Opinion: Centrist Democrats now have the leverage to push the antisemites to the fringe

The New York Post editorial board argues that this week's Democratic wave brought in a crop of centrist members who can — and should — push back against the party's anti-Israel extremists.

The board credits Brooklyn Rep.-elect Claire Valdez for calling graffiti on a fleet of Satmar Hasidic school buses "a blatant act of antisemitism," full stop, and knocks Rep.-elect Brad Lander for hedging his condemnation. It points to a Michigan ad that blamed a couple's grocery bill on Israel as the kind of poison the party has to reject.

The editorial says President Trump's decision to end the $3.8 billion in annual U.S. weapons credits to Israel takes away a favorite talking point of critics like Rep. Ro Khanna, and that Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer now have the leverage to steer their caucus away from obsessing over Israel and toward issues that affect Americans — if they have the backbone to keep the extremists on the fringes.