Jewish Insider says that the prospect that kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie may run for US Senate “is already generating fierce opposition from the local and national Jewish community.”
Among these groups are AIPAC, American Jewish Committee, Coalition for Jewish Values, Kentucky Jewish Council, Republican Jewish Coalition Republican, and AIPAC affiliated superpac United Democracy Project
By Alison Weir
Jewish Insider reports: “The Republican Jewish Coalition pledged ‘unlimited’ spending to block Massie if he decides to run.
“Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) retirement, announced on Thursday, could open up a path for Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), among the most consistent opponents of legislation to support Israel and combat antisemitism in the House, to make a bid for the U.S. Senate in the 2026 midterms. The prospect is already generating fierce opposition from the local and national Jewish community.”
Massie is known for saying during a lengthy interview on Tucker Carlson’s program that he is the only Congressman who doesn’t have “an AIPAC guy.”
Jewish Insider says that “Massie publicly floated the prospect of running for Senate on Thursday afternoon, posting a poll on X asking followers whether he should remain in the House, run for Senate or run for governor.
“The Republican Jewish Coalition quickly pledged that it would mount an aggressive push against Massie if he runs.”
Republican Jewish Coalition CEO Matt Brooks told Jewish Insider: “If Tom Massie chooses to enter the race for US Senate in Kentucky, the RJC campaign budget to ensure he is defeated will be unlimited.”
Pro-Israel groups help Israel procure billions of dollars from US taxpayers to continue its genocidal actions against Palestinians. Massie continually votes against this giveaway of Americans’ money.
Jewish Insider (JI) reports: “The RJC previously backed a primary challenge to the libertarian-minded congressman, who also opposes foreign aid broadly.
“Former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, seen by many in the state as heir apparent to McConnell, said minutes after the senator announced his retirement that he will run for the seat. Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) said he’s considering a bid as well. Nate Morris, a Kentucky businessman and strident McConnell critic, is also seen as a likely contender.”
JI reports that “United Democracy Project, the AIPAC-affiliated super PAC, began laying the groundwork for an anti-Massie push in the 2024 election, running a series of statewide TV ads highlighting the congressman’s anti-Israel voting record while saying it was not intending to get involved in his primary race, which was largely noncompetitive.
“’We are shining a spotlight on Tom Massie’s atrocious anti-Israel record,’ UDP spokesperson Patrick Dorton said at the time. ‘We are going to make sure every voter in the state of Kentucky knows how bad Tom Massie is on Israel.’
“Massie’s potential statewide ambitions seemed to be a subtext to that ad campaign. Kentucky’s next gubernatorial race is set for 2027, another potential statewide opportunity for Massie or other Republicans who skip the Senate race.
“Jewish leaders in Kentucky said that a Massie Senate candidacy would be deeply concerning.
“’To go from Sen. McConnell, who will go down in history as a historic ally of the Jewish people, as a champion of Israel, as a friend the likes of which the Jews have had far and few between in the history of our diaspora, to Thomas Massie, who goes out of his way to troll Jews … would be such a devastating change, not only for the Jewish community in Kentucky, but for the representation Kentucky receives,’ Rabbi Shlomo Litvin, the chair of the Kentucky Jewish Council, who has feuded publicly with the congressman, said.
“Massie has openly said that he refuses to meet with Litvin, even on issues unrelated to Israel, in part because of his support for Israel.
“According to Litvin, in Massie’s most recent meeting with a group of AIPAC activists from his district several years ago, Massie opened the meeting by saying, “This is the last time I’m ever meeting with you guys. What do you want?”
“Massie has accused those who support Israel of being agents of a foreign government and said AIPAC should be forced to register as such.
“’Many feel there that there has been outright hostility with the Jewish community and his voting record on issues related to Israel and supporting Israel … has been really upsetting and his repeated Holocaust analogies that have been called out and he has been completely unapologetic about are really problematic,’ Melanie Maron Pell, the chief field operations officer at the American Jewish Committee, who lives in Kentucky, told JI.
“He has not gone out of his way to win over the Jewish community,” Pell said.
“Al Cross, a professor emeritus of journalism at the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and a political columnist, said that Massie’s moves are generally hard to predict, but that he may be better-known than Barr, given his social media and national profile.
“’He would get the Rand Paul voter. He and Paul are very much in tune, and Rand Paul has a lot of popularity in the state,’ Cross said, referring to the state’s junior senator, who also leans libertarian. ‘You can’t count Massie out but you can’t count him in. He’s just an unpredictable guy. He doesn’t operate by the same rules that most politicians do.’
“Barr, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has a strong record of support for Israel and legislation combating antisemitism in the House, where he has served since 2013.
“’Our Jewish community is incredibly proud to have him as a representative,’ Litvin said. ‘We would put his record up against literally any member of Congress, either party, any background, for standing with the Jewish community.’
“Litvin noted that Barr had also appeared at a recent bill signing for the state’s anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions legislation and has faced threats from anti-Israel groups in the district.
“Pell said that Barr had attended AJC events and had been ‘really effective’ and ‘came off as very committed to Israel, very committed to the Jewish community. I think there’s been no question about that. I think we’ve all seen him as a friend on the Foreign Relations Committee.’
“Litvin also praised Cameron’s record.”
JI reports: “Kentucky Jewish leaders also lauded McConnell’s record on Israel and antisemitism, describing him as a longtime friend who was always available to the Jewish community.
“’I don’t think there’s enough I can say about Senator McConnell and his legacy,” Litvin said. ‘Senator McConnell, whether it’s his efforts on behalf of retrieving Holocaust art and seeing justice that still needs to be done when it comes to Holocaust survivors, his efforts for the Schneerson library, his efforts combating antisemitism, standing with Israel. Senator McConnell has put himself on a short list of historic leaders who defended the Jewish community.'”
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