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North Carolina Lawmakers at Risk of Losing Re-Election Over Virulent Anti-Israel Activism
Raleigh City council members Mary Black, right, and Christina Jones. Photo: Screenshot
Two City Council members seeking re-election in Raleigh, North Carolina — Christina Jones and Mary Black — are in danger of losing their seats due to widespread concerns from the Jewish community and prominent local Democrats over their history of attacking Israel and working closely with pro-Hamas activist Rania Masri, despite their jobs having no apparent responsibilities concerning Middle Eastern affairs.
On Nov. 28, Masri spoke at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), where she referred to Oct. 7 — when Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists invaded southern Israel and perpetrated the biggest single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust — as “a beautiful day.” Masri demanded “the eradication of Zionism” and added, “We know that one of the most powerful places we can exert our influence is the city councils.” Masri then mentioned the importance of bringing her activism to the Raleigh City Council.
In December, Masri posted a video on Facebook that called Hamas “our heroes.”
Jones and Black — along with Masri — are widely viewed as leading several failed efforts to have the Raleigh City Council pass a one-sided, anti-Israel ceasefire resolution to stop the war in Gaza.
A local news network reported at the time, “Jones says while she can’t promise a ceasefire resolution, she wants to make sure this comes up before her colleagues as much as possible.” A local newspaper reported that during one of the council meetings on the issue, Jones chanted slogans such as “Free, free Palestine” along with other anti-Israel activists. In the end, the ceasefire resolution did not pass.
Raleigh residents and Jewish leaders are appalled that Jones was photographed publicly embracing Masri in January following a Raleigh City Council meeting in which speakers spent almost four hours targeting Israel — the only Jewish-majority country in the world.
“It is sickening to me to see Christina Jones, a member of the Raleigh City Council, embracing Rania Masri, who called Oct. 7 ‘a beautiful day,’” Marcia Harris — a Raleigh resident, Jewish leader, and retired UNC administrator — told The Algemeiner.
Stefanie Mendell, a former Raleigh City Council member who held the same seat currently occupied by Jones, told The Algemeiner that she was once a “huge supporter” of Jones, having worked to place about 800 election signs for her initial campaign and having hosted, with a friend, a “meet and greet” for the local politician. Mendell now opposes Jones’s candidacy for re-election.
In a Sept. 7 email to her large mailing list, Mendell endorsed Jones’s opponent, John Cerqueira.
“Where Christina [Jones] has been particularly active is in international issues that council has no ability to influence. She has promoted divisiveness in the community with her flagrant support of Palestinian demonstrators, including her public embrace of Rania Masri who has called Oct. 7 a ‘beautiful day’ in praising Hamas’s terrorist attacks on innocent civilians,” Mendell wrote.
“Christina insisted on trying to push through a one-sided ceasefire resolution despite calls from her Jewish constituents to refrain from involvement in a very complex issue that she clearly doesn’t fully understand,” Mendell continued. “Christina encouraged Palestinian demonstrators to continue coming to council meetings despite their intimidation of speakers with whom they disagreed. The inordinate amount of time devoted to this resulted in many Raleigh residents opting to forego their opportunity to address council — both because of the intimidating atmosphere and because of the time restrictions imposed as a result of the huge turnout of people speaking on issues that council has no ability to influence.”
Mendell concluded, “In sum, Christina has not lived up to her campaign promises and has disrespected a large segment of her constituency.”
Conner Taylor, 2nd vice chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party Jewish Caucus, told The Algemeiner that Jones’s public embrace of Masri is now “infamous” and a “slap in the face” to the Jewish community.
Jones and Black were both recently endorsed by Solidarity with Humanity, which describes itself as “North Carolina’s first and only grassroots political action committee (PAC) building power for Palestinian freedom.” Jones and Black were pictured with a smiling Masri while attending a “Raleigh United for Gaza” fundraiser held by this new PAC. The two lawmakers were also photographed wearing keffiyehs at the event. In addition, Jones has recently donated to the PAC, as has Masri.
In a recent Wake County Democratic Party questionnaire, Jones stated that since Oct. 7 she has met “community members from both sides” of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In response, Taylor told The Algemeiner, “I find that very concerning. That she [Jones] would have met with leaders from the Jewish community after Oct. 7, listened to the pain and fear our community is going through, and then still embarked on this very cozy political relationship with someone [Masri] who called Oct. 7 ‘a beautiful day.’”
