US legislator critical of Israel’s war on Gaza loses primary
Progressive Congresswoman Cori Bush has lost the Democratic Party’s primary contest in the state of Missouri, AP reported, after a pro-Israel lobby spent $8.5m to remove her over her criticism of Israel’s war on Gaza.
With nearly all ballots counted from Tuesday’s vote, Bush won 45.8 percent while her rival, St Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell, won 51 percent, according to AP.
Bell’s campaign had received a big financial boost from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) through its super political action committee, United Democracy Project (UDP).
In June, the Super PAC also spent $15m in June to defeat another progressive congressman, Jamaal Bowman. Bowman lost to George Latimer, a pro-Israel centrist.
The UDP said the wins by Bell and Latimer, along with John McGuire’s defeat of US Representative Bob Good in a Republican primary last week in Virginia, are “further proof that being pro-Israel is good policy and good politics on both sides of the aisle”. It added that it will continue its “efforts to support leaders working to strengthen the US-Israel alliance while countering detractors in either political party”.
Congratulations to pro-Israel progressive leader Wesley Bell on your victory tonight against anti-Israel Squad member Rep. Cori Bush!
Being pro-Israel is good policy and good politics! https://t.co/uqXju6VYLl pic.twitter.com/rpiycrTKAm
— AIPAC (@AIPAC) August 7, 2024
Western ambassadors skipping Nagasaki memorial because Israel not invited
Ambassadors from the US, UK, EU, France, Germany, Italy, Australia and Canada will not attend Japan’s memorial service for the bombing of Nagasaki on Friday because Israel is not invited, reports the AFP news agency.
Nagasaki’s mayor Shiro Suzuk said it had not extended an invitation to Israel’s ambassador Gilad Cohen because of fears it could prompt Gaza war protests, emphasising the need for a “sombre atmosphere”.
But a spokesperson for the US embassy in Japan said that decision had “politicised the event”, which US ambassador Rahm Emanuel will not attend.
Instead, the US and other Western countries are set to send lower-level delegations as representatives, reported AFP.
The axis of evil stands behind each other.
