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Jewish progressive prevails in closely watched Illinois primary, blasting AIPAC in victory speech
(JTA) — Daniel Biss, a Jewish progressive who is highly critical of the Israeli government, is virtually assured of a seat in Congress after prevailing in his primary in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District on Tuesday.
He narrowly prevailed over another progressive, Kat Abughazaleh, who is Palestinian-American, and a more centrist Jewish candidate whom the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC had spent nearly millions of dollars to back, in large part by attacking Biss. That candidate, state Sen. Laura Fine, came in a distant third.
“AIPAC found out the hard way: the 9th District is not for sale,” Biss said during a victory address late Tuesday in Evanston, Illinois, where he is currently the mayor. “May tonight be the last time I utter their name.”
For progressives, the outcome of Tuesday’s primaries in Illinois is offering validation of the limited power of AIPAC, whose name has become a dirty word as support for Israel has fallen, particularly among Democrats.
But the pro-Israel lobby is claiming victory after Tuesday’s Illinois primaries, where it poured more than $20 million through its own PAC and others affiliated with it.
The group said it had helped stave off the elections of six candidates who it said “built their campaigns on undermining the U.S.-Israel relationship and demonizing pro-Israel Americans.” It was a notable shift in declared strategy from the New Jersey primary earlier this year, in which AIPAC spent heavily against a Jewish pro-Israel candidate who had suggested conditioning aid, helping an opponent to his left to win.
“While disappointed Laura Fine didn’t prevail, the pro-Israel community is proud to have helped defeat would-be Squad members Kat Abughazaleh and Bushra Amiwala, who centered their campaigns on attacking Israel and demonizing pro-Israel Americans,” AIPAC said in a statement. (“Cope,” Biss wrote on X in response.)
The group had spent money in support of one of those candidates, making a last-minute ad surge for Amiwala in an apparent attempt to split the left-wing vote between her and Abughazaleh. Their spending was criticized by Amiwala herself, whose final vote total, when added to Abughazaleh’s, would have bested Biss.
“Daniel Biss’ victory tonight is a win for democracy and a clear rejection of efforts to buy this primary,” Jeremy Ben Ami, head of the liberal pro-Israel lobby J Street, which backed Biss to the tune of about $350,000, said in a statement. “Tonight’s results should send a clear message to candidates across the country: you do not have to fear AIPAC’s spending or intimidation. Standing on principles and trusting voters matters more than outside money.”
VIDEO: Biss in victory speech:
“So enough about AIPAC. May tonight be the last night I utter their name.
“This victory belongs to J Street.” https://t.co/oJESCDBfJk pic.twitter.com/nyHLLRMaSA
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) March 18, 2026
Across other races in the state, two AIPAC-backed candidates prevailed in what was, on paper, a mixed night for pro-Israel money — and also a bloodbath for the far left:
- Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller in the 2nd district bested nine Democratic opponents, including state Sen. Robert Peters, who is Jewish and has accused Israel of genocide. Peters was one of AIPAC’s stated desired takedowns. The group spent around $2.5 million boosting Miller.
- Former U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean in the 8th district, who benefitted from more than $7 million in AIPAC-affiliated funding, prevailed over seven opponents including tech entrepreneur Junaid Ahmed, who had the backing of pro-Palestinian groups.
- AIPAC’s preferred candidate for the U.S. Senate nomination, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, lost to Lieutenant Gov. Juliana Stratton, who had Gov. JB Pritzker’s backing. But The group celebrated the loss of the third-place finisher, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, who had accepted its support last year but accused Israel of genocide during her senate campaign.
- In the 7th district, AIPAC-backed Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin lost to state Rep. La Shawn Ford. In that race AIPAC had spent against Jason Friedman, a rival candidate who was a longtime board member for the local Jewish federation, after top AIPAC donors initially seeded Friedman.
The post Jewish progressive prevails in closely watched Illinois primary, blasting AIPAC in victory speech appeared first on The Forward.
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The Forward publishes exclusive interview with Columbia protest leader Mahmoud Khalil
New York — April 7, 2026 — Today, the Forward, the nation’s leading Jewish news organization, published an exclusive, in-depth interview with Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University protest leader whose arrest during last year’s campus demonstrations thrust him into the national spotlight.
