Representative-elect Adam Hamawy Refuses to Label Iran as Adversary

Democratic Representative-elect Adam Hamawy of New Jersey's 12th Congressional District sparked controversy during a November 11 interview on CNN's The Situation Room by refusing to label Iran as an adversary of the United States. Hamawy argued that Washington provoked Tehran and should prioritize diplomacy and economic leverage, citing the Obama administration's nuclear diplomacy as a model. He stated, "We're making adversaries when we should be making friends," and countered questions about Iranian hostility by claiming the U.S. has also killed many Iranians.

During the interview, Hamawy accused Israel of pushing the United States into an "illegal" and "immoral" war. He reaffirmed his opposition to all U.S. military aid to Israel, including funding for the Iron Dome. While he eventually characterized the Iranian government as an authoritarian dictatorship and agreed that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons is a "worthy objective," he maintained that military action is the wrong approach.

The comments have drawn scrutiny due to Hamawy's past associations. Reports indicate he served as a translator and defense witness for Omar Abdel-Rahman, a convicted terrorist mastermind, and interned with the Benevolence International Foundation, which the U.S. Treasury designated as a financier of terrorism. Additionally, Hamawy previously worked in a Gaza hospital that the Israel Defense Forces later identified as a Hamas command center. Hamawy, a former U.S. Army combat surgeon, won his seat on November 3.