Democrat Jon Ossoff, Georgia’s first Jewish U.S. senator, faces a backlash over Israel. Meanwhile, Republican Mike Collins confronts his son-in-law’s antisemitic rhetoric.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff (left) and Republican U.S. Senate nominee Mike Collins. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
Suddenly, Mike Collins is all over Georgia’s Jewish community.
The Republican U.S. Senate nominee turned up this month at a synagogue’s festival in Atlanta’s exurbs. And he met privately with Jewish leaders at the home of a prominent philanthropist as Georgia’s race is surfacing in Jewish media from Atlanta to Jerusalem.
Collins has plenty of ground to make up elsewhere. U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is the favorite to win reelection and is generating national buzz as a potential presidential contender.
But Collins is trying to exploit one of Ossoff’s most personal fault lines: his criticism of the Israeli government, which has put Georgia’s first Jewish U.S. senator at odds with some influential members of his own community.
noJ“ ohw nehw s’tahw pu oot ot eht dnats tuolles dias thgir noitomorp lacitilop .ycilop no fo txen ”,enil si si si sih rof diarfa a s’ffossO ffossO learsI snilloC
elihw taht melborp .nwo fo gnikam si sih yranidroartxe gnitnorfnoc esac na snilloC
etihw desu ot seiroeht naht daerps ,wal-ni-nos laicos adnagaporp detomorp no tsilanoitan erom noillim .aidem ,yregami sah srewollof ycaripsnoc citimesitna dna reehcS izaN ,II siH divaD nalA 5.1
dluow esu ot ot eht ,ffats ecnis kees esaeler .nosirp tsop degdelp .eciffo fo fo evitalsigel tfel sih eh sah morf remrof thgir-raf reined feihc stsivitca a ,yellaT yellaT piK tsuacoloH ’snilloC ’snilloC dnA
dekrow nehw sretov ot eht eht dekraps ecnis dnimer s’tnediserp lacitilop fo fo ni eh sah ,nosdnarg remrof thgif edivid msicitirc ytinummoc dengiapmac tseggib sa tsniaga ehT nacilbupeR nahtaN ymmiJ hsiweJ hsiweJ nosaJ learsI .voG s’aigroeG laeD s’retraC .retraC ,4102
Former Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (right) and Attorney General Sam Olens (second from left) gather outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem during a trade mission in 2014. (Greg Bluestein/AJC)
srehtO“ I“ htiw ohw etov ot siht er’yeht yeht rieht eht eht troppus llits emos gnittis dias lanoiger tuo ”,noitpo eno fo fo eson fi dloh sih .mih evah gniog sdneirf rof rof leef neve rehtie t’nod rotcerid denrecnoc elbatrofmoc esuaceb esuaceb gnikcab era era era dna tuoba ,rekliW ”.ffossO hsiweJ learsI voD .eettimmoC snilloC desab-atnaltA dnA naciremA
hgiew sretov ot eht gnidnuorrus .ffats tilps emos drocer no si sih remrof gnicrof ylimaf seisrevortnoc dna tsniaga tahT hsiweJ learsI ’snilloC
uoY“ ruoy gnitov ot ot siht ,wal-ni-nos dias ”,drocer tnenimorp kcip ro s’ti sih sih raeh .ylimaf t’nseod gnitnioppasid tnemtimmoc t’nac tceffa tuoba a elihW .nacilbupeR ynnaM hsiweJ learsI ,woklaiF ’snilloC
tahw delbuort ot yeht eht taht ees esnopser skramer fo fo retsulkcal sedulcni yraidnecni yrotsih eslaf ecarbme ,noitcele smialc yb dnuorgkcab sa era dna tuoba a a a s’pmurT .reehcS tnediserP srehtO dlanoD ’snilloC 0202
