According to AIPAC, it stands in favour of bipartisan cooperation between the United States and Israel, making it seem like just another lobbying group. However, this description does not explore its true influence on the United States political platform. It is important to know that AIPAC is much more powerful than it appears. The true power is expressed when it comes to shaping foreign policy.
In most cases, American politics does not pay much attention to foreign policy issues. But this year the most hot topic in the US land is the support of Israel in the Gaza war. Progressive representatives have spoken out about what the US-backed Israeli army is doing, bringing attention to the impact of these policies.
This challenges the simple narrative AIPAC presents and highlights how the United States’ foreign policy can have far-reaching consequences.
There are many reasons that make AIPAC a strong political group. First of all, it is part of the Christians United for Israel (CUFI) organization. This is the pro-Israel group that provides additional backing. This alliance helps increase its influence. Secondly, the AIPAC strongly supports Israel, no matter what the facts and situation is. This unwavering dedication makes it a strong force in the US political landscape. Furthermore, AIPAC also has good financial resources at its disposal. It also knows how to get benefits from this money, especially during the election season and uses it effectively to design the election outcomes.
This allows AIPAC to ensure that Israel’s interests are represented at all levels of government across the US.
On different platforms, AIPAC uses its power such as in the media in order to change public opinion from a small level to the highest one. Such as from Congress to the White House. Media coverage always requires a large amount of money and it has a significant role in elections.
One of the most important issues in the US 2024 election is the Gaza war. And AIPAC trying its best that anyone running for Congress or re-election must stand in favour of Israel and never oppose it.
This year, AIPAC has set aside $100 million to stop the growing dissent in both major parties, focusing on Democrats who criticize US policy toward Israel. They’ve had some success, but it has come at a high financial cost. By July, AIPAC had already gone over its budget, showing they are determined to use money to influence elections and remove opponents.
The pro-Israel group also spend a handsome amount in order to defeat Jamal Bownman. This effort seems unfair and also problematic. June, pro-Israel lobby groups, like AIPAC, spent $15 million, with a total of $28.3 million, to support his opponent, George Latimer. This was not due to the reason that Bowman failed as a congressman. But because he greatly criticized the genocide action of Israel in the Gaza war. At the same time, many officials did not agree with that term and punished him.
No one, including his biggest critics, has accused Bowman of harming US interests. In fact, his record shows he’s a patriotic leader who cares about his country. The large sums of money spent to remove him seem to focus more on silencing his views on Israel rather than any real policy concerns. It raises concerns about the power of money in politics over honest debate.
Furthermore, AIPAC also spent a lot of money on Wesley’s Bells campaign to defeat Congresswoman Cori Bush. AIPAC does not have a strong relationship with Bush just because she criticized Israel’s action in the Gaza war. She opposed the US support for Israel. According to Bush, it is important to focus on these issues and stop supporting Israel.
AIPAC targets progressive Congress members, especially those in the “Squad”, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ilhan Omar. These lawmakers are critical of US support for Israel and call for a ceasefire and accountability for Israel’s actions.
AIPAC also knows better how to spend money smartly. It targets different Representatives such as Tlaib, Ocasio-Cortez, and Omar. But this organization is not investing heavily to remove them from the race this year.
These members have won their primaries easily and are very popular, so AIPAC probably sees it as pointless to try to defeat them. The same happened with Republican Thomas Massie from Kentucky. Despite AIPAC spending $400,000 against him, he won his primary. AIPAC’s focus on supporting Israel is affecting US politics by making support for Israel a key factor in elections, even if it harms US interests.
