JCPA Responds to 2026 Midterm Election Results

“Yesterday, voters across the country delivered an overwhelming message of change.

“Now, our leaders have a historic opportunity to advance the safety and rights of our communities and a strong, pluralistic democracy for all.

“However, we cannot move forward without recognizing that this election season has been particularly divisive and painful for the Jewish community and for so many others — an election in which we were too often treated as political footballs, pitted against one another and exploited to reinforce political division rather than protect any of our communities.

“Some dismissed the Jewish community’s real and legitimate concerns about antisemitism and sought to divide Jews from the very coalitions and communities inherent to all our shared safety. Others weaponized our real and legitimate fears to attack other communities, including by advancing Islamophobia and other dangerous hate and undermining our democratic norms and institutions.

“As JCPA has long made clear, these are false choices. Jewish safety and democracy are not competing priorities; rather, they are one and the same. The Jewish community’s needs are not in opposition to the freedom and safety of others; rather, none of us are safe and free unless all of us are.

“Simply put, there is no truly inclusive, pluralistic American democracy without ensuring that Jews are safe — and there is no true Jewish safety without protecting inclusive, pluralistic democracy for all.

“We expect our leaders — both newly-elected and returning — to reject these false choices:

“To call out and confront antisemitism wherever it exists, including in their own parties, no matter if it looks like neo-Nazis marching in Charlottesville or far-left extremists using Israel as an excuse to target Jews with exclusion or violence.

“To call out and confront all forms of hate and extremism wherever they exist, including in their own parties, even and especially when it’s ostensibly being used to ‘protect’ Jews or any other community.

“To repudiate binary, zero-sum approaches that respond to fear and extremism with more fear and extremism, that pit our communities’ safety against democracy when we know they’re one and the same.

“To fight for the democratic norms, institutions, and freedoms that have been inherent to Jewish — and all communities’ — advancement and safety in this country for generations.

“JCPA stands ready to partner with the new Congress and leaders across the federal, state, and local levels to advance this work.

“In particular, there will be a number of new Jewish members of Congress uniquely positioned to lead — and to engage their colleagues — on issues of Jewish safety and values. We don’t need to agree on everything to know that their partnership will be key to countering antisemitism and protecting democracy, and JCPA looks forward to working closely with them, with the Jewish Caucus, and with all leaders committed to our shared rights and safety.

“There is an unprecedented opportunity to make clear that Jewish safety is inherent to inclusive, pluralistic democracy — and inclusive, pluralistic democracy is inherent to Jewish safety.

“Now, let’s get to work.”