In a candid and wide-ranging conversation with Arno Rosenfeld, an enterprise reporter and author of the Forward’s Antisemitism Decoded newsletter, Khalil critiqued Hamas and said it had come to power through collaboration with Israel, explained his “nuanced” view of Zionism and detailed his vision for a “free Palestine” that includes the Jewish citizens of Israel.
“I was glad to have the opportunity to drill down on specifics that have been widely speculated upon but not addressed in Khalil’s previous interviews,” said Rosenfeld. “He wanted to speak directly to a major Jewish audience.”
The interview offers rare insight into one of the most scrutinized figures to emerge from the campus protest movement, drawing on original reporting, Khalil’s past public statements, and interviews with current and former Columbia students.
The post The Forward publishes exclusive interview with Columbia protest leader Mahmoud Khalil appeared first on The Forward.
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US Hits Military Targets on Iran’s Kharg Island, Vance Says No Change to Strategy
US Vice President JD Vance delivers remarks at the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles, California, US, June 20, 2025. Phone: REUTERS/Daniel Cole
US strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island do not represent a change in American strategy, US Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday as a US official separately told Reuters the additional strikes on military targets did not impact oil infrastructure.
The official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, described at least some of the strikes as targeting sites that had been previously struck before and said the attack occurred in the early morning hours of Tuesday.
Vance, speaking separately in Budapest, said the strikes were not a change in US strategy, with the Trump administration confident that it can get a response from Iran by 8 pm (0001 Wednesday GMT) in negotiations to end the conflict. US President Donald Trump is demanding Iran forswear nuclear weapons and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil transit waterway.
“We were going to strike some military targets on Kharg Island, and I believe we have done so,” Vance said.
“We’re not going to strike energy and infrastructure targets until the Iranians either make a proposal that we can get behind or don’t make a proposal,” he added. “I don’t think the news in Kharg Island … represents a change in strategy, or represents any change from the President of the United States.”
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French Nationals Leave Iran After Three and a Half Years Amid Softer France Tone on War
A woman walks past posters with the portraits of Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, two French citizens held in Iran, on the day of support rallies to mark their three-year detention and to demand their release, in front of the National Assembly in Paris, France, May 7, 2025. The slogan reads “Freedom for Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris.” Photo: REUTERS/Abdul Saboor
Two French nationals were heading home on Tuesday after Iran allowed them to leave the country following three and a half years in detention, a surprise move that came as Paris sought to distance itself from the war in the region.
Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris had been confined to France‘s embassy in Tehran since November, after being held since 2022 in the notorious Evin prison on spying charges that France has said were unfounded.
“This is a relief for all of us and obviously for their families,” President Emmanuel Macron said in a post on X. “Thank you to the Omani authorities for their mediation efforts.”
Neither the French presidency nor the foreign ministry responded to requests for comment on what had been agreed between the two sides to ensure their release.
Iran‘s official news agency IRNA said the couple were freed following an understanding under which France would in turn release Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian student living in the French city of Lyon, and withdraw a complaint against Iran at the International Court of Justice.
However, both assertions were unclear. Esfandiari, who was convicted at the end of February for glorifying terrorism in social media posts, was released after serving almost a year in prison but has appealed the conviction.
It was not clear whether she had left the country, as ordered by the February ruling. France dropped the ICJ complaint last September.
Iran‘s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi spoke with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot on Sunday, confirming the pair’s imminent release.
Macron has criticized US President Donald Trump’s approach to the US-Israeli war on Iran and said France would only help restore freedom of navigation to the Strait of Hormuz once there is a ceasefire and after consultations with Tehran.
France last week refused Israel permission to transfer weapons through French airspace for the war and has led efforts to water down a draft UN Security Council resolution that could have opened the door to forceful action in the strait.
A French official briefing reporters after the release denied that France had a softer position towards Iran and said Paris had warned the Iranians about the safety of their citizens given the escalation in the war.
“I think the Iranians rightly considered that if anything happened to our compatriots, the reactions here would have been extremely catastrophic,” the official said, declining to comment on the details of the negotiation.
French officials have also refused to comment on why a container ship belonging to French shipping group CMA CGM was able to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a sign that Iran may not consider France to be a hostile nation.