Wins by Mamdani-backed candidates deal blow to pro-Israel camp in US

Since United States President Donald Trump took office last year, pro-Palestine protesters at Columbia University have faced a security crackdown, academic sanctions, attacks by politicians from both major parties and a deportation campaign by his administration. Now, large parts of the school’s New York City campus will likely be represented in the United States Congress by an activist who helped organise the protests against Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza. Recommended Stories list of 3 items end of list When Darializa Avila Chevalier, draped in a keffiyeh, first announced her candidacy in November of last year, few outside her immediate circle knew her name. But her message was clear: she presented herself as an organiser working to unite families torn apart by the immigration system and against “what we all know is a genocide in Palestine”. On Tuesday, Avila Chevalier – who was backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani – won the race to unseat veteran Congressman Adriano Espaillat, securing the Democratic nomination in one of the biggest upsets of the election cycle. The victory of Avila Chevalier and other candidates endorsed by the democratic socialist mayor shows the waning popularity of pro-Israel politics in Democratic circles, advocates say. “Last night was a political earthquake in New York City, and the Democratic establishment has been put on notice,” said Beth Miller, the political director at the advocacy group Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Action. …