Kennedy descendant and social media influencer Jack Schlossberg, who is running for a coveted Open House seat in Manhattan, came out in support Tuesday of legislation that would impose unprecedented new restrictions on arms sales or transfers to Israel, despite previously expressing skepticism over the bill.
During a debate Tuesday evening, Schlossberg pledged that “as of today,” he would vote in support of the Block the Bombs Act, a controversial bill that is gaining support from a growing number of left-wing House Democrats who have rejected assault weapons as an answer to “a moral question that is being posed in our country right now.”
He also reiterated that he would vote for continued US funding to boost Israel’s Iron Dome missile-defense system, saying his position was consistent with his commitment to “protect civilian life as much as possible” in the region.
Schlossberg, who has shared inconsistent positions on aid to Israel throughout the campaign to succeed retiring Representative Jerry Nadler (D-NY) in a heavily Jewish House district, wrote in a January questionnaire that he was “undecided” whether he would support the Block Bomb Act, arguing that it would “provide no path to peace and stability.”
Even though he has repeatedly expressed his objections to future arms sales to Israel, Schlossberg did not publicly support the Block the Bombs Act until Tuesday’s debate, reflecting a clear divide over Israel in the race.
By contrast, Schlossberg’s top rivals in the June 23 primary – including state Assembly members Micah Lesher and Alex Bors and former GOP attorney George Conway – all declined to support the bill in the debate.
Schlossberg’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment regarding his developments on the legislation.
The 33-year-old grandson of former President John F. Kennedy has criticized Lesher and Borsch for opposing efforts to provide military aid to Israel that isolate the Jewish state.
But despite claiming on social media last month that he supports “not giving any weapons to Israel”, Schlossberg has reportedly said otherwise behind closed doors.
Speaking at a private social club on the Upper East Side in May, he told members that he “probably would have continued funding Israel’s offensive weapons in the years after October 7,” according to audio of the meeting, which was obtained by CNN. politico.
His campaign told politico Schlossberg’s “ideas evolved according to circumstances.”
For his part, Schlossberg insisted in a series of social media posts that the story misrepresented his views and that his stance on offensive aid has been consistent, though he also said that “his position has changed depending on the situation.”
Meanwhile, during a candidate forum in January, Schlossberg was comparatively non-committal about his stance on aid to Israel, which he called “historically a strong democratic ally for the United States.”
“I would like to have a full intelligence briefing to try to understand the situation before I support any specific legislation,” he said.
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