Full Breakdown
Adam Hamawy Wins New Jersey Primary Amid Controversy Over Past Ties
6/3/2026, 6:30:08 AM
Primary Victory and Endorsements
On Tuesday, Dr. Adam Hamawy, an Egypt-born surgeon and former combat trauma surgeon, won the Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, the seat vacated by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman. Hamawy secured a plurality in a crowded field, aided by endorsements from Senator Bernie Sanders and the progressive “Squad” members Ro Khanna, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Rashida Tlaib. His campaign also highlighted his rescue of Senator Tammy Duckworth after a helicopter crash in Iraq and his week-long confinement in a Gaza hospital until Duckworth secured his release with President Biden.
Campaign Funding
American Priorities, a super PAC that backs pro-Palestinian candidates, spent $2 million on Hamawy’s primary campaign.
Controversial Past: Bosnia Charity and the Blind Sheikh
Hamawy’s 1994 internship with the Benevolence International Foundation (BIF) in Bosnia has attracted scrutiny. The 9/11 Commission called BIF an “impressive array of offices … covertly provided financial and other support for terrorist activities,” and a 2003 filing alleged it was used “to establish a base for operations in Europe against Al Qaeda’s true enemy, the United States.” Hamawy also testified as a defense witness about his past association with Omar Abdel-Rahman, the convicted “Blind Sheikh.”
Official Responses and Criticism
Hamawy’s campaign described the attacks as unfounded and hateful, and emphasized his rescue of Senator Tammy Duckworth after a helicopter crash and his week-long confinement in Gaza, which ended after Duckworth secured his release with President Biden. He described his ties to the Blind Sheikh as minimal and said the organization he volunteered for was praised internationally. Republican and pro-Israel groups, echoed by Steven Emerson of the Investigative Project on Terrorism, emphasized his BIF internship and testimony for the Blind Sheikh, labeling him extremist.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I think the voters of New Jersey have a right to know why Dr. Hamawy felt so strongly in defending a violent jihadist leader — the Blind Sheikh — that he repeatedly lied under oath in the 1995 terrorist trial,” — Steven Emerson, Investigative Project on Terrorism
- “impressive array of offices [that] covertly provided financial and other support for terrorist activities” — 9/11 Commission
- “to establish a base for operations in Europe against Al Qaeda’s true enemy, the United States.” — 2003 court filing
- “desperate,” “absurd,” and “bigoted.” — Hamawy campaign spokesperson
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the characterization of the Benevolence International Foundation. The 9/11 Commission and a 2003 filing describe it as a terrorist front, while other reports note that Hamawy was never charged and that his ties were minimal. The claim that the organization was praised internationally at the time of his service is not independently verified. Details of Hamawy’s personal interactions with Omar Abdel-Rahman remain contested.
What’s Next
Hamawy is all but certain to win the November general election for the 12th District. If elected, he will join a Democratic caucus where his pro-Palestinian stance and military background may shape policy debates on foreign aid and veterans’ issues.
