats must navigate now between competing pressures to energize younger progressive voters less enthused over backing Israel, and retaining their traditional Jewish and pro-Israel constituencies.

Veteran New York Democratic political consultant Hank Sheinkopf said Suozzi might have the benefit of his district’s location — and its relatively older population — while other Democrats being targeted this way could be in even more of a bind.

"Suburban areas containing larger numbers of older Jewish voters will likely benefit [the] more pro-Israel candidates," Sheinkopf said, including, he said, "those decrying rising violence against Jews and Jewish institutions."

Jacob Rubashkin, deputy editor of the independent political handicapper Inside Elections, agreed that "it’s definitely a bank shot" for Republicans to try to link Suozzi to other Democrats’ positions, or a perceived lack of willingness to speak out.

He added that when Suozzi’s photo remains on the AIPAC home page, that he is so well known in the district, and even successfully demonstrated his pro-Israel bona fides running against an Israel Defense Forces veteran in 2024 — "it’s going to be a tough argument for Republicans to make."