Candidates in Bronx 13 debate sharply diverge on Israel policy and U.S. aid

The Bronx Talk forum moved from campaign finance to foreign policy as candidates for New Yorks 13th Congressional District weighed in on the U.S. relationship with Israel and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Theo-Chino Tavares called for a fundamental change in U.S.-Israel relations, criticizing current Israeli leadership and saying, "Israel cannot be the 51st state of the United States." Oscar Romero and other challengers described the U.S. role as enabling violence and called for stopping funding that they said fuels civilian harm.

Rep. Adriano Espaillat said he supported humanitarian aid to Gaza, opposed settlement expansion and called for a diplomatic strategy to end the violence, naming Benjamin Netanyahu as an obstacle: "As long as he's there, he will be an obstacle to progress," Espaillat said.

Darrelissa Avila Chevalier and other candidates used direct language to demand moral clarity. "Anyone who cannot identify and name a genocide as a genocide is also someone who cannot identify when a democracy is in crisis," one candidate said during the exchange, arguing U.S. tax dollars should prioritize domestic needs.

Why it matters: Foreign policy and humanitarian concerns entered local politics in highly charged terms. The exchange highlighted differences in approach: some candidates urged cutting or conditioning military assistance; others emphasized diplomatic and humanitarian responses while opposing expansion of settlements.

The candidates did not move to a policy vote; the debate captured where candidates stand on a major national and international issue that many district voters cited as urgent.