Jon Ossoff voting record on Israel criticized by newspaper publisher
ATLANTA - A fiery exchange erupted in Georgia's U.S. Senate race on Wednesday as Republican candidate Mike Collins lashed out at Sen. Jon Ossoff over his voting record on Israel.
The statement followed a sharp public rebuke from a prominent Atlanta Jewish newspaper publisher who questioned the senator's support for the foreign ally.
Ossoff's voting record
What we know:
Atlanta Jewish Times publisher Michael Morris published an open letter directly accusing Ossoff of obfuscating his Senate record when speaking to Georgia constituents. Morris highlighted Ossoff's votes against weapons, munitions and strategic military aid bills, citing specific Senate roll call votes from late 2024, July 30, 2025, and April 15.
Collins amplified the criticism, calling Ossoff a "sellout" who caters to radical anti-America factions within his party. The Republican candidate highlighted his own legislative record of voting to fund Israeli missile defense systems and bring Oct. 7 hostages home.
Democratic strategist Bianca Keaton defended Ossoff during a televised panel on FOX 5's Red Clay Rundown, pointing out that Ossoff is Jewish, has helped deliver $20 billion in resources for Israel, and should not be expected to act as a rubber stamp.
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Collins' support for Jan. 6th rioters
Dig deeper:
The campaign feud intensified over comments Collins made during a Tuesday campaign stop in Savannah. A man who identified himself as a Jan. 6 Capitol riot participant asked Collins if he would support a proposed fund to compensate victims of political weaponization who lost their savings, houses or cars. Collins responded that when the federal government harms citizens, it carries a liability, though his campaign later issued a clarification stating he opposes automatic taxpayer payouts or blank checks for Jan. 6 prosecutions.
Ossoff held a virtual press conference on Wednesday to demand Collins publicly retract his statement. The senator called Collins' comments disgraceful, accusing him of advocating for taxpayer-funded payouts to violent insurrectionists who tried to overturn the 2020 election.
Republican strategist Stephen Lawson defended Collins, arguing that the congressman was speaking out against broad government weaponization across the political spectrum rather than endorsing payouts for Capitol rioters.
White supremacy debate questions
The other side:
During Wednesday's Red Clay Rundown, Keaton brought up a separate controversy stemming from an article by Atlanta Jewish Times Editor-in-Chief Sasha Heller.
Heller reported that Collins deflected questions about denouncing white supremacy during an event attended by 80 people. Keaton criticized Collins over ties to figures in the white nationalist movement and noted that his office previously briefed controversial figures Nick Fuentes and Richard Spencer regarding efforts to free a Holocaust denier.
Ossoff's campaign also pointed to an ongoing federal investigation into Collins' office regarding a $10,000 taxpayer payment made to his chief of staff's girlfriend.
Lawson pushed back against character attacks directed at Collins, noting that Ossoff previously cited concern over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies and the starvation of civilians in Gaza to justify his votes against military assistance, while simultaneously describing Hamas as a despicable terrorist organization.
Unanswered campaign policy details
What we don't know:
Ossoff has not released a direct statement addressing the specific points raised in the open letter by the Atlanta Jewish Times publisher.
It remains unconfirmed whether Ossoff and Collins will accept standing invitations to appear together for a live debate on FOX 5 before election day.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from press releases issued by the campaigns for Rep. Mike Collins and Sen. Jon Ossoff, an open letter published by the Atlanta Jewish Times, and a televised discussion on FOX 5's Red Clay Rundown.