AIPAC, a single-issue organization focused solely on advancing U.S.-Israeli relations, has transformed its traditional bipartisan approach, aligning itself more closely with the Republican Party. This perceived shift is attributed to increased polarization over U.S.-Israeli relations and a growing rift between pro-Israel hard-liners and those seeking Palestinian statehood.
lobbying group in the country, has long treated support for the Jewish state as an issue that rises above partisan politics . As a single-issue organization, AIPAC maintains it is party agnostic, especially when it comes to political spending.
But in recent years, AIPAC’s relatively new political action committees have poured unprecedented sums into races seeming, to some outside observers, to support primarily Israel-friendly Republican candidates while targeting Democrats critical of Israel. Feeding Our Future mastermind says Somali accomplices scammed her AIPAC says it works to elect pro-Israel voices from both sides of the political aisle and defeat any detractors of the U.S.-Israeli partnership. That dynamic was on display in Tuesday’s AIPAC-backed primary defeat of Rep.
MASSIE SAYS HE ‘MAY LOSE’ PRIMARY DUE TO RIVAL’S PRO-ISRAEL CASH ADVANTAGE On the other end, AIPAC’s super PAC, the United Democracy Project, is pumping millions of advertising dollars into competitive Democratic contests to edge out progressives seen as hostile to Israel. The organization’s spending trend has drawn criticism from some Democrats accusing AIPAC of working on behalf of the Republican Party.
Rather, this perceived rightward shift in AIPAC’s spending priorities reflects a broader polarization nationally over U.S.-Israeli relations, as the conflict in Gaza caused a deep schism along partisan lines. Mirroring that divide, AIPAC over the past three election cycles has gravitated toward GOP candidates, who tend to support Israel due to shared Judeo-Christian beliefs or geopolitical interests, as well as centrist Democrats willing to align on policy positions concerning Israel.
AIPAC’s core mission, historically, was to secure congressional support for Israel regardless of which party held power.
“AIPAC has been around for decades, and we are a bipartisan organization still today,” AIPAC spokeswoman Deryn Sousa told the. “Our No. 1 focus politically is on fighting for the most pro-Israel bipartisan Congress possible. ”Democrats and Republicans alike attended AIPAC’s conferences, courted its donors, and largely saw support for Israel as a near-consensus issue. Sen.
Kamala Harris speaks at the 2017 American Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Conference, Tuesday, March 28, 2017, at the Washington Convention Center in Washington. AIPAC and other organizations part of the pro-Israel lobby popularized U.S. support for Israel at the time by positioning Israel asIn the early 2000s, AIPAC’s bipartisan framework held strong.
After the 2001 terrorist attacks and throughout former President George W. Bush’s administrations, support for Israel remained politically mainstream across both parties. AIPAC itself avoided operating a centralized political action committee, opting to coordinate patchworks of donors and allied organizations behind the scenes.
The approach worked because Israel was not yet a defining partisan wedge in American politics.with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, especially over the Iran nuclear deal, exposed a growing fissure in America between pro-Israel hard-liners and Diametrically opposed movements also formed between Americans who believe in Israelis’ right to their ancestral homeland and activists seeking Palestinian statehood. Conservatives increasingly framed support for Israel in ideological and religious terms, while scores of young progressives adopted Palestinian sovereignty as a cause.
Amid this wave of activism, in December 2021, AIPAC, which up until this point refrained from operating its own federal PAC, established bothand the super PAC known as the United Democracy Project. The move transformed AIPAC from a sole lobbying organization into one of the largest direct spenders in congressional elections.to individual candidates in its 60-plus years of existence as a 501 social welfare organization.
It went on to rally behindAIPAC-affiliated entities spent strategically during the 2024 elections, noticeably concentrating their expenditures in Democratic primaries against anti-Israel progressives, particularly incumbent Reps. , both high-profile critics of Israel’s military actions, which were launched in response to the Hamas terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.their primary challengers, little-known Westchester County Executive George Latimer and St. Louis Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell. Bowman and Bush were unseated, their losses widely attributed to AIPAC’s spending might.
AIPAC’s strategy of spending heavily in these Democratic races in order to oust officeholders opposed to Israel accelerated its identification with the Republican Party,Simultaneously, the Republican base itself became more uniformly pro-Israel than ever before. Republicans under President Donald Trump embraced policies long championed by Israeli leadership:Inside the Democratic Party, opposition to Israel grew.
As younger Democratic voters and left-leaning Jewish Americans demanded that party officials show support for Palestinians and speak out against Israel, some candidates started openly distancing themselves from AIPAC, despite many of them previously accepting AIPAC money. Since then, Republicans have remained overwhelmingly supportive of Israel, while Democratic support became conditional and fractured. AIPAC continued to endorse and finance certain Democratic campaigns, but those Democrats, for the most part, comprised the party’s centrist wing.
Meanwhile, anti-AIPAC organizing became a badge of honor for some progressive hopefuls. Today, AIPAC is a polarizing force within the Democratic Party. Once celebrated as a bipartisan bridge between the two parties, AIPAC now sits at the center of one of the Democratic Party’s fiercest internal fights.
AIPAC has become a taboo subject in Democratic circles, shaping several critical battles for the party’s nomination ahead of the, Democrats vying for the state’s open Senate seats are tiptoeing around the topic of AIPAC, considering it a “toxic” buzzword that could tank a contender’s chances. , during the televised Democratic debate for Chicago’s congressional district, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss claimed that Illinois state Sen. Laura Fine was “bankrolled by AIPAC and MAGA donors.
” A third candidate, self-described democratic socialist Kat Abughazaleh, jumped in to attack the dueling Jewish candidates for what she called “bickering over who likes AIPAC more. ” Biss eventually won the Democratic primary with 29.4% of the vote, and Abughazaleh finished behind him with a close 26.3%. Fine received only 20% out of the crowded 15-candidate field.about accepting funding from AIPAC, several Democrats eyeing 2028 presidential runs pledged not to take the group’s money, including some, such as Sen. Cory Booker , who had received donations
AIPAC American-Israel Public Affairs Committee Single-Issue Organization Partisan Politics Pro-Israel Republican Democratic U.S.-Israeli Partnership Anti-Israel Progressives Bipartisan Congress Partisan Polarization Hard-Liners Palestinian Sovereignty Israel's Judicial Reforms
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Flotilla activists describe beatings, tasers and mistreatment by Israeli forcesActivists detained when their flotilla attempted to breach Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza say they have been mistreated at the hands of Israeli soldiers, describing beatings, tasers and attack dogs.
Read more »
Major teaching union accused of failing Jewish members after adopting Israeli boycottThe NASUWT has resolved to boycott goods and services from companies involved in Israeli institutions and settlements despite most members not wanting it. The decision has sparked concern among Jewish members and praise from some on the Left. A Jewish member from Essex said he has resigned from the union, while a spokesman for Labour Against Antisemitism said the union is letting down parents, children and members with its obsession with Israel. The NASUWT has 178,000 members and has used its executive powers to pass the motion, which also reaffirms its support for Palestinian rights.
Read more »
Israeli army raids occupied West Bank towns, forcing shop closures during Eid rushIsraeli forces enter two Palestinian towns in the southern occupied West Bank, forcing shop owners to close during peak Eid al-Adha holiday shopping hours.
Read more »
Netanyahu allies push to ban Arab party from Israeli elections — reportMove would require legislation in Knesset along with assessments from Israeli security agencies, particularly Shin Bet domestic security service.
Read more »