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US Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC Rescinds Endorsement of Pro-Israel Democrat
Former US Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-NY) speaking at a press conference about expanding the number of justices on the Supreme Court. Photo: Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
The Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, a fundraising organization for left-wing political causes, has rescinded its endorsement of former US Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-NY) after he endorsed a pro-Israel candidate in the New York Democratic primary elections.
Jones publicly backed Westchester County Executive George Latimer over incumbent Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) on Tuesday, arguing that Bowman has isolated the Jewish community over his stance on the Israel-Hamas war. Jones argued that Latimer was the “clear” choice and cited his desire to “stand up for” his Jewish constituents.
Jones’s endorsement of Latimer, a candidate backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), incensed the progressive political fundraising organization.
“A number of factors led to the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC rescinding the endorsement of Mondaire Jones,” Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC executive director Evan Brown said.
Brown added that the decision to walk back his organization’s endorsement “was a unanimous decision of our PAC board.”
The ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has reportedly roiled the PAC, exposing fractures within the progressive coalition over views on the Jewish state. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), a stalwart ally of Israel, quietly departed the PAC in February, citing dissatisfaction with the group’s approach to Israel’s military operation.
In response to the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC’s announcement, Jones told NBC News that he does not regret his rebuke of Bowman.
“I have no regrets about standing up for what I firmly believe in,” Jones said, “I have known and worked with George Latimer for years.”
“Rep. Bowman and I have very different views on Israel,” Jones added. “I have been horrified by his recent acceptance of the DSA [Democratic Socialists of America] endorsement, his denial of the sexual assault of Israeli women by Hamas on Oct. 7, and his rush to call for a ceasefire before Israel could hardly begin to defend itself against the worst assault on Jews since the Holocaust.”
Bowman has been exceptionally critical of the Jewish state in the months following Hamas’ Oct. 7 slaughter, which killed over 1,200 people throughout southern Israel. In March, Bowman suggested that the widely-corroborated claims of sexual assault on Oct. 7 were mere Israeli “propaganda.” He also referred to Israel as an “apartheid” state.
Like Bowman, Jones was first elected to the US Congress in 2020. However, Jones lost re-election in 2022 and is now running for a second term. He’s currently the leading Democrat in the race to unseat Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY).
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) — a prominent progressive who previously came under fire for calling Israel a “racist state” — lambasted Jones’s decision to back Bowman’s opponent.
“Honestly, I’m just so disgusted by it,” Jayapal said. “This is a former colleague of his, an incumbent member who is a top priority candidate for us, an incumbent for us in the Progressive Caucus.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), a progressive who suggested Israel’s military actions in Gaza are tantamount to “genocide,” also took aim at Jones over his endorsement of Latimer.
“Jamaal Bowman has earned support across the entire Democratic Party — from House leadership and the Congressional Black + Progressive Caucuses to Labor + grassroots – bc he is a proven, effective, & beloved leader,” Ocasio-Cortez posted on X/Twitter. “Dem unity means supporting Bowman. That’s how we win in November.”
The post US Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC Rescinds Endorsement of Pro-Israel Democrat first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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After False Dawns, Gazans Hope Trump Will Force End to Two-Year-Old War
Palestinians walk past a residential building destroyed in previous Israeli strikes, after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Exhausted Palestinians in Gaza clung to hopes on Saturday that US President Donald Trump would keep up pressure on Israel to end a two-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced the entire population of more than two million.
Hamas’ declaration that it was ready to hand over hostages and accept some terms of Trump’s plan to end the conflict while calling for more talks on several key issues was greeted with relief in the enclave, where most homes are now in ruins.
“It’s happy news, it saves those who are still alive,” said 32-year-old Saoud Qarneyta, reacting to Hamas’ response and Trump’s intervention. “This is enough. Houses have been damaged, everything has been damaged, what is left? Nothing.”
GAZAN RESIDENT HOPES ‘WE WILL BE DONE WITH WARS’
Ismail Zayda, 40, a father of three, displaced from a suburb in northern Gaza City where Israel launched a full-scale ground operation last month, said: “We want President Trump to keep pushing for an end to the war, if this chance is lost, it means that Gaza City will be destroyed by Israel and we might not survive.
“Enough, two years of bombardment, death and starvation. Enough,” he told Reuters on a social media chat.
“God willing this will be the last war. We will hopefully be done with the wars,” said 59-year-old Ali Ahmad, speaking in one of the tented camps where most Palestinians now live.
“We urge all sides not to backtrack. Every day of delay costs lives in Gaza, it is not just time wasted, lives get wasted too,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman displaced with members of his family in central Gaza Strip.
After two previous ceasefires — one near the start of the war and another earlier this year — lasted only a few weeks, he said; “I am very optimistic this time, maybe Trump’s seeking to be remembered as a man of peace, will bring us real peace this time.”
RESIDENT WORRIES THAT NETANYAHU WILL ‘SABOTAGE’ DEAL
Some voiced hopes of returning to their homes, but the Israeli military issued a fresh warning to Gazans on Saturday to stay out of Gaza City, describing it as a “dangerous combat zone.”
Gazans have faced previous false dawns during the past two years, when Trump and others declared at several points during on-off negotiations between Hamas, Israel and Arab and US mediators that a deal was close, only for war to rage on.
“Will it happen? Can we trust Trump? Maybe we trust Trump, but will Netanyahu abide this time? He has always sabotaged everything and continued the war. I hope he ends it now,” said Aya, 31, who was displaced with her family to Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
She added: “Maybe there is a chance the war ends at October 7, two years after it began.”
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Mass Rally in Rome on Fourth Day of Italy’s Pro-Palestinian Protests
A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a national protest for Gaza in Rome, Italy, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Large crowds assembled in central Rome on Saturday for the fourth straight day of protests in Italy since Israel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza, and detained its activists.
People holding banners and Palestinian flags, chanting “Free Palestine” and other slogans, filed past the Colosseum, taking part in a march that organizers hoped would attract at least 1 million people.
“I’m here with a lot of other friends because I think it is important for us all to mobilize individually,” Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome, said. “If we don’t all mobilize, then nothing will change.”
Since Israel started blocking the flotilla late on Wednesday, protests have sprung up across Europe and in other parts of the world, but in Italy they have been a daily occurrence, in multiple cities.
On Friday, unions called a general strike in support of the flotilla, with demonstrations across the country that attracted more than 2 million, according to organizers. The interior ministry estimated attendance at around 400,000.
Italy’s right-wing government has been critical of the protests, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people would skip work for Gaza just as an excuse for a longer weekend break.
On Saturday, Meloni blamed protesters for insulting graffiti that appeared on a statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside Rome’s main train station, where Pro-Palestinian groups have been holding a protest picket.
“They say they are taking to the streets for peace, but then they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace. A shameful act committed by people blinded by ideology,” she said in a statement.
Israel launched its Gaza offensive after Hamas terrorists staged a cross border attack on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.
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Hamas Says It Agrees to Release All Israeli Hostages Under Trump Gaza Plan
Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Hamas said on Friday it had agreed to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the terms of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal, and signaled readiness to immediately enter mediated negotiations to discuss the details.