Egyptian doctor who undertook medical missions to Gaza will now go to US Congress

Egyptian-American surgeon Adam Hamawy has won his bid for Congress in New Jersey’s 12th congressional district, joining the blue wave across the US and making history as the first Muslim and Egyptian American to represent the state. During his victory speech in the midterm elections on Tuesday, he spoke directly to the people in Gaza, saying: “To the men, women and children of Gaza and Palestine. Your smiles give me the courage and the hope to fight for a better world." Republicans previously held the majority of the House of Representatives with 218 seats, four more than the Democrats at 214, but come January, Hamawy is one of the congressional wins to give his party a majority with a whopping projected 250 seats, according to MS Now. Middle East Eye attended Hamawy's watch party in Princeton, New Jersey, where he declared during his speech that he was ready to get to work and vowed to “hold Donald Trump accountable”. “I'm a surgeon, and I can tell you that we are going to stop the bleeding. We are going to fight for every American that's been left behind by the establishment that has been ruling Washington for so long.” New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Inside his party, the atmosphere was one of overwhelming solidarity. Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Colmen introduced Hamawy to the stage for his victory speech, embracing him. Jewish Voice for Peace members held signs that said “Jews for Hamawy.” But that image of solidarity stood in harsh contrast to the reality that Hamawy faced throughout his campaign. “I have never seen anti-Muslim hate as open and as loud, and as accepted as it is today, not just here in New Jersey, but across the country. It's always been there, but now it's open and allowed and vicious, and it's been targeted against my family, my coworkers, my friends. My loyalty and my patriotism have been questioned.” Why Hamawy? The watch party was stacked with keffiyeh-clad and American flag-wielding voters who came out to support him. Yoshi, a New Jersey voter, says Hamawy's pro-Palestine stance resonated with him. “When he decided to run for office, I saw that he was putting forward the message of ‘health care not bombs’ which spoke to me.” 'Organised people can really beat organised money' - Yoshi, New Jersey voter Yoshi volunteered for the campaign and attributes Hamawy's win to grassroots efforts from the pro-Palestine community. "Organised people can really beat organised money. A lot of people who I volunteered with had also organised during the Uncommitted New Jersey campaign,” he told Middle East Eye. For Yoshi and others, Palestine is the political litmus test and politicians that pass get their vote. “Our work is not over; after Doctor Adam Hamawy wins this election, the work starts the next day. Because right now, Gaza is still under siege. Gaza is still being bombed. We don't want our taxpayer money to be spent on war and genocide anymore.” However, it is precisely some of those stances that triggered attacks from pro-Israel and right-wing elements during his campaign, but Hamawy brushed them off. “I have done harder things” than mount a political campaign, Hamawy told MEE for an article before his primary election run. “What’s the worst thing they’re going to do? Call me some names, attack me? I have seen much worse.” In May of this year, The Wall Street Journal ran an opinion article linking Hamawy’s values to those of convicted Muslim cleric Omar Abdel Rahman, commonly known as the “Blind Sheikh”. In what was then the largest terrorism trial ever to take place on US soil, Abdel Rahman was found guilty in 1995 of planning to kill former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak during his visit to the United Nations headquarters. He was sentenced to life in prison and died in 2017. Among the 200 witnesses who testified at that trial was Hamawy himself, who told the jury that while the cleric did convey anti-American sentiment, he did not expressly spell out how a murder would be carried out. But a member of the New Jersey Education Association, Nancy Sedlak, told MEE that Hamawy's win renews her faith in American politics, away from all the nastiness that took place during the campaign. “I can finally breathe a little bit and relax a little bit. It's been a horrific ten years, and it's hope that we can reclaim our democracy.” She says she voted for Hamawy because she hopes he can help “bring back the middle class” and “appreciates his concern and support for public education”. Who is Hamawy? Hamawy, a US Army veteran and surgeon, ran a campaign focused on economic justice and working-class priorities, promising Medicare for all, affordable housing and education, stronger protections for immigrants and civil liberties, and a US foreign policy rooted in human rights rather than endless war. He touted the slogan, “health care not bombs.” Egyptian-born doctor and Gaza volunteer wins New Jersey Democratic primary Read More » Hamawy was raised in New Jersey by Egyptian immigrant parents, joining the New Jersey Army National Guard to serve his country and pay for college. He went on his first humanitarian medical mission when he was a medical student in war-torn Bosnia. After the 9/11 attacks in New York City, Hamawy treated victims at Ground Zero. Just three years later, he served in the US Army as a combat trauma surgeon, saving the life of Illinois Senator Tammy Buckworth. Over the last 30 years, Hamawy has volunteered as a doctor in disaster and war zones, including Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Turkey, and Jordan, to name a few. He volunteered as a physician in Gaza during the height of Israel’s genocide in 2024 and 2025, providing medical care to Palestinians amid the collapse of the territory’s healthcare system. Come January, Hamawy will take his fight for the working class and against wars to DC - in the halls of Congress.