By Assiah Hamed and Oliver MIzzi

 

WASHINGTON, 07 Nov. - (ANA) - Leading US pro-Palestine and progressive organisations have welcomed the historic victories secured by Palestinian and pro-Palestine candidates in Tuesday's US midterm elections, arguing that the results reflect growing opposition to Washington's support for Israel and its genocidal war on Gaza.

 

Speaking to The New Arab, the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action (USCPR Action) and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) said the victories marked a significant political shift, despite pro-Israel lobbying groups spending millions of dollars to defeat candidates advocating Palestinian rights.

 

Both organisations have strongly criticised the influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which has poured millions into congressional races to support pro-Israel politicians and challenge their opponents.

 

Ahmad Abuznaid, executive director of USCPR Action, said the Democrats' sweeping victories reflected growing public rejection of President Donald Trump's domestic and foreign policies, particularly his support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel's military campaigns in Gaza, Iran and the occupied West Bank.

 

"First I thought it was interesting that folks were talking about a blue wave - then by the morning it was a tsunami. I'm hopeful that that is telling of what is to come," Abuznaid told The New Arab.

 

"I think over the last few years, in witnessing a horrific genocide, we've seen that a majority of Americans, a majority of taxpayers, a majority of voters, have been opposed to arming Israel, to arming the genocide, to supporting the war against Iran."

 

Abuznaid said 11 federal and local candidates endorsed by USCPR Action had won their races as of Thursday, reflecting a changing political landscape for candidates openly supporting Palestinian rights.

 

"It used to be the case that supporting Palestinian rights or supporting Palestinian freedom or opposing aid to Israel could be politically suicidal."

 

"I think that we are much closer to the opposite being true. That if you support Israel and you do not support Palestinian rights, you do not support Palestinian freedom, you do not support an end to the genocide."

 

He argued that pro-Palestine candidates' success also reflected their ability to connect foreign policy to voters' concerns about the cost of living, healthcare, education, and employment.

 

"Folks here want to have their domestic needs met. They want to talk about the cost of living. They want to talk about healthcare," Abuznaid said.

 

"They want to talk about the schools their children are attending, and they want to talk about Palestinian freedom."

 

The election results came against a backdrop of growing criticism of Trump's economic policies, including tariffs and rising energy costs, as well as concerns about artificial intelligence and its impact on employment.

 

Both Trump and Vice President JD Vance have acknowledged that the war on Iran contributed to the Republican defeat.

 

Vance also pointed to the rising cost of living, inflation, and the need to reconsider Washington's relationship with Israel as the Republican Party assessed its losses.

 

"Our voters showed up," the vice president said the morning after the elections.

 

 

 

 

Abuznaid pointed to Abdul El-Sayed's victory over AIPAC-backed Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's Senate race as evidence of changing attitudes towards pro-Israel political spending.

 

El-Sayed, an outspoken critic of US military assistance to Israel, became the first Muslim elected to the US Senate after defeating Rogers, despite substantial spending by pro-Israel groups during the election cycle.

 

"It used to be the case that if you whispered the name of AIPAC in a negative manner, you could be taken out," Abuznaid said.

 

"And the reality is, so many people have just rejected that status quo and ushered in a new era where you can be unapologetic about your support for human rights and international law, and that includes the Palestinian people."

 

He criticised the scale of pro-Israel spending in the race, arguing that voters were increasingly concerned about the influence of well-funded lobbying organisations on American elections.

 

"They pumped $30 million into the race against Abdul El Sayed. And I think even if it wasn't AIPAC, if it was the Qatari lobby or the Saudi lobby or if it was the Egyptian lobby- I think Americans are rightly concerned with any foreign government-involved entity wielding that amount of money in their elections."

 

"Now that being said, you know the opposition doesn't just go away, so we should be very anticipatory of what the next steps could look like for AIPAC, for J Street, for all of these, you know, Zionist institutions."

 

Ashik Siddique, co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), similarly argued that the millions spent by pro-Israel lobbying groups were becoming less effective and, in some cases, provoking a backlash among voters.

 

He contrasted the latest results with the 2024 Democratic primaries, when AIPAC-backed spending helped defeat progressive Representatives Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman, both outspoken critics of Israel's war on Gaza.

 

Siddique said those "shocking and demoralising defeats" had galvanised grassroots organisers to "work harder to demonstrate a base in races across the country".

 

"[Voters] see these kinds of advertisements that the Israel lobby does, the kinds of attacks, the kinds of smears that they use against anybody who is even remotely seen to be pro-Palestine," Siddique told The New Arab.

 

"They're smeared in such vicious ways, and people see the ways that these smears are used against people who are also advocating to meet people's needs with public services, public programmes that actually address the cost of living crisis."

 

He said voters were increasingly recognising connections between attacks on pro-Palestine candidates and their campaigns for economic reforms.

 

"But people are making connections about the ways that anybody who's pro-Palestine is smeared, and also advocating for the things that are top motivating issues for them, which are cost of living issues, the cost of rent, the cost of healthcare, et cetera."

 

Siddique cited New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's election victory as an example of a progressive candidate overcoming attacks over his support for Palestinian rights while campaigning on affordability and public services.

 

He argued that the same political dynamics had become increasingly visible during the midterm elections, as organisers linked the cost-of-living crisis to US military spending and Washington's support for Israel.

 

 

 

 

Siddique expressed hope that the election results would strengthen the progressive bloc in Congress, particularly on Palestinian rights, US foreign policy and military assistance to Israel.

 

According to the DSA's latest figures, candidates endorsed by the organisation nationally and through its local chapters had won 138 races and lost 50, with 33 races still awaiting results as of Thursday.

 

"DSA has a firm stance for the BDS movement – boycott, divestment, sanctions. Our candidates are expected to help advance those demands, and now the demand for a full arms embargo against Israel is an increasingly popular demand," Siddique said.

 

He pointed to efforts by DSA-backed candidates to advance the Block the Bombs Act, introduced by Democratic Representative Delia Ramirez of Illinois alongside Sara Jacobs, Pramila Jayapal and Mark Pocan.

 

The legislation would restrict the sale, transfer or export of certain offensive weapons and defence services to Israel unless Congress authorised them through new legislation and Israel provided written assurances of compliance with international human rights law.

 

"Now that they've won their elections- we're going to keep advancing [Block the Bombs Act]," Siddique said.

 

"So that's going to be among the priorities of DSA candidates who are coming in, and I would say many more members of Congress, even if they're not backed by DSA, are supportive of these demands."

 

Beyond Israel and Palestine, Siddique argued that the scale of US military spending was diverting resources from domestic priorities, including housing, healthcare, and public services.

 

"I think there's a real disaster. To tackle the whole military-industrial complex in the United States, just the US military budget is now over $1 trillion, and people can see how that's warping all their potential priorities in this country," he said.

 

"So there's a real desire to shift massive resources away from militarism to meeting human needs right here in the United States."   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/07 November 2026 - - -