U.S. progressives often criticize Rep. Dan Goldman for his AIPAC ties and his refusal to call Israel's actions in Gaza a genocide. He claimed that New York Mayor Mamdani's sponsorship of opponent Brad Lander had a 'tremendous impact'.
U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman said his loss in last week's Democratic primary for New York's 10th Congressional District stemmed from his stance on the Israel-Gaza war, in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper on Wednesday.
Speaking just over a week after he lost to Brad Lander, the former NYC comptroller and a key ally of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Goldman said his loss "really did come down" to his support of Israel.
While he agrees that many voters have been "incredibly horrified" by the war in Gaza, Goldman said that he "probably [has] a different view of how to stop this Israeli government [and] how to rebuild peace in the Middle East."
Goldman, who is Jewish, has often found himself attacked by progressives over his positions on Israel and his ties to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. In Wednesday's interview, Tapper mentioned Goldman's ties to AIPAC, as well as his refusal to describe the war in Gaza as genocide or refer to the situation in the West Bank as an occupation, and asked if there's room in the party for pro-Israel progressives.
"American Jews are now being dehumanized because of frustration and anger with what's going on in the Middle East," Goldman said in response. Describing the trend as anti-democratic and anti-American, Goldman added that it "fundamentally flies in the face of everything the Democratic Party has always stood for."
Saying the war in Gaza constitutes a genocide "has been adopted by many as a morality test," Goldman charges, describing it as a litmus test. According to him, Jews are seen as responsible for the Israeli government's actions, which translates into "a tremendous danger and fear" against them. "That is antisemitism, and it's becoming normalized," he said.
Pressed on why he doesn't use the word genocide to describe the situation in Gaza, Goldman points to his past as a prosecutor who needs proof. "I simply do not think that anybody can know for sure what happened in Gaza right now until there is an independent investigation," he said. However, Goldman said there "are real legitimate claims that the Israeli government may have committed war crimes, but that is very different than genocide."
Goldman's rival, Lander, was one of several Democratic candidates backed by Mamdani and won the primary election last week. Asked if he regrets not endorsing the New York City mayor and presumably receiving his reciprocal support, Goldman said "there's no question" that Mamdani's endorsements had a "tremendous impact."
But, Goldman explained, he continues to be concerned over "whether or not some of [Mamdani's] rhetoric and his actions would increase or escalate the antisemitism that has dramatically skyrocketed since October 7."
Speaking about the coffee shop that banned him over his views on Israel, Goldman said it was a "really dangerous" trend that has become normalized over the past year. The incident, he said, was "a microcosm of where we are."
"The idea that I, who has devoted my career to public service and civil rights and equal justice, would be called a genocide supporter, a baby killer, is unbelievably offensive," Goldman said.
The Congressman emphasized that First Amendment claims cannot be used to legitimize antisemitic incidents. Asked by Tapper if he took issue with Mamdani hosting pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil at the mayor's official residence during Ramadan, Goldman charged that elected officials should set the right example.
"If anybody said similar slurs or stereotypical tropes about any other protected class, any other minority group, they would be roundly condemned," Goldman said in response. "But for some reason, when people say it about Jews, it's okay, or there's a dispute about whether or not it is antisemitic. And that's unacceptable," he added.