{"id":3578,"date":"2018-01-03T01:21:00","date_gmt":"2018-01-03T06:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ajcongress.org\/jewishpoliticalguide\/?page_id=3578"},"modified":"2024-07-03T16:24:25","modified_gmt":"2024-07-03T20:24:25","slug":"jewish-insider-janelle-stelson-doubles-down-on-israels-right-to-decimate-hamas-however-it-sees-fit-as-she-challenges-rep-scott-perry","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ajcongress.org\/jewishpoliticalguide\/jewish-insider-janelle-stelson-doubles-down-on-israels-right-to-decimate-hamas-however-it-sees-fit-as-she-challenges-rep-scott-perry\/","title":{"rendered":"JEWISH INSIDER: Janelle Stelson doubles down on \u2018Israel\u2019s right to decimate Hamas however it sees fit\u2019 as she challenges Rep. Scott Perry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Marc Rod<\/a>, Jewish Insider<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Democrat Janelle Stelson is sticking to a staunchly pro-Israel stance as she seeks to defeat Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), a perennial Democratic target, and is seizing on his vote against the supplemental Israel aid package earlier this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stelson, a former local news anchor, told Jewish Insider<\/em> that \u201cthe U.S. is Israel\u2019s most staunch ally and we need to continue to stand beside her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have got to say, I also agree absolutely with Israel\u2019s right to root out Hamas and decimate [it],\u201d she continued. \u201cIt\u2019s a terrorist organization that doesn\u2019t even believe Israel should exist. So Israel needs to do what it needs to do to defend itself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said that Perry has been inconsistent on Israel policy, accusing the three-term congressman of offering rhetorical support while voting against Israel\u2019s interests. Stelson accused Perry of having \u201ca pretty disturbing history of antisemitism,\u201d highlighting a series of concerning comments and affiliations<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is not somebody who\u2019s going to work across the aisle to get anything done for Israel or anybody else,\u201d Stelson warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perry has said that he voted against the supplemental bill because it also contained humanitarian aid for the Palestinains, which he has characterized as support for Hamas. Following that vote, AIPAC paused its fundraising<\/a> for Perry. Democratic Majority for Israel endorsed Stelson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perry said in a recent statement to JI, \u201cI have been and remain one of the most vehement defenders in Congress of the State of Israel. I staunchly support her right to defend herself and her people by responding to the heinous and unprovoked attacks by Hamas on Oct 7th and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He did not directly address many of Stelson\u2019s criticisms, saying in a statement to JI, \u201cI stridently celebrate Israel\u2019s hostage rescue, and unequivocally condemn the antisemitic, pro-Hamas protests in DC this weekend. Will Janelle Stelson also stand with Israel in the wake of Saturday\u2019s events, or does she cower in the face of her Democrat party\u2019s pro-terrorist radical base \u2014 like Biden does and [Vice President Kamala] Harris just did in Michigan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a statement to JI, Stelson celebrated the hostages\u2019 freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am relieved that after being kidnapped 8 months ago these four hostages have been reunited with their families and loved ones,\u201d Stelson said. \u201cWe must continue to do everything in our power to bring the remaining 120 hostages, including Americans, home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stelson told JI in an interview, \u201cThere was a cease-fire Oct. 6, and that was shattered Oct. 7,\u201d predicting that \u201cwe would see another cease-fire in short order if Hamas would give the hostages back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pressed on the administration\u2019s moves to withhold some arms shipments to Israel, Stelson again said she supports Israel\u2019s \u201cright to decimate Hamas however it sees fit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI just think that we need to tread lightly,\u201d she continued. \u201cThis is an ally, and our allies need to be able to depend on us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She distanced herself from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer\u2019s (D-NY) call for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s ouster, saying, \u201cIt\u2019s very important that Israeli citizens are the ones who choose their leader. It\u2019s a democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stelson emphasized that she sees Hamas\u2019 unwillingness to return the hostages, including the bodies of those who are deceased, as the key factor blocking a cease-fire. She said that could serve as the starting point to begin building a negotiated two-state solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Addressing the prospects for peace, she said that Hamas is \u201churting its own people more than anyone else.