Omari Hardy was wrong, and he must face the consequences of being wrong

At a recent forum, Democratic congressional candidate Omari Hardy said, “Look, I’m not perfect. I have a lot to learn.”

Such self-awareness helps explain why this newspaper recommended Hardy in the Democratic primary in the 20th Congressional District on Nov. 2, to replace the late Alcee Hastings. In a field crowded with conventional politicians, Hardy stands out for his candor and command of most issues — most but not all.

Hardy proved he has a lot to learn by embracing the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. Patterned after anti-apartheid movements in South Africa, BDS uses economic leverage to force Israel to recognize Palestinians as equals. Critics contend BDS’ real goal is the end of Israel as a Jewish state. They have a point: BDS demands the right of return to all land that Arabs abandoned or were forced to leave in 1948. Its leaders have used antisemitic rhetoric and Congress has approved a bipartisan resolution overwhelmingly opposing BDS.

Hardy, 31, a state representative from West Palm Beach, initially said he opposed BDS in a “lightning round” of yes-or-no questions in a forum last month. He later told the Jewish Insider he supported

BDS, a position shared by progressives in Congress and on college campuses across the country, but which is resoundingly opposed by the mainstream Jewish community.

The subject of BDS did not come up during a two-hour Sun Sentinel Editorial Board group interview with Hardy and five of his 10 opponents. They had not publicly raised it, nor had any interest groups, to our knowledge. After the Jewish Insider’s report, Hardy told the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board his initial opposition to BDS was hastily considered and hypocritical.

“I have asked white people to stand in solidarity with me and say ‘My life matters,’ ” Hardy said. “When Palestinians ask, ‘Will you stand with us to protest policies that are violating our rights,’ how can I say no when I have expected others to do the same?”

Hardy characterizes BDS as a nonviolent protest movement in support of human rights, like Black Lives Matter. But some Jewish leaders are appalled by a stand they call overly simplistic and out of step with the people he seeks to represent in Washington. Hardy, they say, has aligned himself with antisemites who embrace the “three Ds” of delegitimization, demonization and double standards against Israel.

“It is an antisemitic movement because it delegitimizes the state of Israel,” Josephine Gon, vice president of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, told the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board. “The true intent is that Israel ceases to exist, period.”

On a second issue of importance in the Jewish community, Hardy opposes a one-time increase of $1 billion in foreign aid to Israel for the Iron Dome missile defense system. He opposes “unconditional” aid to any foreign country, including Israel, and categorically rejects the idea that any military aid program is “untouchable” and can’t be revised. He noted that the $1 billion is in addition to $3.8 billion advanced to Israel in 2021.

Hardy is wrong, but it’s also wrong to demonize him. The problems in the district, including economic injustice, health care disparities, official indifference and racism, are at the root of decades of decline in Black communities in Broward and Palm Beach counties. On those issues, we maintain that Hardy is the strongest advocate for change.

Running as an “unapologetic progressive,” Hardy is not just another go-along-to-get-along politician. More than his rivals, he will stand up to the powerful sugar industry that reaps huge subsidies from taxpayers while engaging in environmentally damaging practices such as burning sugar cane — which Hardy, alone in this race, voted against as a legislator in Tallahassee.

He would be a forceful voice for stagnant communities desperate for a new generation of leaders. Like it or not, many Democrats are shifting leftward, a trend that appears likely to continue. Because Congress is a seniority-bound institution and the winner of this race could be there for decades, as Hastings was, people should vote with an eye toward the future, not just the present.

In the field of 11 candidates, the Democrat who has most strongly criticized Hardy’s views on Israel is Barbara Sharief, a Broward County commissioner. In her Sun Sentinel candidate questionnaire, Sharief flatly declared her opposition to BDS.

In this low-turnout election, Hardy’s rigid progressivism may cost him a career in Congress. The district is predominantly Black, but has a sizeable number of Jewish voters and includes the Kings Point retirement community in Tamarac. Voters who are fiercely protective of Israel will vote accordingly, but they should remember that however Republicans redraw it before the 2022 elections, it will remain a predominantly Black district.

Hardy could have maintained opposition to BDS and supported more military aid to Israel, but it would antagonize progressives who form the core of his political base. To his credit, he did not choose political expediency. But he must face the consequences of being wrong.

The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Editorial Page Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Editorial Page Editor Dan Sweeney, and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson. Editorials are the opinion of the Board and written by one of its members or a designee. To contact us, email at letters@sun-sentinel.com.