BOCA RATON (VINnews)- Accusations of antisemitism and sharp differences over Israel and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee have emerged as central flashpoints in the Democratic primary between U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz and challenger Oliver Larkin in Florida’s 25th Congressional District.

Rabbi Efrem Goldberg, senior rabbi at Boca Raton Synagogue, the largest Orthodox synagogue in the southeastern United States, urged his congregants and “the decent people of Boca Raton” to change their voter registrations to Democratic so they could vote for Moskowitz in the Aug. 18 primary. Goldberg said he switched his own registration from Republican to Democratic for the same reason.

“I didn’t speak out in order to support Congressman Moskowitz as much as to ensure an antisemite is unsuccessful,” Goldberg said in an email.

Moskowitz, a centrist Democrat known for working with Republicans, has refused to appear with Larkin, a democratic socialist. In a letter declining a joint interview with the South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Moskowitz wrote that he does not believe it is appropriate to share a platform with a candidate who has “embraced the support of individuals and organizations that have repeatedly trafficked in antisemitic rhetoric and hostility toward the Jewish community.”

Moskowitz cited supporters of Larkin who he said have called Jews “demonic,” “inbreds,” “bloodthirsty” and “Nazis,” while characterizing Israel’s military actions as “Jewish supremacy” and openly embracing Hamas.

Larkin has rejected the antisemitism charge. “Antisemitism is a real problem in this country, and it’s something that we’ve seen with attacks on synagogues and mass shootings and certainly that’s something that our campaign rejects,” he said in a July interview.

At a July 23 town hall in Dania Beach, Larkin told an audience member who raised the issue: “I reject that wholeheartedly. Our campaign believes in collective liberation for all people, and that includes the liberation of Jewish South Floridians and Jewish people the world over from antisemitism.” He said his campaign has conducted internal antisemitism training and includes Jewish canvassers.

The 25th District, redrawn this year, hugs the Atlantic coast and includes communities with large Jewish populations such as Hallandale Beach, Hollywood, Boca Raton, Highland Beach, Aventura, Miami Beach, Sunny Isles Beach and Surfside. An estimated 25% of residents are Jewish, one of the highest concentrations in the country. The district also includes most of Florida’s Holocaust survivors.

Moskowitz, who is Jewish, has said his faith and support for Israel have made him a target. His grandmother escaped Germany on the Kindertransport after her parents were killed at Auschwitz. His name appeared on a would-be assassin’s hit list of Jewish and Black targets.

Larkin has criticized Moskowitz for accepting support from AIPAC and has called for ending U.S. aid to Israel. He has said Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, citing international assessments of bombing and restrictions on aid that he said contributed to famine conditions.

Goldberg called Larkin’s genocide claims “blatant lies, and are modern day blood libels that endanger Jews everywhere.”

Larkin has welcomed support from online streamer Hasan Piker, who raised tens of thousands of dollars for the campaign through livestreams and personal contributions. Piker has been described by the American Jewish Committee as promoting antisemitism and justifying the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. Larkin has also appeared with streamer Michael Beyer, who was temporarily suspended by Twitch after calling Jews a “demonic ethnicity.” Beyer later apologized.

Larkin said Piker and Beyer have used language he would not use and that their criticism has been directed at the Israeli government and settlers. He has called AIPAC a “corrupting influence” that undermines American democracy, while denying his criticism is antisemitic.

AIPAC has endorsed Moskowitz. OpenSecrets data shows the group was responsible for $667,200 of the $2.5 million Moskowitz raised through June 30. Moskowitz has defended the support, saying AIPAC represents Jewish Americans donating through an organization and that critics single it out while progressive PACs face less scrutiny.

The primary reflects broader national shifts. Polling has shown declining support for Israel among Democrats and younger voters amid the war in Gaza that began with Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 people. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry has reported more than 73,000 Palestinian deaths.

Moskowitz supports continued U.S. aid to Israel. Larkin has framed his challenge in part around opposition to what he calls Moskowitz’s alignment with Republican policies and dependence on contributors including AIPAC.

Organizations supporting Oliver Larkin in the Democratic primary for Florida’s 25th Congressional District include:

Major progressive and socialist groups:

Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) — National endorsement (one of DSA’s first federal endorsements for 2026), plus multiple Florida chapters including Broward DSA, Miami DSA, and Palm Beach + Treasure Coast DSA

Labor unions:

1199SEIU

SEIU Florida Public Services Union

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (endorsement via President Sara Nelson)

Note: The Florida AFL-CIO did not endorse incumbent Jared Moskowitz (after lobbying by Larkin) but also did not formally endorse Larkin; it backed other Democratic House incumbents in the state.

Larkin’s campaign website and progressive outlets highlight a coalition of labor, socialist, environmental, immigrant-rights, and anti-AIPAC groups, consistent with his democratic socialist platform and opposition to AIPAC/corporate PAC money. Individual high-profile supporters (e.g., Hasan Piker, Nina Turner, Jamaal Bowman, Linda Sarsour) have also amplified fundraising and visibility, but the above are the primary organizational backers reported as of early August 2026.