Mısır doğumlu doktor ve Gazze gönüllüsü New Jersey'de Demokrat ön seçimi kazandı

Egyptian-born doctor and Gaza volunteer wins New Jersey Democratic primary

Egyptian-born doctor and Gaza volunteer wins New Jersey Democratic primary Yasmine El-Sabawi on Mon, 06/01/2026 - 16:31 Adam Hamawy is now all but guaranteed to become a US congressman after the November midterms Adam Hamawy, right, gives an interview to Agence France Presse in Washington, DC on 14 June 2024 after returning from a medical mission in Gaza (Drew Angerer/AFP) Off Adam Hamawy, an Egyptian-American surgeon who gained national attention for his harrowing 2024 medical mission to Gaza, is now all but assured a congressional seat in Washington next year after he handily won the Democratic primary in New Jersey’s 12th district on Tuesday. With more than 93 percent of the vote counted at nearly 10am local time on Wednesday, Hamawy secured more than 28 percent of ballots, far ahead of his nearest opponent. The 12th district, which encompasses the elite Princeton University, has been a solid blue district for at least 15 years, meaning voters will most likely be sending Hamawy to the US Congress when he runs against his Republican opponent in November’s midterms. He will then become the first Muslim to become a statewide representative for New Jersey, where he grew up and still lives today. “Democratic voters throughout New Jersey have once again demonstrated that they understand the stakes of this moment,” the chair of the Democratic National Committee, Ken Martin, said in a statement released late Tuesday. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); “As a veteran, combat surgeon, and small business owner, Adam Hamawy has continually served his community and our country. He is a proven fighter for working families. We look forward to welcoming him to Congress.” Hamawy shares a platform not too different from the new wave of progressive Democrats who have seen electoral success around the country in recent months - not least of whom is the mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani - focused on affordability and equitable access to healthcare. But Hamawy was also endorsed by a notable centrist Democrat on day one of his campaign - a benefit few, if any, progressive candidates can claim. That’s because in 2004, during a deployment to Baghdad, Hamawy treated a soldier whose two legs had to be amputated. That soldier became Senator Tammy Duckworth, who says Hamawy saved her life. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 'Palestine was on the ballot - and won' In turn, 20 years later, Duckworth found herself in a position to potentially save his life when Hamawy and 19 other US healthcare workers became trapped in Gaza after Israel shut down the Rafah Crossing into Egypt. Hamawy was in the enclave as part of a medical mission at the European Hospital in Khan Younis, organised by the Palestinian American Medical Association. Gaza records highest death toll in six months as Israel intensifies bombing Read More » When the Biden administration eventually coordinated safe passage for the 17 team members who held US citizenship, Hamawy refused to leave until the entire team could be evacuated. He made it out to Jordan in late May 2024, and made a point of raising urgent concerns about Gaza to lawmakers after he returned home. “Voters were drawn to Dr Hamawy’s candidacy because he knows firsthand the reality of Israel’s genocide in Gaza like few do - having worked to save the lives of Palestinian children under bombardment and unimaginable conditions. His experience is necessary in Congress now more than ever, as too many of the people meant to represent us continue to look the other way while our tax dollars fund injustices here and abroad,” the IMEU Policy Project and Justice Democrats said in a statement late on Tuesday. The Palestinian issue has increasingly taken centre stage in electoral politics since Israel's genocide in Gaza, energising younger voters among the Democratic base. Activist group Jewish Voice for Peace linked Hamawy's victory to a larger global wave seeping into domestic politics. "Last night, Palestine was on the ballot - and won," they wrote in a statement. "We are on our way to solidifying Palestine as part of popular politics that is intertwined with the fight for working people across the country." Hamawy was the polling and fundraising frontrunner heading into the race, and had raised a total of $1.4m by Tuesday, his campaign said in a statement. He’d also earned the endorsements of the entirety of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, including Senator Bernie Sanders and congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib. Climate advocates, the nurses union, and a veterans group also backed Hamawy. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Past associations But his campaign was not without some measure of controversy, as he came under attack from pro-Israel and right-wing elements. “I have done harder things” than mount a political campaign, Hamawy told Middle East Eye one day before the election. 'What’s the worst thing they’re going to do? Call me some names, attack me? I have seen much worse' - Adam Hamawy, Democratic congressional candidate “What’s the worst thing they’re going to do? Call me some names, attack me? I have seen much worse.” The Wall Street Journal last month ran an op-ed linking Hamawy’s values to those of convicted Muslim cleric, Omar Abdel Rahman, commonly known as the “Blind Sheikh”. In what was then the largest terrorism trial ever to take place on US soil, Abdel Rahman was found guilty in 1995 of planning to kill former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak during his visit to the United Nations headquarters. He was sentenced to life in prison, and died in 2017. Among the 200 witnesses who testified at that trial was Hamawy himself, who told the jury that while the cleric did convey anti-American sentiment, he did not expressly spell out how a murder would be carried out. Jewish Insider then published a piece linking Hamawy to al-Qaeda, by pointing out that his 1994 volunteer mission in Bosnia was for Benevolence International Foundation - a Saudi-based charity that was not banned by the US or the United Nations until 2002. “Democrats are now running actual terrorists for Congress. Surprising? No. Disappointing? Yes,” Montana Republican Senator Tim Sheehy wrote on X last month. Sheehy drew global attention earlier this year for breaking the arm of a former US Marine, Brian McGinnis, who had disrupted a Senate hearing by calling attention to Israel’s genocide in Gaza US Politics Washington News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0