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Congresswoman Newman ousted by fellow Democrats over pro-Palestinian, progressive views
CHICAGO: Though many Arab activists will level a finger at former president Donald Trump and blame him for racism and discrimination towards their group, one of many latest and loudest voices supporting Palestinian rights was ousted by the Democratic Social gathering they supported throughout Tuesday’s Illinois elections.
Congresswoman Marie Newman, who was elected in 2020 to symbolize the third District, which has one of many largest concentrations of Palestinian voters, misplaced her re-election bid to a fellow member of the Democratic Social gathering who had assist from each the Democrats and pro-Israel PACs.
Newman was focused by these political motion committees as a result of she had throughout her first yr in workplace launched or co-sponsored dozens of resolutions and payments defending Palestinian civil and human rights, which additionally harshly criticized Israel’s authorities insurance policies.
To silence Newman, her supporters mentioned, her personal Democratic Social gathering redrew her district and compelled her to run towards one other extra centrist Democrat, two-term incumbent Sean Casten of the sixth District.
Newman misplaced to Casten within the Illinois Democratic Major Tuesday, June 28. Casten obtained 54 % of the vote whereas Newman obtained solely 42.3 %, in keeping with unofficial Illinois State Election Board outcomes.
Shadin Maali, a Palestinian American political marketing consultant who joined Newman’s group, blamed her defeat on “darkish cash” and being defamed as “antisemitic” due to her criticism of Israel’s apartheid insurance policies towards Palestinians.
“We could be important of our personal authorities,” Maali instructed Arab Information Wednesday throughout the broadcast of The Ray Hanania Present program.
“We will criticize our authorities left and proper. We do it every single day. It’s our basic democratic proper to take action. However for some motive, this entire antisemitic label, once we are, once we query, or are important of Israel in any means (that is how we’re labelled). All anyone that’s pro-peace, pro-justice is saying right here in our district and everywhere in the nation and the world, is that we would like rights to be acknowledged for everyone. That’s all.”
Maali mentioned that Newman was the goal of an enormous assault funded by pro-Israel critics who opposed her supporting justice for Palestine.
“I feel we have to get the cash out of politics. It shouldn’t be about who raises probably the most cash. It ought to be about who represents the individuals one of the best,” Maali mentioned, arguing there must be limits on how a lot cash candidates can spend or obtain from outdoors particular curiosity PACs.
“Marketing campaign reform. We completely want marketing campaign reform. Each time you mail out a unfavourable advert smearing a candidate, that’s ($30,000) to $50,000. More often than not it’s not the candidates doing that. It’s the PACs, the particular curiosity PACs which can be endorsing these candidates and are engaged on their behalf.”
As of June 8, 2022, three weeks earlier than the election, Casten raised $3,112,950 and spent $2,572,280, whereas Newman raised $1,467,558 and spent $1,176,151, in keeping with Open Secrets and techniques which displays marketing campaign funding.
Along with media bought by Casten, pro-Israel PACs spent $504,266 to assault Newman in TV adverts and mailers and $154,517 to assist Casten.
“The darkish cash precisely. That’s precisely what is occurring. And it’s what’s occurring to Marie each single day. We have been getting, in my home, we have been getting two to a few adverts smearing Marie to attempt to get her out,” Maali mentioned.
“Why is the institution working so onerous to taint the title of any person who’s the third most prolific legislator in workplace out of the brand new freshman class?”
She emphasised: “It’s fully in regards to the cash. It’s so horrible as a result of we’re not on an equal footing.”
Newman is just one of a handful of the 435 members of the US Home of Representatives who overtly criticize Israel.
Maali concluded that it was her personal Democratic Social gathering that marginalized her within the election, resulting in her defeat, and silencing a voice for peace and justice.
The Ray Hanania Present is broadcast reside each Wednesday at 5 p.m. Japanese EST on WNZK AM 690 radio in Higher Detroit together with elements of Ohio, and WDMV AM 700 radio in Washington D.C. together with elements of Virginia and Maryland. The present is rebroadcast on Thursdays at 7 a.m. in Detroit on WNZK AM 690 and in Chicago at 12 midday on WNWI AM 1080.
You may hearken to the radio present podcast right here.
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