Hawaii primaries pose latest test for Democrats amid party split over Israel

Fresh-faced Jarrett Keohokalole calls for limits on military aid to Jerusalem, challenging seasoned lawmaker Ed Case after string of wins by candidates critical of Jewish state

After a series of Democratic primary victories by candidates sharply critical of Israel, the party’s ideological divide moves to Hawaii on Saturday, where voters will decide whether to nominate a seasoned lawmaker to another term in Congress or pick a younger, more left-wing candidate.

US Representative Ed Case, 73, faces a challenge for the Democratic nomination from Jarrett Keohokalole, 43, a state senator who has argued the incumbent is too close to corporate interests.

Keohokalole is also calling for expanded government healthcare and ending military aid to Israel, an issue that has played a prominent role in Democratic primary campaigns this year, with anti-Israel candidates winning races in Michigan, New York and Colorado this year.

Case, meanwhile, has a pro-Israel legislative record, having voted against a proposed ban on $3 billion in security aid to Israel just last month, while also criticizing Israel’s military response to Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught. Keohokalole has said he would have voted for the ban.

“I definitely did disagree with Israel’s response to the attack on Israel — the severity, the disproportionality, the incredible tragedy of so many civilian deaths,” Hawaii News Now quoted Case as saying. “I am a straight-up opponent of the current leadership of Israel.”

The outcome of Hawaii’s primaries will not likely affect Democrats’ chances of winning control of the House of Representatives in the November midterm elections, as the Honolulu-based district is seen as safely Democratic.

Case has held the seat since 2019, and also served in the House between 2002 and 2007. A moderate who holds a senior position on a key spending committee, Case has argued that Hawaii will attract fewer federal dollars if he is not reelected. Keohokalole has highlighted Case’s campaign donations from businesses to argue he has lost touch with voters.

If he wins, Keohokalole would be the latest progressive challenger to capitalize on Democratic voters’ frustration with party leaders who they view as too old, too close to Israel, and unable to effectively oppose Republican President Donald Trump. But Case could draw support from independent and Republican voters, who can vote in primary contests in Hawaii.