The Algemeiner has reported extensively on Jones’s colleague on the council, Black, who has used social media in ways such as trivializing the Holocaust, using the antisemitic, white supremacist term “zios,” and dismissing concerns she is antisemitic as being “funny.”
Taylor recently explained to The Algemeiner the “betrayal” felt by the Jewish community observing Black and Masri’s close working relationship, seeing Black pose for photographs with Masri, speak on a panel with the pro-Hamas activist, speak at a fundraiser with Masri standing behind her, and speak at a local rally standing with the controversial figure.
The Wake County Democratic Party — which endorsed Black in 2022 — recently endorsed Black’s opponent, fellow Democrat Mitchell Silver. Political insiders told The Algemeiner that Black now has very little chance of winning her re-election bid. The North Carolina Democratic Party Jewish Caucus also endorsed Silver, as did Rabbi Eric Solomon of Beth Meyer Synagogue, the largest congregation in Raleigh.
However, community members, local Democrats, and Jewish leaders are furious that the Wake County Democratic Party — which includes Raleigh — recently endorsed Jones.
Solomon, a political progressive, wrote a widely viewed social media post condemning the decision.
“By endorsing Council Member Christina Jones, whose behavior has been just as abhorrent as Mary Black’s, the Wake County Jewish community’s worst fears were confirmed. Namely, that the local Democratic Party supports candidates who obsessively and singularly criticize Israel,” the rabbi wrote. “Christina Jones has done precious little to honor the trauma the Raleigh Jewish community is experiencing while she continues to embrace outspoken, violence-urging, pro-Hamas organizers like Rania Masri.”
Because of Jones’s endorsement from the Wake County Democratic Party, her re-election bid against fellow Democratic Cerqueira is expected to be close, according to political insiders.
The Algemeiner requested public record emails from the city of Raleigh for Jones and Black that contain keywords such as “Israel” and “Gaza” that were sent or received since Oct. 6. A representative of the city responded, “We’ve run the search you requested, and the volume of results that came back would take a long time for us to process.”
On Sunday, the Jewish Federation of Greater Raleigh and two Raleigh synagogues hosted a “Meet the Raleigh City Council Candidates” event where community members could “get to know” the candidates. About 15 candidates attended. Jones and Black were both invited. Neither attended.
Peter Reitzes writes about issues related to antisemitism and Israel.
The post North Carolina Lawmakers at Risk of Losing Re-Election Over Virulent Anti-Israel Activism first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Trump Nominates Marco Rubio for US Secretary of State
US Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, Sept. 10, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday confirmed that he will nominate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) to serve as secretary of state in his incoming administration, a potential signal that the next White House will take a more adversarial posture toward Iran.
Trump’s confirmation came a couple days after several media outlets reported that he was expected to tap Rubio, 53, to head the US State Department. The move to place a lawmaker known for his hawkish foreign policy views as the nation’s top diplomat has mollified concerns among some critics that the second Trump administration would adopt a more isolationist approach to international affairs.
“Marco is a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom. He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said in an official statement. “I look forward to working with Marco to Make America, and the World, Safe and Great Again!”
Rubio issued a brief statement advocating an approach of “peace through strength” to international relations.
“As Secretary of State, I will work every day to carry out his foreign policy agenda. Under the leadership of President Trump we will deliver peace through strength and always put the interests of Americans and America above all else,” Rubio said on X/Twitter.
Since his election to the Senate in 2010, Rubio has developed a reputation as a foreign policy hawk, advocating for greater investments in the US military and a tougher approach to adversaries such as Iran, China, Cuba, and Venezuela.
Rubio’s policy views have previously resulted in conflict with more isolationist members of the Republican Party, who have argued that the US should step back from international conflicts and increase focus on domestic issues.
The selection of Rubio also indicates the incoming Trump administration will be diplomatically supportive of Israel.
In the year following the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’s massacre across southern Israel last Oct. 7, Rubio has steadfastly signaled his support for the Jewish state, resisting calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and underscoring the importance of Israel achieving a decisive win against Hamas.
