By: Justin Winograd

In one of the most striking political reversals in recent New York memory, Michael Blake — a former state assemblyman, Democratic National Committee vice chair, and one-time AIPAC speaker — has announced a primary challenge to Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), centering his campaign squarely on Torres’ strong pro-Israel record and deep ties to the pro-Israel advocacy group.

But as the Jewish Insider reported on Friday, Blake’s newly minted anti-Israel rhetoric stands in sharp contrast to his own well-documented history as a vocal ally of AIPAC and an outspoken supporter of the Jewish state — a legacy that many in the pro-Israel community say renders his current campaign not only politically opportunistic but deeply disingenuous.

Blake formally launched his campaign Wednesday with a blistering attack on Torres, denouncing his unwavering support for Israel and claiming he has been “bought” by AIPAC donors. In a campaign video released on X, Blake accuses Torres of prioritizing “Bibi [Netanyahu] over the Bronx,” and of focusing “more about AIPAC than… your academics.”

“I am ready to fight for you and lower your cost of living while Ritchie fights for a genocide,” Blake declared. “I will focus on affordable housing and books as Ritchie will only focus on AIPAC and Bibi. I will invest in the community. Ritchie invests in bombs.”

As the Jewish Insider reported, the video features heavily edited clips and graphic imagery — including dollar signs superimposed over Torres’ eyes — in an apparent attempt to evoke classic antisemitic tropes about Jewish money and influence. It also references Torres’ campaign war chest, noting that the congressman has “nearly $15 million on hand, largely from AIPAC,” while many Bronx residents “barely have $15 to get by.”

The line between criticism of Israel and outright vilification of Jewish political participation, observers noted to Jewish Insider, has grown increasingly blurred in Blake’s rhetoric. His campaign’s framing — explicitly pitting AIPAC and Israel against “the Bronx” — marks a dramatic break from his own years-long record of collaboration with the same pro-Israel community he now derides.

For years, Blake was not just friendly toward AIPAC — he was one of its most visible Black Democratic champions. As the report at the Jewish Insider detailed, between 2014 and 2019, Blake attended no fewer than ten AIPAC conferences, spoke on its main stage, and participated in multiple trips to Israel organized by the American Israel Education Foundation (AIEF) and the New York Jewish Community Relations Council.

At AIPAC’s 2017 policy conference, Blake delivered an impassioned speech extolling his connection to Israel and his gratitude toward the organization. “From entrepreneurship, to political organizing, to deepening my faith as a Christian, AIPAC and AIEF changed my life forever,” he told attendees. “Traveling to Israel made me a better legislator, better activist, and helped me understand that as a leader within my community and the Democratic Party, I have a responsibility to support America’s friend and ally, Israel.”

His remarks, preserved in video archives and cited repeatedly by Jewish Insider, were met with a standing ovation at the time.

Even as recently as 2020, when serving as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, Blake reaffirmed his pro-Israel stance, telling Jewish Insider that he and fellow Democrats were “attentive to making sure there’s not language in [the party platform] that would be anti-Israel.” In the same interview, he declined to echo Senator Bernie Sanders’ description of Prime Minister Netanyahu as a “reactionary racist.”

Blake even posted photos of himself at AIPAC events and of Netanyahu’s 2014 address to the conference, using them to highlight his commitment to Israel’s security. At the time, he drew parallels between his experience as a Black man in the Bronx and the resilience of Israeli Jews under the threat of terrorism — remarks that the Jewish Insider report described as both “empathetic and politically courageous” given the leftward drift of Democratic discourse on Israel.

Then came October 7, 2023.

Following Hamas’ massacre of 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of over 250 others, Blake took to social media not to condemn the terrorists but to accuse Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza — echoing the rhetoric of the Democratic Party’s most radical wing. He soon aligned himself with activists demanding a “ceasefire” but conspicuously omitted any mention of the Israeli hostages still held by Hamas.

