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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The Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, a fundraising organization for left-wing political causes, has rescinded its endorsement of former US Rep.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.”
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Israeli Strike on Tehran Kills Bodyguard of Slain Hezbollah Chief
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi lays a wreath as he visits the burial site of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, on the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon, June 3, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
A member of Lebanese armed group Hezbollah was killed in an Israeli air strike on Tehran alongside a member of an Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group, a senior Lebanese security source told Reuters and the Iraqi group said on Saturday.
The source identified the Hezbollah member as Abu Ali Khalil, who had served as a bodyguard for Hezbollah’s slain chief Hassan Nasrallah. The source said Khalil had been on a religious pilgrimage to Iraq when he met up with a member of the Kataeb Sayyed Al-Shuhada group.
They traveled together to Tehran and were both killed in an Israeli strike there, along with Khalil’s son, the senior security source said. Hezbollah has not joined in Iran’s air strikes against Israel from Lebanon.
Kataeb Sayyed Al-Shuhada published a statement confirming that both the head of its security unit and Khalil had been killed in an Israeli strike.
Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli aerial attack on Beirut’s southern suburbs in September.
Israel and Iran have been trading strikes for nine consecutive days since Israel launched attacks on Iran, saying Tehran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Iran has said it does not seek nuclear weapons.
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Hamas Financial Officer and Commander Eliminated by IDF in the Gaza Strip
Israeli soldiers operate during a ground operation in the southern Gaza Strip, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, July 3, 2024. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), in cooperation with the General Security Service (Shin Bet), announced on Friday the killing of Ibrahim Abu Shamala, a senior financial official in Hamas’ military wing.
The operation took place on June 17th in the central Gaza Strip.
Abu Shamala held several key positions, including financial officer for Hamas’ military wing and assistant to Marwan Issa, the deputy commander of Hamas’ military wing until his elimination in March 2024.
He was responsible for managing all the financial resources of Hamas’ military wing in Gaza, overseeing the planning and execution of the group’s war budget. This involved handling and smuggling millions of dollars into the Gaza Strip to fund Hamas’ military operations.
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Report: Wary of Assassination by Israel, Khamenei Names 3 Potential Successors
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei waves during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, May 20, 2025. Photo: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
i24 News – Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei named three senior clerics as candidates to succeed him should he be killed, the New York Times reported on Saturday citing unnamed Iranian officials. It is understood the Ayatollah fears he could be assassinated in the coming days.
Khamenei reportedly mostly speaks with his commanders through a trusted aide now, suspending electronic communications.
Khamenei has designated three senior religious figures as candidates to replace him as well as choosing successors in the military chain of command in the likely event that additional senior officials be eliminated.
Earlier on Saturday Israel confirmed the elimination of Saeed Izadi and Bhanam Shahriari.
Shahriari, head of Iran’s Quds Force Weapons Transfer Unit, responsible for arming Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, was killed in an Israeli airstrike over 1,000 km from Israel in western Iran.
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