He stated in October 2023 that Israel has “no choice but to seek the complete eradication of Hamas in Gaza,” adding that “this tragically necessary effort will come at a horrifying price” and that “the price of failing to permanently eliminate this group of sadistic savages is even more horrifying.”
In May 2024, the senator cautioned that the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terrorist organization in Lebanon, could soon break out into full-scale war.
“The imperative that Israel has at some point to address it, even though there’s a real threat there of a full-scale war with Hezbollah, which militarily is a lot more challenging and destructive,” Rubio said.
Last month, Rubio condemned Iran’s direct attack against Israel after the Iranian regime fired a barrage of nearly 200 ballistic missiles at the Jewish state.
“I urge the reimposition of a maximum pressure campaign against Iran and fully support Israel’s right to respond disproportionately to stop this threat. The United States will continue to stand with Israel,” Rubio said in a statement.
Rubio has also assigned blame to Iran for fomenting instability and chaos in the Middle East, adding that the regime has also acted as the “primary” oppressor of its own civilians.
“The primary source of violence, conflict, suffering, and instability in the Middle East is the criminal ‘Islamic Republic’ regime which has also oppressed the people of [Iran] for almost [45] years,” Rubio said on X/Twitter.
Beyond Rubio, Trump has also handpicked other administration members with pro-Israel bonafides. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), a lawmaker who has gone viral for her blistering repudiations of university presidents over their response campus antisemitism, has been selected to serve as ambassador to the United Nations. Trump also selected Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) to serve as his next national security adviser.
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Trump’s Top National Security Picks Have Expressed Strongly Pro-Israel, Anti-Iran Views
US President Donald Trump is interviewed by then-Fox and Friends co-host Pete Hegseth at the White House in Washington, US, April 6, 2017. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
US President-elect Donald Trump’s selections for national security adviser and defense secretary have a history of making statements in support of Israel’s right to defend itself from neighboring threats.
In the week following his resounding victory at the polls, Trump has swiftly moved to fill his incoming cabinet with allies of Israel.
Among his top national security picks, the president-elect has chosen US. Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) to serve as his national security adviser and nominated Fox News host and Army National Guard officer Pete Hegseth as the next secretary of defense.
Waltz, a Green Beret and former Pentagon policy adviser, has developed a hawkish reputation on foreign policy matters. He supported Israel’s retaliatory strikes against Iran in October, arguing that the Jewish state should target Kharg Island, a major hub of the regime’s oil exports. The representative also suggested that Israel attack Iran’s nuclear facilities outside of Tehran. The lawmaker has openly criticized the Biden administration for allegedly holding Israel back from a full force retaliation against Iran.
Waltz has also argued that the US should attempt to weaken Iran through sanctioning the Chinese buyers of Iranian oil, saying that isolating Iran economically would cripple their ability to finance the operations of terrorist groups such as Hamas, the Houthis, and Hezbollah. He has also helped spearhead bipartisan efforts to recategorize the Houthis in Yemen as an official international terrorist organization, a move that he argues would isolate the group by making financial transactions with them illegal.
On Tuesday, Trump raised eyebrows by tapping Hegseth to head the Pentagon. Hegseth, a former infantry officer in the Army National Guard deployed to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, has repeatedly expressed affinity for Israel. Hegseth, a devout Christian, argued on television that Jews have a right to live in Israel on Biblical grounds. In his 2020 book, American Crusade, Our Fight to Stay Free, he stated that Israel is “central to the story of Western civilization” and that the Jewish state is “inextricably linked” to America.
“If you love America, you should love Israel. We share history, we share faith, and we share freedom. We love free people, free expression, and free markets,” he wrote. “And whereas America is blessed with two big, beautiful oceans to protect it, Israel is surrounded on all sides by countries that either used to seek, or still seek, to wipe the nation off the map.”
During a 2016 trip to Israel, Hegseth said that he was “struck by the pervasive sense of purpose which permeates Israel and its people who understand the special nature of its founding and defense.” He also said that America can “learn from Israel” and that the Jewish state “is indispensable for the future of the West and human freedom.”
Following the 2020 killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, who headed the Quds Force responsible for overseeing Iran’s proxies and terrorist operations abroad, Hegseth urged then-President Trump to bomb Iran’s nuclear production facilities.