As the Jewish Insider reported, Blake’s subsequent record has been unambiguous: he opposed congressional resolutions combating antisemitism, voted against efforts to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) for antisemitic comments, and defended former Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) after he denied Hamas atrocities on October 7.

This abrupt reversal has baffled many who once counted Blake among Israel’s allies. A pro-Israel activist who requested anonymity told the Jewish Insider, “The pro-Israel community is stunned by his 180-degree turn. Blake spoke at pro-Israel events and received considerable financial support from the community. Once he was a pro-Israel stalwart, and now he’s joined the ranks of the detractors.”

Confronted with his past AIPAC ties on social media, Blake has attempted to rewrite his record. In response to critics who shared photos of him speaking at AIPAC conferences, he insisted he had walked away from the group “before the genocide” and after “seeing how they treated Black leaders including President Obama.”

But as the Jewish Insider report was quick to note, his public appearances with AIPAC continued well after Obama’s presidency — including multiple events following the former president’s high-profile clash with the group over the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Blake also downplayed his 2017 speech, calling it “something that happened eight years ago” while omitting the fact that he continued to attend AIPAC gatherings as late as 2019.

His explanations appear inconsistent with the historical record and reflect a broader trend among some progressive politicians who once courted pro-Israel donors but have since recalibrated to appease the far-left’s anti-Israel base.

By contrast, Ritchie Torres has emerged as one of the most forceful and unapologetic defenders of Israel in Congress — a position that has earned him both national acclaim and fierce backlash from the Democratic Party’s left flank.

As the Jewish Insider reported, Torres — a progressive gay Afro-Latino representing one of America’s poorest districts — has stood firm against what he calls “the moral inversion of our age,” in which Hamas’s atrocities are rationalized while Israel’s self-defense is demonized. He has repeatedly condemned antisemitism on college campuses, defended the Abraham Accords, and voted for increased funding for the Iron Dome missile defense system.

It is this record — not corruption or scandal, but loyalty to Israel — that now serves as the central grievance in Blake’s campaign.

Political analysts quoted by the Jewish Insider suggest that Blake’s challenge reflects the growing influence of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and other far-left factions emboldened by Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York mayoral race. By targeting Torres, one of the few prominent Democrats of color defending Israel, the DSA and its allies are testing whether pro-Israel Democrats can still survive primary challenges in deep-blue districts.

Blake’s candidacy thus represents more than a personal grudge match — it embodies the ideological schism cleaving the Democratic Party over Israel and antisemitism.

As the Jewish Insider report noted, Blake’s about-face comes at a time when Democrats are increasingly divided between the traditional liberal establishment — which continues to view Israel as a vital democratic ally — and a new progressive vanguard that sees it as an apartheid state.

For Jewish voters and moderate Democrats, the spectacle of a once-pro-Israel politician turning his back on AIPAC to court anti-Israel activists is emblematic of a troubling realignment. “It’s not just political cynicism,” one Bronx community leader told the Jewish Insider. “It’s moral inversion. Michael Blake knows better — because he once stood for something better.”

Whether Blake’s gambit will resonate with voters remains to be seen. Ritchie Torres enters the primary with enormous financial resources, widespread support from both the Jewish and Latino communities, and a reputation for independence that has shielded him from far-left attacks before.

Blake, by contrast, faces skepticism not only from the pro-Israel community but also from mainstream Democrats wary of his populist turn. His pivot may win applause from anti-Israel activists on social media, but in the Bronx — a borough known for pragmatism over ideology — that may not translate into votes.

As the Jewish Insider report observed, Blake’s campaign ultimately reveals less about Torres’ record than about Blake’s own transformation — from an AIPAC platform speaker who once described his trip to Israel as “life-changing,” to a candidate now accusing Israel of genocide and its supporters of moral corruption.

In the end, the irony may prove too sharp for voters to ignore.

Once, Michael Blake stood before thousands at AIPAC and declared that supporting Israel made him “a better legislator, a better activist, and a better person.”

Now, he stands before the Bronx — disavowing those very words — and asking for their trust.