In the race for the Democratic nomination in New York’s 13th Congressional District, Darializa Avila Chevalier, a self‑identified Democratic Socialist, is currently ahead of incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat, according to the latest internal polling. Her lead comes amid a flurry of criticism over her earlier advocacy for Rasmea Odeh, a Palestinian convicted of involvement in a 1969 supermarket bombing in Israel.
Chevalier’s support for Odeh surfaced in 2014 when she posted on Facebook urging the public to "Help Rasmea come home!" while the latter faced an immigration‑fraud trial in the United States. The candidate also participated in a fundraising drive to secure bail for Odeh.
Odeh’s criminal record dates back to a 1969 conviction in Israel, where she received a life sentence for a plot that killed two students. She was released in 1979 as part of a prisoner exchange and, after serving a later sentence for immigration fraud in the United States, was deported to Jordan in 2017.
During her time at Columbia University, Chevalier was a member of the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), an organisation that has been accused of promoting hate speech and intimidation. In 2014, she and other SJP members interrupted a campus rally against sexual assault, shouting about Odeh’s alleged rape while in Israeli custody.
A Jewish student who attended that rally accused Chevalier and SJP of hijacking the event, stating they had "placed two Palestinian students' safety on this campus and back home at risk" by allegedly refusing to blur photographs of the students on a university blog. Chevalier later responded in a letter to the editor, claiming the student was benefiting from a "colonialist power structure" and "silencing survivors of color".
The controversy has resonated strongly within the district’s sizeable Jewish community, many of whom question Chevalier’s suitability to represent their interests, particularly on matters relating to Israel. Nevertheless, she retains the endorsement of progressive activist Zohran Mamdani, who had previously pledged neutrality, and remains narrowly ahead of Espaillat, who has publicly defended Israel and criticised Chevalier’s positions.
Further scrutiny has arisen from Chevalier’s attendance at a pro‑Hamas rally in Times Square the day after the October massacre of Israelis by Hamas. Archived tweets reveal she once condemned interracial relationships, used the American flag as a wash‑rag, and described American military veterans as "child murderers" guilty of "war crimes".
The mounting allegations underscore the importance of thorough vetting of candidates seeking public office. As the primary approaches, voters in the 13th district will have to decide whether Chevalier’s past actions align with their values and the district’s priorities.
First reported by the source report.