“I happen to believe that we can’t kick the can down the road any longer in trying to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear bomb. They used the killing of Soleimani as an excuse to say ‘we’re scrapping the Iran Deal.’ We all know they were scrapping it anyway,” Hegseth said on Fox News, adding that America should notify Iran of its plans to destroy its “nuclear production facilities,” “key infrastructure,” “missile sites,” and “port capabilities.”
Hegseth also argued that attempts to restrain Israel from direct confrontation with Iran are “ridiculous” and that the Islamic regime represents an “existential threat” to the Jewish state.
“Israel wants to deal with Iran, we should let them … If it was not for Israel, Iran would have had the bomb already,” he said.
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American Jewish Organizations React to Trump’s Choice for US Ambassador to Israel
Mike Huckabee looks on as Donald Trump reacts during a campaign event at the Drexelbrook Catering and Event Center, in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, US, Oct. 29, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
American Jewish organizations were quick to react to US President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement that he would choose former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be the next US ambassador to Israel after he assumes office in January.
“Mike has been a great public servant, governor, and leader in faith for many years. He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East!” Trump wrote in his announcement.
Huckabee, an evangelical Christian, has long been a vocal pro-Israel voice. He has repudiated the anti-Israel protests that erupted in the wake of Hamas’s massacre across southern Israel last Oct. 7 and criticized incumbent US President Joe Biden for sympathizing with anti-Israel protesters during his speech at the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC). The incoming ambassador also lambasted the anti-Israel encampments at elite universities, stating that there should be “outrage” over the targeting and mistreatment of Jewish college students.
Ted Deutch, the CEO of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), posted on X on Tuesday that his organization “looks forward to working with Gov. Huckabee and newly appointed Special Envoy for the Middle East Steven Witkoff to strengthen the US-Israel relationship, bolster Israel-diaspora relations, and promote strong connections between American Jewry and Israel.”
Other Jewish communal organizations, such as the Jewish Federations of North America and the Anti-Defamation League, have so far not made statements.
The Republican Jewish Committee (RJC) said it was “thrilled” with the choice. “As a man of deep faith,” the RJC wrote, “we know Governor Huckabee’s abounding love of Israel and its people is second to none.”
It continued, “As the Jewish state continues to fight an existential war for survival against Iran and its terrorist proxies, Governor Huckabee will represent America’s ironclad commitment to Israel’s security with distinction.”
On the other side, however, the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) called Huckabee “utterly unqualified for this role” and argued that “his extremist views with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will not further the national security interests of the United States or advance prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.”
Huckabee told Israel’s Army Radio in his first interview since the announcement of his ambassadorship that “of course” the annexation of the West Bank is a possibility during Trump’s second presidential term.
“Unfortunately, when it comes to the US-Israel relationship,” the JDCA concluded, “Donald Trump will continue to only be motivated by his own narrow self-interest, and we’re deeply concerned about what that means for the United States and Israel.”
J Street also opposed the choice, writing in a statement that “Huckabee, a right-wing, evangelical minister with a long history of championing settlement expansion, annexation, and a radical ‘Greater Israel’ agenda, holds principles and espouses views that — if now implemented — would shatter the foundations on which a healthy and strong US-Israel relationship has been built over the past 75 years.”
J Street on Monday urged the Biden administration to withhold offensive weapons from Israel as part of a partial arms embargo, arguing that the United States needs to hold Israel accountable for alleged human rights “violations” before Trump takes office.
Huckabee has taken positions on the Israel-Palestinian conflict considered further to the right than most American Jews and politicians. The former governor has defended Israel’s right to build settlements in the West Bank, acknowledging the Jewish people’s ties to the land dating back to the ancient world.
“There is no such thing as the West Bank — it’s Judea and Samaria,” Huckabee has said, referring to the biblical names for the area. “There is no such thing as settlements — they’re communities, they’re neighborhoods, they’re cities. There is no such thing as an occupation.”
Huckabee has also argued, including during his 2008 US presidential campaign, that any future Palestinian state should be created from land in Arab countries, rather than from territory that Israel captured in 1967 during the Six-Day War.
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