A rising progressive House candidate in Colorado is scrambling to clean up remarks on Israel that angered her own base, a bruising early stumble for a likely future congresswoman.

• Melat Kiros, who won a surprise primary running hard against Israel and its war in Gaza, appeared to soften her tone in an interview, worrying that Israel is losing support across US politics.
• She argued the left opposes Israel for the right reasons, while accusing right-wing critics like Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens of masking anti-semitism.
• After heavy criticism from the left, she posted a walk-back saying she "fumbled the line" and still calls Israel's actions occupation, apartheid, and genocide.
• The flap is tied to money in politics: fear that pro-Israel group AIPAC will flood cash to her Republican opponent in November is seen as pressure to shift her message.

Outlook: Expect the fight over whether anti-Israel and anti-semitic are the same to keep splitting the left and complicating any left-right anti-war coalition.