The Democratic Party’s internal fissures on Israel have been on full display in the year since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas and the brutal war in Gaza. Amid the increasing visibility of outspoken Israel critics, some Democrats are making a concerted effort to target pro-Israel voters in swing states.
In Pennsylvania, the Democratic Majority for Israel PAC is running newspaper ads in Jewish media outlets touting both Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) as allies of Israel.
– An ad boosting Casey in the Jewish Exponent — a Philadelphia-area Jewish newspaper — says the veteran Democratic senator will support fully funding security assistance for Israel “without additional conditions” unlike a growing number of Senate Democrats.
– A pro-Harris ad from DMFI PAC in the same newspaper hails the presidential candidate for “her steadfast commitment to Israel’s security and to combatting the alarming rise in antisemitism.”
The newspaper ads are the first step in a multi-pronged messaging investment from DMFI PAC to persuade pro-Israel voters in competitive states to vote Democratic. The group is planning to launch a set of digital ads shortly.
Surrogate Watch: Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) traveled to Georgia Tuesday to rally Jewish supporters for Harris in Atlanta.
The Harris campaign invited Torres to the crucial swing state after the Atlanta Jewish community requested him as their top choice. This is Torres’ first surrogate travel for the Harris campaign this cycle.
The New York Democrat spoke at a campaign launch in Fayetteville, Ga., on Tuesday afternoon before addressing a Jewish community event in Atlanta in the evening. Ilan Goldenberg, the Harris campaign’s Jewish liaison, was also present.
Torres is one of the Democratic Party’s most vocal supporters of Israel and has become a celebrity in Jewish circles for his advocacy.