One year ago, the world was shocked when Hamas launched a brutal attack on Israel in Gaza, killing hundreds, capturing hostages and launching an ongoing war.

In the months since, the violence has escalated, causing tens of thousands more deaths, forcing millions to flee their homes, creating a humanitarian crisis and enveloping Lebanon, and soon possibly Iran. The scale of violence presents a complex policy challenge for the two candidates who hope to be Maryland’s next U.S. senator, Republican Larry Hogan and Democrat Angela Alsobrooks.

Although both are experienced elected officials — Hogan was governor for two terms and Alsobrooks is the Prince George’s County executive — neither has delved deeply into international policy. Now they’re facing one of the most challenging and divisive policy discussions as Election Day approaches.

Whoever wins the election will face this difficult issue head on. Maryland’s next U.S. senator will be asked to vote on funding decisions that would benefit Israel’s defense and, depending on their committee assignment, may have a role in shaping and overseeing foreign policy.

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Although most voters name other top issues, such as the economy, immigration and abortion, when choosing a candidate, Middle East policy is a deep and personal issue for some voters who view forging peace as the most important issue this election.

Maryland has the eighth-largest Jewish population among American states and the seventh-largest Muslim population, according to World Population Review, a nonprofit that analyzes demographic data. That means potentially meaningful blocs of voters with generally differing opinions on Middle East policy.

When it comes to U.S. policy in the Middle East, Alsobrooks and Hogan are largely falling in line with the positions of their parties, said Ilai Z. Saltzman, director of the University of Maryland’s Gildenhorn Institute for Israel Studies.

Republicans, especially under the leadership of Donald Trump, have “attempted to kind of own the Israeli ticket,” Saltzman said. Democrats, facing a broader array of opinions and allegiances within their ranks, “are more nuanced ideologically,” he said.

Hogan has made his position clear, declaring early on that he would be Maryland’s “pro-Israel champion” if elected. He’s repeated that promise throughout the summer and fall, and he has made a public effort to reach out to Jewish leaders and voters.

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Alsobrooks, meanwhile, has offered support for Israel’s right to defend itself but also called for a ceasefire in Gaza and improved efforts to bring humanitarian aid to the region. She has expressed hope for a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.

“As tensions in the region escalate, Angela is adamant that we must work with our allies to lower the temperature in the region and ensure Israel has what it needs to continue countering Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran,” Alsobrooks senior adviser Connor Lounsbury said in a statement.

Although both candidates are appealing to supporters of Israel, they face a challenge in winning over Muslim voters and supporters of Palestine.

“What we’d like to see from our representatives is to move our country in a direction that is on the side of justice and peace, rather than war and oppression,” said Sharif Silmi, president of the advisory board for CAIR Action Maryland, the political arm of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a leading Muslim advocacy group.

CAIR opposes unrestricted military support for Israel. “We don’t think it’s a good use for U.S. tax dollars to pay for war and bombing,” Silmi said.

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Hogan declined to meet with CAIR, Silmi said.

CAIR Action Maryland endorsed and supported Alsobrooks in the Democratic primary but has yet to make a decision for the general election. Silmi said her lack of specifics — including when she recently visited a Muslim community center in Silver Spring — is frustrating.

“While she has actually met with us, unlike Hogan, the language is still very carefully crafted to make sure that she has room to present herself as a pro-Israel candidate,” Silmi said.

If he's elected to the U.S. Senate, Republican Larry Hogan pledges to be a “pro-Israel champion." (Daniel Kucin Jr./AP)

Hogan: A ‘pro-Israel champion’

Hogan reiterated his support for Israel in a recent speech to the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, which came just after Iran launched missiles on Oct. 1 against Israel just ahead of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year.

The attack, Hogan said, “has reminded us that Iran and its proxies would commit October 7ths every single day if given the chance.”

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“The only thing that stands in the way,” Hogan said, “is the resolve and strength of the people of Israel and the support of the United States.”

He called on Congress to “act swiftly” to provide more support to Israel. And he criticized Alsobrooks for being insufficiently supportive of Israel as it faces a potential nuclear weapons threat from Iran.

