Rep. Donna Edwards speaks at a press conference. Her vote on Israel has troubled some Jewish constituents. Should Edwards be shvitzing?

Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.) knocked off incumbent Al Wynn in a 2008 primary by tapping into liberal resentment of the Democratic congressman and portraying him as a tool of K Street who had lost touch with his suburban Maryland constituents.

But after just a year on the job, Edwards herself is facing grumbling from within her own party, not to mention the possibility of a primary opponent with support from an alienated constituency: the suburban Washington-area Jewish community.


“The relationship between the Jewish community and Donna Edwards got off to a rocky start,” said Ron Halber, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington. “I would be lying if I told you there wasn’t concern.”

At issue is Edwards’ support for Israel. Jewish leaders say tensions began to rise in January, when the House voted on a nonbinding resolution “recognizing Israel’s right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza” and condemning Hamas for its attacks on the Jewish state.

The resolution, introduced by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), passed 390-5 with overwhelming bipartisan support. But Edwards balked at supporting the measure, joining 21 other members who voted “present.”

At the time, Edwards said the “House voted on the wrong resolution at the wrong time” and that she chose not to back the resolution because Congress ought to instead support the United Nations’ call for an immediate cease-fire in the Middle East.

Her explanation did little to quell the controversy, and in the weeks after Jewish leaders complained that an Edwards-sponsored forum on the Israel-Palestine conflict failed to include a hawkish, pro-Israel voice and that the first-term congresswoman was unresponsive to requests to organize a meeting with suburban Washington Jewish leaders to discuss the vote.

“The fact that she did not vote in favor [of the resolution] is cause for concern,” said Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt of the B’nai Tzedek synagogue in Potomac, Md. “It certainly raises questions for our community.”

“It appears from that vote that she has reservations about support for Israel that others don’t,” said Rabbi Ari Sunshine of the B’nai Shalom synagogue of Olney, Md.

Even so, Edwards remains a favorite of the progressive left since capturing the 4th District seat last year, winning attention for her opposition to President Barack Obama’s request for an additional $100 million in funding for the war in Afghanistan, her arrest during an April protest outside the Sudan Embassy and her push to ease travel restrictions to Cuba.

“She is, in fact, supportive of what all her supporters thought she would do,” said John Willis, a former Maryland secretary of state who is now director of the University of Baltimore’s Government and Public Policy program. “All those support groups are probably very happy with her.”

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“She has a pretty progressive district, and I think she was probably elected more for her style,” said Len Lucci, a Prince George’s County-area Democratic activist. “I don’t know if those stands are going to hurt her.”

Still, even in a strongly Democratic seat where her progressive voting record is an asset, there’s reason to think that Edwards could be courting trouble with her Israel stance — Jews make up as much as 15 percent of the district’s active Democratic electorate, according to Maryland-based pollster Keith Haller.

And it would not be the first time that a progressive-minded African-American incumbent’s position on Israel helped fuel a challenge that ultimately led to the lawmaker’s defeat in a primary. In 2002, Artur Davis ousted incumbent Rep. Earl Hilliard (D-Ala.) after Hilliard voted against a resolution backing Israel’s fight against terrorism. In 2002, then-Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) lost her seat in a primary in a contest widely viewed as Middle East policy proxy fight. After her defeat, McKinney’s supporters bitterly blamed “the Jewish lobby.”

There are already signs that the Jewish community is preparing to back a primary challenge to Edwards. Last month, Maryland Del. Herman Taylor attended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee policy conference in Washington — in no small part, he said, to gauge support for a run against Edwards.

“I have a lot of friends in the Jewish community,” Taylor told POLITICO. “There seems to be a lot of people not completely thrilled with her lack of support for Israel.”

“I do think there are people who would like to back a pro-Israel candidate against Donna Edwards,” said Larry Fishbein, the president and publisher of the Washington Jewish Week newspaper. “She is certainly opening the door to another candidate who would be more receptive to the Jewish vote.”

Jewish leaders complain that Edwards is emerging as a far less reliable ally to Israel than Wynn, who during his time in office was a staunch supporter of the annual U.S. aid package to Israel. In 2005, he called on Egypt to condemn Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s statement that “Israel must be wiped off the map.” During his 2008 campaign against Edwards, Wynn received $24,500 from the pro-Israel lobby, according to contribution records compiled by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

“He was very receptive to the Jewish concerns, very responsive to the Jewish community,” said Weinblatt.

Edwards’ allies are quick to argue that while her less hawkish position on Israel may not be well-received by Israel hard-liners, her approach aligns well with the progressive base she has developed in her district. And they note that the Jewish community itself is divided on her positions.

“We consider her to be extremely pro-Israel,” said Jeremy Ben-Ami, executive director of J Street, a pro-Israel organization that endorsed Edwards in her 2008 race and favors a dovish approach to the Middle East conflict. “She is very interested in finding a way to bring peace to Israel through diplomacy.”

Edwards traveled to Israel over Congress’ Memorial Day work period, accompanying fellow Democratic Reps. Brian Baird of Washington and Peter Welch of Vermont. She said in a statement last week that the trip “only reinforced” her commitment to a two-state solution.

“From Israel to the West Bank to Gaza, it is evident that most people of the region want our president to lead in this opportunity for a lasting peace,” Edwards said.

Edwards also said she was planning on holding a town hall meeting in her district in the coming weeks to discuss her trip and the conflict in the region.

Halber, the executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, said that while the differences between the Jewish community and Edwards are not irreconcilable, the two sides were not off to an agreeable start.

“It has really raised eyebrows in the Jewish community,” said Halber. “For the Jewish community, which is very politically active, it stands out.”