s’tahT“ ekiM“ t’now htiw ot eht eht eht taht naht gnitroppus ,wal-ni-nos syas dias deriter taeper der segakcap eno fo ton hcum ”,egaugnal eussi sih s’eh eh eh deldnah galf snmednoc tub reggib yenrotta dna ydaerla dia .tsivitca a a aruaL ,legaN-rednalruK hsiweJ ”.learsI snilloC
‘Say the words’
.yrotcejart lacitilop on ronim si ni ytitnedi sih rotcaf s’ffossO hsiweJ
dluow nehw saw lufsseccusnu rehtegot ot ot .emit yeht yeht eht nabrubus laiceps rotanes rotanes emas ylhguor .noitalupop netfo fo ekam yek ni emoh yrotsih sih flah rof tsrif tsrif dezisahpme noitcele gnitcele tcirtsid lanoissergnoc dengiapmac yb dib ta dna dna a kconraW leahpaR ffossO hsiweJ hsiweJ tI s’aigroeG kcalB s’atnaltA dnA ,0202 7102
— — raw eht eht tneuqesbus emos .scitilop ni ni nairatinamuh tniophsalf sisirc gnidliub nageb emaceb hsalkcab kcatta sa dna gnoma tsniaga retfa a a .S.U .tcO hsiweJ s’learsI samaH snaigroeG azaG tuB ,7 ,3202
erehw snopaew ,setov detov lufsseccusnu owt srefsnart ot ot eht eht taht eugoganys derosnops thguos emos snoituloser tnenimorp snoitazinagro .havztim gnidulcni ni ni sih rof denrae dezicitirc yb kcolb rab tnomreV .S.U .S.U .neS srednaS ffossO ffossO hsiweJ .learsI aigroeG einreB atnaltA tuobA 05 4202
setov ,hguoht esoht naht .tseggus drocer no erom si detacilpmoc redaorb s’ffossO ,learsI
ot ot ot selas detcejer egakcap desoppo fo shtnom noillim ,retal stik ni ni eh tlah ecnadiug rof troffe sbmob kcolb noillib tpmetta smra dna na osla a a eerhT dekcab-srednaS .learsI .learsI eH lirpA 5202 8.8$ 576$
nehw saw lufsseccusnu ot selas ylhguor snoituloser .ytrap reiltuo fo fo on noillim yratilim ytirojam regnol denioj ni ni sih .mih eh yb ,srezodllub sbmob kcolb dekcab dna na etaneS ffossO starcomeD ,lirpA dnA A 054$
”gniyl“ ”.dalcnori“ etorw nehw keew ot eht troppus gnihtacs rehsilbup nepo fo fo rettel tsal sih eh rof sebircsed sa gnisucca a ,semiT ffossO ,sirroM leahciM hsiweJ hsiweJ learsI snaigroeG atnaltA
esohw eht taht tsol ,retal ni ni spleh sah dnuf noitadnuof ruenerpertne ,seitirahc deugra na ,kilaZ tsoP ffossO .sweJ hsiweJ melasureJ nrob-ilearsI s’aigroeG syaD divaD atnaltA naciremA
nehW“ .neS“ — .etorw saw ”,detsurt eht etats ,dracerocs nwo ylno fo on on ,efil sti ti noitacovni sih ,egatireh eh eh rof gnithgif htiaf tonnac nac yub ekorb eb ”.kcab dna ffossO noJ hsiweJ
lanoiger“ elihw snopaew setov dereggirt srefsnart ot ot eht eht eht taht naht gnitroppus ,ytilibats dengis gnikees ytiruces thgir gnitcirtser esnopser tcejer stcelfer ,kcabhsup gnisiarp ”.ecaep ro fo erom flesti aedi sih yldrah tnemnrevog rof dnefed msicitirc .susnesnoc gnisitsahc dna stnuoma gninodnaba a a teY ffossO ffossO ynaM hsiweJ hsiweJ s’learsI ilearsI .learsI snaigroeG snaigroeG retfA 4202 001
,raey htiw ot eht eht gnignir dednopser ylcilbup rehto .aidem lacol tsetal tsal ni sih .mih evah stnemesrodne dednefed htrof-dna-kcab dekcatta seilla nehW cilbuP ffossO hsiweJ hsiweJ learsI eettimmoC snatnaltA dnA naciremA sriaffA
”tnemtnioppasid“ .setov ysaenu eht taht naht etats tcelfer ylno erom .rebmem delebal sih edivid ylraelc dna retfa a a sgnirpS ehS ydnaS .peR ,hctinaP ffossO s’erutalsigeL hsiweJ aigroeG weF rehtsE tarcomeD 4202
Democratic state Rep. Esther Panitch, the only Jewish member of the Georgia Legislature, has criticized some of U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s votes regarding military aid for Israel. (Arvin Temkar/AJC 2024)
