By Donald H. Harrison
Donald H. Harrison
Congresswoman Sara Jacobs
SAN DIEGO — Notwithstanding the generous financial support and leadership in the Jewish community of her grandparents and parents, a growing number of pro-Israel Jews are angry at Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-San Diego) for what they say have been her numerous stands against Israel and in favor of Israel’s adversaries as demonstrated by her voting, advocacy, and even dating.
Jacobs voted Saturday, April 20, in favor of funding for a $95 billion package incorporating aid for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan, but her explanation why she cast that vote prompted a backlash from supporters of Israel.
Jacobs wrote that the Israel aid bill “will help address the preventable, catastrophic famine that has started in northern Gaza and assist the 1.5 million displaced Palestinians who need immediate food, water, first aid, and shelter in Rafah. While I’m deeply concerned about further military assistance to Israel, I couldn’t in good conscience vote against this lifesaving humanitarian assistance when millions of people around the world are suffering. I’m proud that Democrats demanded including humanitarian assistance as a condition of supporting any package. Going forward, the U.S. must enforce existing law and policy and withhold further offensive weapons to Israel, given the reports of restrictions on humanitarian assistance and significant civilian casualties.”
In response, Jean Gaylis, an active member of the Jewish community, wrote to San Diego Jewish World: “It’s imperative that SD and CA Jews really understand Sara Jacobs and her ‘strategy’ when she votes….given her relationship with her partner and her past voting record.”
Congressional candidates Ammar Campa-Najjar and Sara Jacobs
Jacobs’ romantic “partner” is Palestinian-Mexican-American former congressional candidate Ammar Campa-Najjar, who sought unsuccessfully the East County seat now occupied by Republican Darrell Issa and also lost a bid to become mayor of Chula Vista.
As related by Wikipedia, “Campa-Najjar’s grandfather Muhammad Youssef al-Najjar, known as ‘Abu Youssef,’ has been the subject of significant controversy. In 1965, while working in Kuwait, Abu Youssef founded Fatah along with Yasser Arafat and other exiled Palestinians. He was long believed to have been affiliated with the Munich massacre [of Israel’s Olympic athletes.] He was among those targeted in Mossad assassinations following the Munich massacre. On April 9, 1973 al-Najjar and his wife were killed in their Beirut, Lebanon apartment in Israeli raid on Lebanon. The attack occurred while their children were home. The Israeli commando team was led by future prime minister Ehud Barak. Campa-Najjar and Barak met in Washington, D.C. in October 2019.
“In February 2018, a book published by Ronen Bergman, Rise and Kill First, challenged the historical assumption that those targeted in Operation Wrath of God were actually behind the Munich massacre. In 2019 in response to this new information, Campa-Najjar withdrew some of the condemnations he had made against his grandfather.”
An angry letter to San Diego Jewish World from Diane Berdugo said, in part: “Sara Jacobs, was one of 43 Democrats that voted against the Congressional declaration that ‘From the river to the sea’ chant is antisemitic.”
Prior to last Saturday’s vote on aid to Israel, Dan Pritsker tabulated Jacobs’ voting record and her stance on various congressional letters affecting Israel. As shown below, it is a mixed record, supportive of Israel in some cases but growing more and more critical of the Jewish state as time went on. It also shows opposition to measures to curb the power of Israel’s arch-nemesis, Iran.
Jacobs serves on two committees that regularly impact Israel: the House Foreign Relations Committee and the House Armed Services Committee.