\u201d She said that she\u2019s \u201creally glad\u201d the U.S. is working to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, while also calling on Egypt to \u201cstep up a little bit more,\u201d reopen border crossings and allow civilians in Gaza to shelter temporarily on Egyptian territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On multiple occasions, Stelson, unprompted, raised concerns about the threat of Iran in the region, tying Israel\u2019s efforts to root out Hamas to the broader Iranian threat. Without specifying particular policy approaches, she said that the U.S. must \u201cbe really strong here\u201d to send a message to Iran and other U.S. adversaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPart of [Israel\u2019s operation] is [about] sending a strong message to Iran, that this is not going to be allowed to stand,\u201d Stelson said. \u201cIsrael is surrounded by Iranian influence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stelson expressed some hesitation about U.S. efforts to broker a trilateral deal with Saudi Arabia and Israel, including Saudi-Israeli normalization. She said that she understands Israel\u2019s desire to normalize relations with its neighbors but also she has concerns about Riyadh\u2019s human rights record and wants to learn more about the situation and the terms of the proposal if elected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At home, Stelson tied the rise of antisemitism to fading generational knowledge about the Holocaust, highlighting the need for education. She said that she supports efforts to advance the administration\u2019s national strategy to combat antisemitism and is \u201ccommitted to supporting any legislation that aims to stamp out extremism and hate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jill Zipin, the founder and chair of Democratic Jewish Outreach Pennsylvania, told JI last week that she and other DJOP board members have been impressed by Stelson, whom they have met with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zipin said DJOP hasn\u2019t started formally evaluating or issuing endorsements for the cycle yet, but she expects Stelson \u201cwill pass with flying colors,\u201d citing the former TV anchor\u2019s support for Israel and the return of hostages as a condition of a cease-fire, stances on domestic policy issues and understanding of domestic antisemitism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Citing her years on air, Stelson said that she felt that she \u201cneeded to move away from the public service of talking about and telling about and doing stories about our issues and our concerns and actually try to do something about them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said she had pursued journalism \u201cto effect change\u201d but feels now that elected office is a more impactful avenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She slammed Perry as \u201cone of the most obstructionist members of Congress\u201d and said his tenure has been \u201c12 years of relative inaction.\u201d She said that the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and abortion rights are both top priorities for her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perry, despite being a staunch conservative running in a frequently competitive district centered around the capital of Harrisburg, has managed to win by comfortable and increasing margins in his recent reelection races.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stelson argued that her time as a \u201ctrusted non-partisan voice\u201d on TV in the area for the last four decades will be a boon to her campaign \u2014 she has in-built name recognition and popularity among potential voters in a way that almost no other first-time candidate would, she explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And she said her skills as a journalist will help her better communicate to voters who have otherwise been \u201cslow to understand\u201d Perry\u2019s \u201cextreme\u201d record in Congress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A poll of 400 likely voters conducted by the Stelson campaign from May 21-23 showed her and Perry in a statistical dead heat, with Perry leading 51-48%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stelson noted that Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, had won the district over the GOP\u2019s right-wing 2022 GOP gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano \u2014 who she described as \u201cScott Perry-lite\u201d \u2014 by a dozen points, even though Dr. Mehmet Oz narrowly carried the district in the Senate race over Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was also a longtime registered Republican \u2014 changing her registration before she ran for office \u2014 although Stelson said she wasn\u2019t actively involved in party politics for years due to her journalism career and generally voted Democratic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stelson said she\u2019s heard frequently from voters concerned about Perry\u2019s ties to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, noting that ongoing criminal proceedings for Perry relating to his involvement with efforts to overturn the 2020 election results are redirecting much of his campaign cash toward legal bills, which she called a potential vulnerability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Marc Rod, Jewish Insider Democrat Janelle Stelson is sticking to a staunchly pro-Israel stance as she seeks to defeat Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), a perennial Democratic target, and is seizing on his vote against the supplemental Israel aid package earlier this year. Stelson, a former local news anchor, told Jewish Insider that \u201cthe U.S. is Israel\u2019s… more JEWISH INSIDER: Janelle Stelson doubles down on \u2018Israel\u2019s right to decimate Hamas however it sees fit\u2019 as she challenges Rep. Scott Perry<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":3579,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3578","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nJEWISH INSIDER: Janelle Stelson doubles down on \u2018Israel\u2019s right to decimate Hamas however it sees fit\u2019 as she challenges Rep. 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