A Democratic candidate in Texas became embroiled in a political storm after publishing a series of incendiary statements against Zionism, including promises to imprison “American Zionists” in a converted immigration detention center.
The remarks by Maureen Galindo, who is competing in the Democratic primary for Texas's 35th district, generated immediate condemnation both within and outside her party, where several leaders labeled her comments as anti-Semitic and dangerous.
The controversy began after Galindo posted on social media that she would push for legislation to declare Zionism as a form of anti-Semitism and transform the Karnes County Immigration Processing Center into a jail for “American Zionists and former ICE officials”. In the same message, she added that the place would also function as a “castration center for pedophiles,” insinuating that “probably most Zionists” would fall into that category.
Democratic candidates Maureen Galindo and Johnny García
Galindo justified her statements by claiming that “Zionists” control human trafficking networks in South Texas and asserted that she is not anti-Semitic because, in her view, Zionists would not be “true Jews.” She also accused her rival in the Democratic primary, Johnny Garcia, of being funded by “Zionist terrorism and trafficking networks”.
The reactions were swift. Garcia, a sheriff's officer in Bexar County, responded that there is no place in the Democratic Party for proposals that involve imprisoning people for their beliefs or attacking members of the Jewish community. “We should unite people, not spread hate and division,” he stated.
Prominent Democratic figures also condemned the statements. The Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, along with the chair of the Democratic campaign committee, Suzan DelBene, called Galindo's words “vile” and “disqualifying”. Congressman Josh Gottheimer asserted that the rhetoric came “straight from the Nazi playbook,” while Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez described the comments as “intolerant garbage.”
Far from retracting, Galindo deepened her accusations in subsequent videos. There, she claimed that “Zionist millionaires” should go to prison and promoted conspiracy theories about alleged Israeli control over ICE, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and surveillance networks in San Antonio. She also stated that Israel could eventually “occupy the United States.”
The candidate, who will face an internal runoff on May 26, has attempted to defend herself by insisting that her stance is “anti-Zionist” and not anti-Jewish. However, her statements have been widely interpreted as a rehashing of old anti-Semitic stereotypes, at a time of increasing political tension and polarization within the United States.