Date Bill Description Jacobs’ vote or stand7/18/23 H.Res.57 Expressing the sense of Congress supporting the State of Israel Yes10/25/23 H.Res.771 Standing with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists Yes11/1/23 H.Res.559 Declaring it is the policy of the United States that a nuclear Islamic Republic of Iran is not acceptable No11/2/23 HR6126 Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024 No
11/7/23 H.Res.845 Censuring Representative Rashida Tlaib for promoting false narratives regarding the October 7,2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of the State of Israel No 11/28/23 H.Res.793 Calling on Hamas to immediately release hostages taken during October 2023 attack on Israel Yes 11/28/23 H.Res.888 Reaffirming the State of Israel’s right to exist. Yes 12/4/23 HR5961 No Funds for Iranian Terrorism Act No 12/5/23 H.Res.894 Strongly condemning and denouncing the drastic rise of antisemitism in the United States and around the world. Not Voting (Present) 12/13/23 H.Res, 927 Condemning antisemitism on University campuses and the testimony of University Presidents in the House Education Committee. No 1/12/24 HR340 Hamas International Financing Prevention Act. No 1/23/24 Petition Denouncing South Africa’s Claims Against Israel at International Court of Justice. Refused to sign 1/31/24 HR6679 No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act. Yes 2/14/24 H.Res.966 Condemning rape and sexual violence committed by Hamas in its war against Israel Yes 4/5/24 Petition Letter calling on President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to pause sending more weapons to Israel. Signed 4/17/24 H. Res 883 Expressing he sense of the House of Representatives that the slogan “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” is antisemitic and its use must be condemned. No.
Jacobs’ press secretary, Laura McIlvaine, commented: “Rep. Jacobs has issued over a dozen statements detailing her condemning the Oct. 7th attack including Hamas’ use of sexual violence, supporting Israel’s right to defend itself and providing defensive aid to Israel, and calling for the hostages to be released. She continues to believe that a two-state solution is the best path to long-term safety and security for Israelis and Palestinians. She’s also called for a permanent and immediate ceasefire to deliver much-needed humanitarian aid to Palestinians and to release the hostages. “
McIlvaine included the following statements issued by Jacobs in response to the Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas and the subsequent war in Gaza:
–Immediate statement on the Oct. 7th attack
–Efforts to expand resources for Palestinian Americans and Americans in the Gaza and the West Bank
–Urging Israel to reconsider evacuation notice in northern Gaza
–Calling for a cessation of hostilities
–Ccriticizing short humanitarian pauses as inadequate to deliver humanitarian aid
–Leads efforts to address settler violence in the West Bank.
–Calls for fully funding and implementing the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism.
—Statement on sexual violence.
–Introduces resolution honoring Wadee Alfayoumi
–Statement ahead of a potential Rafah invasion.
–Statement on security assistance.
–Statement on Iran’s attack on Israel.
–Most recent statement on the national security supplemental.
San Diego County’s Jewish community is diverse and includes a spectrum of opinions about Israel, its government, its relations with Arab and other Muslim countries, including Iran. There are supporters here of AIPAC and of JStreet, political action groups that often advocate for opposite U.S. policies toward Israel, AIPAC being the more Zionistic of the two. Just as there is a spectrum of Jewish religious practices, ranging from Chasidic to Humanistic, with many Jewish movements in between, so too do San Diego County Jews reflect a broad range of political opinions from right-wing Conservative to left-wing “Progressive.”
Irwin and Joan Jacobs
Part of the surprise over Jacobs’ voting record is the role that her grandparents, Qualcomm co-founder Irwin and Joan Jacobs, have played in the financing of Jewish institutions in the county, as well as the role her parents Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs have taken in community leadership.
To name just a few of Joan and Irwin Jacobs’ contributions to the Jewish community:
–The Jacobs Campus of the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center.
–Joan & Irwin Jacobs Campus. Turk Family Center, Jewish Family Service.
–$500,000 Matching Fund for the construction of the Hillel Center at UCSD.
–Jacobs Family Community Hall, Congregation Beth El, San Diego
— Jacobs Technion-Cornell Innovation Institute, New York City
Gary E. Jacobs
Congresswoman Jacobs’ father, Gary Jacobs, has served as president of the Lawrence Family JCC and of the Jewish Federation of San Diego. He also has served as president of the Jewish Community Centers of North America. He and his wife Jerri-Ann founded the Jacobs Teen Leadership Institute which sponsored trips for American Jews and Israeli Arabs and Jews to Spain and other centers where Muslims and Jews productively coexisted.
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Donald H. Harrison is publisher and editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via
