The Democratic Primary
July 18, 2022
In our latest “State of the Race” installment, we focus on the Democratic primary for Maryland’s 4th District.
Rep. Anthony Brown (D) is leaving the seat to run for Maryland attorney general – with no incumbent, former Rep. Donna Edwards, who represented the 4th district from June 2008 to January 2017, and former state attorney for Prince George’s County Glenn Ivey are considered the top two contenders.
Following the recent redistricting, the 4th congressional district remains a solid Democrat stronghold, which means in practice that the winner of the Democratic primary will likely be the district’s next Representative in the 118th Congress. While the Jewish population in the 4th district is small, the candidates’ positions on Israel have been a major factor during the campaign. With that said, let’s explore the positions of the two major candidates and their voting records on issues important to the Jewish community.
Nuclear Iran
Former Rep. Edwards supported the nuclear agreement with Iran and considers a return to the JCPOA a priority. In an interview with Jewish Insider, she stated: “When I came out of Congress, we were in an agreement, the JCPOA, the Iran nuclear deal. Then not long after that, Trump pulls that away. And I think it actually has made Israel more vulnerable, because we don’t have any real oversight into what Iran is doing or not doing in its nuclear program.” In 2013, when she was serving in Congress, Edwards was one of 20 House members to vote against a bill strengthening sanctions against Iran.
On the other hand, former state attorney Ivey opposed the nuclear deal with Iran that was negotiated in 2015 but noted that “the one thing that did seem to be working with that, based on what I’ve heard, is that the Obama deal did slow [things] down, at least to some extent.” Asked about the U.S. return to the agreement, he argued that he would want to see a commitment to “full and neutral inspections [of Iranian nuclear sites]” and an end to Iran’s funding of Hamas and Hezbollah. “If [Biden’s] gonna go back in and it looks like he is, and I think he probably should, I think those are the key pieces that you need to have to reach a deal that makes sense.”
U.S. Support for Israel
Donna Edwards has stated: “I am a staunch supporter of Israel and fully back America’s commitment to Israel’s security. I’ve traveled throughout Israel and seen her promise and the threats to her existence.” However, some of the positions she took in Congress concerned many in the Jewish community. In 2009, then-Rep. Edwards voted “present” on a resolution, which passed 390-5, that supported Israel’s right to defend itself from attacks from Gaza. She also voted “present” on 2012 legislation to enhance security cooperation between the U.S. and Israel.
The same year she voted against a resolution that condemned the United Nations’ Goldstone Report, which accused Israel of human rights violations.
Glenn Ivey has stated that he supports Israel and that he would have voted to fund Israel’s Iron Dome, in reference to the legislation in Congress that authorized funding for the replenishment of the missile-defense system. He stated: “I didn’t really understand the argument against it, to be real candid. Iron Dome is aimed at protecting civilians, which is reasonable to me, but I thought sort of a byproduct of it was that the Israeli military doesn’t have to be as aggressive [in its actions in Gaza].”
Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement
Donna Edwards has said that she does not support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement: ”I have not supported it, either when it first emerged, and not now.” However, she has questioned efforts in Congress to oppose the movement: “I don’t really know that it is something that Congress necessarily even has to weigh in on.”
Glenn Ivey has stated that he opposes the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. “I get why people are doing it, and I hear what they’re saying, but I just don’t think it’s the right approach.” Moreover, when discussing the leaders of the BDS movement, he stated: “I do kind of wonder about their motives, to say the least. I’ll leave it at that.”
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
In terms of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Donna Edwards has expressed her support for a two-state solution, stating: “I just always leaned toward what is going to provide Israel security, but also engage Israel with its neighbors so that the region can exist in peace and stability.” She has criticized the approach of the Trump administration to the Middle East, claiming that there were “Trump administration policies that actually put the question of negotiating really in a much more precarious position, not the least of which was the Iran nuclear deal, but also thinking that you could sort of pressure and pound the Palestinians to the negotiating table.”
Glenn Ivey similarly supports a two-state solution but has strongly emphasized that the parties two negotiate that for themselves, stating, “I’m in favor of a two-state solution. But I think we have to allow the parties to negotiate that for themselves. And I want to be careful about us trying to do too much to twist the arms, to force one side or the other to do it a particular way.” He also opposed conditioning U.S. foreign aid to Israel because he thought that “it’s aimed at sort of trying to leverage some components of negotiations with the Palestinians about a two-state solution.”