Hogan made rounds Wednesday night at Rosh Hashanah Under the Stars, a holiday observance sponsored by the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation at Oregon Ridge Park that attracted thousands of Jewish people. He was led around by ally Bruce Bereano, a longtime Annapolis lobbyist who is Jewish.

Hogan attended a Rally for Israel in Baltimore County on Sunday, followed by an Oct. 7 memorial commemoration in Baltimore on Monday.

Hogan also has spoken out against a planned anniversary vigil at the University of Maryland, College Park, hosted by Students for Justice in Palestine. The vigil, which Hogan called a “disgraceful anti-Israel event,” was canceled by university administrators until a federal judge ordered it be allowed to proceed.

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Earlier, he withdrew from planned fellowships at Harvard University over “dangerous anti-Semitism” that he said had taken root on campus, and he condemned pro-Palestine students who camped out at the Johns Hopkins University this spring.

He’s been endorsed by the Republican Jewish Coalition, a group that “fully” embraces a “pro-Israel foreign policy.”

Hogan, while governor, went to Israel to promote economic development and issued an order banning the state government from awarding contracts to companies that boycott Israel, a practice known as BDS for ban, disinvest, sanction.

Hogan’s positions may help him win over independents and Democrats who care deeply about protecting Israel, a small but meaningful bloc that could help Hogan prevail, Saltzman said. Hogan wants votes from nearly all Republicans and enough independents and Democrats to push him to a majority.

“It’s about targeting particular communities that care about particular issues,” he said.

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Silmi from CAIR Action Maryland said he would hope that Hogan and Republicans would be receptive to the organization’s desire to avoid direct American involvement in the growing war and an end to American financing of weapons sent to Israel without conditions.

“I feel like a lot of our message would be well received for people who vote for the Republican ticket, particularly as it relates to getting dragged into another costly war,” Silmi said.

U.S. Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks campaigns at Bowie State University on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.
“What we all hope for is a path of peace,” Democratic Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks says of the escalating conflict in the Middle East. (Pamela Wood)

Alsobrooks: ‘Concerned about escalation’

Alsobrooks has a tougher needle to thread with Middle East policy. The Democratic Party ranges from staunch defenders of Israel to those who are sympathetic to Palestinians.

Democrats have attempted to be “even-handed in trying to address different constituencies, different bases within the larger tapestry of voters,” Saltzman said.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, has spoken about the need for Israel to be secure and defend itself, while at the same time expressing a desire to address the needs of Palestinians, end the current conflict and pursue a two-state solution. That’s a much tougher set of ambitions, Saltzman said.

A survey of CAIR members during the May primary election found an overwhelming majority of its Democratic members voted “uncommitted” for president, a symbolic move intended to express disapproval of the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of the conflict.

At the same time, its members strongly supported Alsobrooks, who won the primary over U.S. Rep. David Trone, a significant donor to pro-Israel causes.

Alsobrooks has been endorsed by the Democratic Majority for Israel, a political action committee that describes itself as “the voice of pro-Israel Democrats.” The group is chaired by Mark Mellman, a pollster who previously consulted for the pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

AIPAC, which has a history of pouring money into Maryland elections, has not weighed in on the Senate race.

Alsobrooks also has been endorsed by J Street, a political action committee that advances policies including a two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

On the campaign trail, Alsobrooks has met with Jewish leaders in various parts of the state and listened to Jewish students in Montgomery County concerned about anti-semitism.

In the months following the Oct. 7 attacks, Alsobrooks advocated for a ceasefire and the return of Israeli hostages. She also offered support for a two-state solution, though she shied away from specifics.

As the conflict has escalated and expanded, Alsobrooks has been even more general.

Alsobrooks was asked to address the conflict at The Baltimore Banner’s iMPACT Maryland conference last week.

“What we all hope for is a path of peace,” Alsobrooks said. “And the question is: How do we achieve that?”

Baltimore Banner reporters Hallie Miller and Brenda Wintrode contributed to this article.