Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) has his first declared Democratic primary challenger for 2028, a Democratic Socialists of America member who has urged anti-Zionist Israelis to sabotage military vehicles.
Ahmed Moor, a Gaza-born writer and businessman, announced Monday that he is running to unseat Fetterman, one of the Senate Democratic Caucus’ most outspoken defenders of Israel.
In a June essay about the translation of novelist Sally Rooney’s work into Hebrew, Moor dismissed efforts to reach Israeli readers and encouraged anti-Zionist Israelis to engage in civil disobedience, boycott military service, “stab the tires on the jeeps,” or “throw their bodies before the bulldozers.”
“I feel fairly fed up with the endless discussion of Jewish-Israeli feelings and sensibilities,” Moor wrote. “I am indifferent about whether Zionist Israelis regard BDS as antisemitic.”
He also wrote that he was indifferent to whether Zionist Israelis “have a friend in the world” or whether they could be persuaded to abandon what he called their “unnatural commitment to Jewish supremacy.”
The translation was coordinated with the anti-Zionist publicatioin +972 Magazine and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. Moor argued that Palestinian liberation required economic sanctions and boycotts, rather than literary outreach. He described Israelis who refused to participate in boycotts as “speed bumps” and “barriers to justice.”
“It’s a petulant attitude, but it’s how I feel,” Moor wrote.
Fetterman, by contrast, has repeatedly supported American military assistance to Israel, defended its campaign against Hamas, and warned that he could leave the Democratic Party if it formally embraces an anti-Israel position.
Moor, who was born in Rafah in the Gaza Strip and grew up in Philadelphia, wrote on his campaign website that his birthplace had been “turned to rubble in a genocide funded by our tax dollars,” with support from politicians in both parties.
“I’m running to end the war in Iran and to promote the dignity agenda: free healthcare, free childcare, and affordable housing,” Moor wrote in his campaign announcement. He also called for “accountability for genocide, for ICE and for corruption,” and pledged to protect civil liberties.
Moor studied at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University, worked in finance before turning to journalism, and previously covered the Middle East. He recently served on the Philadelphia Democratic City Committee.
He told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he was encouraged by leftist victories in Pennsylvania during the midterm elections, including the election of Democratic socialist Chris Rabb to Congress.
“The truth is, I’m not really running against Fetterman,” he said. “I’m running for good government. I’m running for the rule of law. I’m running because I believe in America.”
Fetterman has not announced whether he will seek reelection. His relationship with his party has become increasingly strained since the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. He has broken with Democrats on several high-profile votes, including support for some of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees and opposition to Democratic efforts to constrain the administration’s military actions against Iran.
His support for Israel has also made him a target of left-wing activists and Democratic voters. An October Quinnipiac University poll found that just 13% of Pennsylvania Democrats viewed him favorably, according to reporting on the survey. Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA) has also said he has seriously considered challenging Fetterman.
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