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Meanwhile, Representative Ayanna Pressley, who begins any race with the progressive credentials that go with being a member of The Squad, wants to get word out that she has continued to press the Trump administration for information on humanitarian aid distributed in Gaza. Against the background of buzz that she is seriously thinking about jumping into the Markey race, it is a reminder that she is a longtime champion of the Palestinian cause who has never taken any AIPAC money. The victory of Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral race set the stage for this kind of maneuvering. Not so long ago, such a strong advocate of Palestinian rights and critic of Israel could not have won a Democratic primary. Now the “Mamdani effect” can be seen in the early positioning that is taking place in the primary race for Markey’s seat. Will any of this jockeying matter? The first problem for any Markey challenger is that when it comes to the politics of Israel and Gaza, Markey staked out an early progressive position. At a midday rally on Boston Common on Oct. 9, 2023 — two days after Hamas attacked Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages — Markey condemned the attack and described Hamas as “violent extremists.” But he also called for “de-escalation” of the violence. For that, he was loudly booed. Pressley also called for de-escalation and a cease-fire. But Markey got the headlines. Since then, Markey has consistently called for a cease-fire and humanitarian aid, while saying he supports Israel’s right to exist and defend itself. For his part, Moulton has described himself as “outspoken about Hamas’s barbarism and Israel’s right to defend itself.” But then, on Oct. 16, he posted on X that he was returning AIPAC donations and refusing to accept future donations or support from it because “AIPAC has aligned itself too closely with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government.” According to a report from Jewish Insider, however, that happened after Moulton first sought AIPAC’s endorsement but did not get it. Asked for comment, Moulton issued this statement: “I’ve never been afraid to disagree with AIPAC privately or publicly, and they have refused to support me in past races. So the idea that my returning their contributions had anything to do with endorsements is absurd and ignores the basic history. AIPAC had already endorsed me for re-election, it just hadn’t been announced. They hadn’t started a formal endorsement process for the Senate campaign yet. I returned their money because I profoundly disagree with the direction they’ve chosen.” As reported by Boston.com, AIPAC was the top contributor to Moulton’s campaign committee in 2023 and 2024, donating a total of $42,850. The PAC donated $10,000, and the other $32,850 was donated by individuals. Writing for the American Enterprise Institute, Samuel J. Abrams had a dim view of Moulton’s AIPAC break-up, noting that “it marks the moment when an ambitious, mainstream Democrat concluded that distancing himself from the organized Jewish community is a political asset, not a liability, and when moral cowardice began to masquerade as conscience.” Markey has not received any AIPAC donations between 2019 and 2024, according to opensecrets.org. Asked whether Pressley will jump into the Markey race, her spokesperson said there is no news regarding her long-term political plans. For Pressley, pushing back against the government of Israel is not a change of heart. It’s where she has always been. She has had some success in getting the Trump administration to at least acknowledge the need for humanitarian aid to Gaza. In an August letter signed by more than 100 Democratic lawmakers that was sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, she took a leading role in calling upon the Trump administration to press Israel to make sure baby formula got to Gaza. A month later, in a response shared with me by Pressley’s office, a state department official said the Trump administration “shares your concern … and supports the delivery of urgently delivered humanitarian aid … that does not feed or strengthen Hamas.” Pressley and two other Democratic pushed back, asking the State Department to provide Congress with “an accurate and real-time report” on aid distributed there and Pressley continues to advocate strongly on behalf of Gaza. If she gets into the race, maybe she will be the younger, progressive challenger who moves votes away from Markey. For now, all the jockeying shows how much the needle has moved for Democrats when it comes to the politics of Israel and Gaza.
