The DC division of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has put together a long questionnaire for prospective candidates for local offices, covering many topics. The length of the questionnaire is off-putting, even if you don’t look at the substance. But, if you want a DSA endorsement, you have to fill it out and, of course, it has to say things consistent with the positions of the DSA. And you have to be prepared for your responses to be public, as they will go onto the DSA website.

The questionnaire goes through the types of subjects you would expect it to, such as affordable housing, inclusivity, reproductive choice, defunding the police, a Green New Deal, and so forth. But near the end, there is a topic that you might not be expecting: Palestine and Israel. Do you support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement? Do you pledge not to have any affiliation with any Zionist lobby groups, or any think tanks that “obfuscate the reality of the occupation”? Have you taken, or will you agree not to take, any “political junkets” to Israel? Will you agree not to attend any event “whose content or purpose contravenes DSA’s stated platform and positions on anti-Zionism, apartheid, occupation or BDS (not including cultural institutions or synagogues)? Do you pledge to oppose legislation that “harms Palestinians or supporters of the Palestine solidarity movement….”? The latter would include supporting sending any military or economic support to Israel, or that argues against or punishes pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campuses. Do you oppose all student exchange programs in Israel, or any support to Israeli educational institutions?

And the list goes on.

One of the candidates for DC mayor this year (the current three term mayor, Muriel Bowser, is not running for reelection) is Janeese Lewis George. George is a 37 year old, Howard University educated lawyer, who currently represents Ward 4 on the DC City Council. Ward 4 is a very mixed ward, racially, religiously and economically mixed. For those who know DC, if you drive north on 16th Street NW, heading from the White House to the DC/Silver Spring line, you will, for the most part, be driving through the heart of Ward 4. Mayor Bowser represented Ward 4 before she was elected mayor.

George identifies as a DSA member and a progressive. She signed the DSA agreement and pledged not to attend any events of the type listed in the agreement. At a meeting held late last week at an Orthodox synagogue in DC, attended by representatives of all (I think, all) DC Jewish congregations and certain other organizations, George apologized for her answers to the questionnaire and apparently did what candidates often do: she blamed it on one of her staffers who filled out the questionnaire, and said she did not see it and would have answered it differently.

But, she did not change her answers, did not apologize publicly or agree to do so, and apparently has not commented, or responded to questions, on the subject since. We have no idea where this will go.

But she is a serious candidate for mayor, obviously. And DSA members can be elected mayor of big cities (ever hear of a guy named Momdani?). Free DC (an organization that, to my knowledge, has taken no position on Israel or Palestine), which actively supports DC statehood, yesterday announced their support for George for mayor. My guess is that her position on Israel/Palestine played no part in their decision at all, but it shows that George has a lot of support in a city filled with progressives of all sorts.

There will be a Democratic primary in June, which will in effect decide the November mayoral race. There are at this time only two real candidates. George is one, and Kenyan McDuffie the other. McDuffie also served on the City Council (first representing Ward 5, and then as an at-large member) and resigned his at-large position to run for mayor. He is a Howard graduate and has a law degree from the University of Maryland, and is significantly more moderate in his positions than George is. At this point, he is the candidate I would support.

I have only seen one poll, and I am not sure how recently it was taken. It shows George with 44% and McDuffie with 41%. Each candidate has received endorsements from other DC office holders, labor unions, and organizations. It is not clear who will be the candidate; it is not too late for other significant candidates to enter the race, although it is getting later and later.

Listed as an organization supporting George is Jews for Justice, a progressive organization whose positions I often agree with. I don’t know whether or not their endorsement will be affected by this latest revelation. My guess is that it might be.