In a position paper shared with AIPAC in 2020 and obtained by Jewish Insider, Michael Blake, who is challenging Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) in the Democratic primary in New York’s 15th Congressional District, vowed to offer strong support for Israel and to fight against anti-Israel sentiment, and emphasized the connections he feels as a Black person to the Israeli people and the Jewish community.

At the time, Blake — who had been an AIPAC affiliate for years — was seeking the group’s support for his 2020 run for the district. But now, in his second campaign against Torres, Blake is making criticism of Israel and strident opposition to AIPAC a central theme of his campaign.

Blake had expressed similar views in support of Israel in an interview with JI at the time of his 2020 campaign, but his pursuit of AIPAC’s support five years ago highlights the extent to which Blake has flipped on the issue in his latest campaign.

“The State of Israel is a beacon of hope in the Middle East. I understand the absolute priority in ensuring Israel remain that beacon, not just for the Middle East, but for the world,” Blake said in his 2020 position paper, obtained by JI and verified by an informed source. 

“When I become a member of Congress from the 15th Congressional District in New York, representing the most diverse county in America, I will continue the commitment I have shown as a community leader, lay minister, Assemblymember and national Democratic official in ensuring that the U.S.-Israel relationship remains strong and bipartisan for generations to come,” Blake continued.

He argued that he’s “uniquely positioned” to ensure that America and Israel remain close allies.

Blake had visited Israel twice, which he said “channeled my core values I developed here in the U.S., and allowed me to further internalize the remarkable bond between our two countries; that bond must continue to be strengthened.”

Blake now says that AIPAC’s treatment of the Black community was a key reason he broke with the group at some point prior to the start of the war in Gaza. But he struck a different note in his 2020 AIPAC paper, emphasizing the need for continued unity and solidarity between the Black and Jewish communities and the common experiences of the two communities.

“While circumstances may vary, I can understand the emotional, mental and physical duress that occurs when you don’t feel safe in your own land,” Blake said, referring to his visits to Israel. “The very idea of Israel demonstrates that the promise can be realized, and serves as an inspiration for all those who have kept the faith in the face of oppression and persecution. …  I feel strongly that Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people — a group who fled persecution across the world, to achieve a dream that they held onto for more than 2,000 years.”

He added in the position paper that he takes care to speak out in the district and across the country to emphasize that “anti-Israel rhetoric has no place anywhere.” He vowed to work to strengthen the ties between the Black and Jewish communities, and between Americans and Israelis.

“As a Black man in this country, after what we have endured for centuries and what I have personally endured via police brutality, I will not be silent while divisive language and actions are taken against the Israel people, the Jewish people, or anyone from anywhere,” Blake said at the time.

In the paper, Blake highlighted his work to support anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions legislation in New York and vowed to support similar efforts to fight anti-Israel activity in Congress.

“As a member of Congress, a son of immigrants, and as an American citizen, I will oppose all efforts that seek to delegitimize Israel,” Blake said. “Because anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism are so closely linked, we must not tolerate the actions of the BDS movement, just as we do not tolerate racism and other forms of prejudice.”

And he promised to support continued military assistance with Israel, which he described as a mutually beneficial relationship, saying he “strongly support[s]” the 10-year memorandum of understanding for military aid between the United States and Israel.

The position paper also further undercuts Blake’s claims as a candidate, in public fora, that he walked away from AIPAC eight years ago, after coming to realize at AIPAC’s 2017 policy conference — where he was a speaker — that the group disdained President Barack Obama and other Black leaders.

Instead, Blake continued to attend AIPAC events through at least 2019, as previously reported by JI, and as the position paper demonstrates, unreservedly sought the group’s support in his 2020 campaign.

Blake’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.