eugor“ ohw hguoht gnitroppus ”etats ehs ehs fo eenimon ti weivretni ni mih .ediconeg rof neve desrodne dezicitirc gnittimmoc dellac dna na desucca a .S.U etaneS ,ffossO nagihciM learsI ,deyaS-lE citarcomeD dnA ludbA
htiw htiw ot rieht gnikcits laicos s’ehs ,dias dias gnar detniop fo aidem noitcaretni .wolloh sih .stnemeergasid etipsed noitanmednoc citimesitna dna na tnuocca ,llitS ehS reehcS hctinaP ffossO ’snilloC
I“ htoB“ htiw htiw ”.eurt gnidnats ehs .dias ”,mih eergasid era dna ffossO noJ m’I
emertxe“ htiw raw ot ot hguoht eht eht eht eht eht noitavrats dias gnitaerter dednopser tnecer tsap noitisoppo fo ton ssam si ni ni erongi sih s’eh eh sah morf ”noitavirped ,msicitirc nerdlihc t’nac ngiapmac dna ilearsI-.S.U .S.U s’ffossO roN .narI .azaG
deil“ deniard“ raw ot siht yeht eht taht selipkcots dias yllar ruo ”gnihton potsnon ekil eil ni sih sih ”.gnihtyreve tcilfnoc deugra dna dna seilla eveihca tuoba tuoba pmurT yadnuS ffossO AGAM ,atnaltA tA
‘Driven by the record’
htiw llew taht sekats llams ylevitaler ,tnemngilaer yxorp lacitilop revo hcum sah rof thgif dnetxe .etarotcele redaorb dnoyeb emoceb a a ehT hsiweJ learsI s’aigroeG
elihw erew siht eht eht gnitroppus gnirps .desrever llop fo srebmun lanoitan si ,tseretni ni dnuof .deergasid eveileb tsomla ,snacilbupeR noitutitsnoC-lanruoJ learsI aigroeG starcomeD atnaltA nA gnomA %55 %72
drocer“ thgirb“ htiw ohw sretov s’ereht eht taht ehs sees dias rehcraeser ”foorp learsI-orp gninepo fo tekram ekil si ni ni mih sevig lavitsef .rovaf ”,evitceffe edivid gnitteb dednetta sa dna na a a hguohT nasuS ffossO ,wonalbuK wonalbuK hsiweJ .gnimmuC ’snilloC snilloC
U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, pictured speaking to supporters after winning the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in June, recently attended a gathering of Jewish leaders and urged them to judge him by his own actions. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)
dnA“ mA“ ohw tahw ”,yaw su ot ot emit siht eht s’taht taht gnillet ?wal-ni-nos emos ehs .dias ”.drocer drocer sserp no fo ym larebil si sih gniog sdneirf rof ylemertxe nevird etargetnisid yb esuaceb eb era a oN hsiweJ m’I I ’snilloC
sretov degru ot ot eht tnecer .hctip tsiporhtnalihp nwo fo egduj si emoh sih mih eh gnirehtag ruenerpertne lartnec yb ta dna .snoitca a tahT sgnirpS ydnaS kriK hsiweJ ,nreplaH ’snilloC tA
yllacificeps“ etaH“ ”.uoy htiw ohw etihw ew gnitov koot ot meht eht eht ycamerpus os derahs :deilper dehsup ecalp eno seton deton on gniteem ni sah tseug rof leef rotide gnirud ecnuoned elbatrofmoc nac dna semiT ahsaS hsiweJ ,relleH snilloC snilloC atnaltA ”.aciremA ,CJA
esaelP“ etorw htiw etihw nehw eht eht taht ,ycamerpus tops moor tup no fo eton ton ni eh dellif .tneve neve did ecnuoned yletamixorppa a ”,sweJ relleH 08
dluow htiw erew saw sweiv tsurt .rehtegot ot ot yeht rieht taht os dias moor ecnuoner fo sizaN-oen dekcol ni .noisserpmi desserpmi fi mih eh eh puorg raf tnereffid egnellahc emac yb yawa a a a eH nreplaH snilloC
dnA“ saw elbanu ot ot s’ereht ,meht noitseuq lacisyhp on ym dnim ”.em ti ni fi d’eh tog gnithgif ,thgif ecnivnoc eb dna edisgnola a ekiM
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
