The most influential arm of the American Israel lobby has been the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, for many years. Up until recently, lawmakers from both major political parties mostly supported it. However, in recent years, the Democratic Party’s views on Israel, Palestine, and AIPAC itself have started to drastically change, endangering AIPAC’s ability to advocate. As a result, AIPAC started meddling heavily in Democratic primary contests and squandering enormous quantities of money to oust political rivals who would disagree with Israeli government policy. With promises to spend even more money in 2024, AIPAC recently claimed that it was “dollar for dollar, the largest contributor to candidates in the 2022 midterm elections.”
The significance of AIPAC
The notion that AIPAC represents the opinions of American Jews in general gives it a great deal of credibility and strength. However, Jews have never been a homogenous group, and in the aftermath of Israel’s relentless attack on Gaza, an increasing number of Jewish Americans are voicing their support for other political ideologies. An excellent illustration of this is the open letter that follows. Prominent Jews from all backgrounds have signed it, publicly rejecting AIPAC’s unwavering support of the Israeli government and its efforts to stifle the Democratic Party’s emerging push for a different stance on Israel and Palestine. Leading Jewish Americans from many backgrounds have united to protest the unprecedented and detrimental influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and its affiliated organizations in US elections, especially in the Democratic Party primary. Rabbi Alissa Wise, the chief organizer of Rabbis for Ceasefire; philanthropist Ben Cohen, the co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s; Beth Miller, the political director of Jewish Voice for Peace; Elliott Gould; Peter Beinart, the author and journalism professor of Jewish Currents; and journalist and author Suzanne Gordon are among those who have signed the letter.
The Letter of opposition
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s role in this year’s US elections was sent by dozens of Jewish Americans. Aipac is an essential link in the chain that holds in place the unbearable tragedy of Israel/Palestine, given that Israel is so isolated internationally that it could not continue its inhumane treatment of the Palestinians without US political and military support,” This election year, Aipac, a significant US lobbying group that supports pro-Israel policies in Washington, has been using its clout to counter progressive Democrats who support a ceasefire. Jewish scholars, activists, corporate executives, and celebrities including Wallace Shawn, who starred in the Princess Bride, and Tony Kushner, a playwright and author have signed the petition. Aipac is anticipated to spend $100 million in 2024 “taking aim at candidates they deem insufficiently supportive of Israel,” according to US media reports citing persons knowledgeable with the situation. The pro-Israel group has mostly targeted “The Squad,” a small group of Democratic members of the House of Representatives that includes Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib. Members of the squad have been among the most ardent supporters in Washington of ending the Israel-Gaza conflict and stopping the growth of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Reactions and responses
The majority of Jewish Americans want more impartial policies, especially democratic ones, both domestically and regionally, according to Sharon Goldtvik, a political and communications consultant for progressive organizations. Eighty-nine percent of Jewish Americans believe that Israel has good justification to go to war with Hamas, and sixty-two percent think that Israel is conducting the conflict in Gaza in an appropriate manner. The letter was also signed by representatives of J Street, a Jewish-American organization that is “pro-Israel, pro-peace” and has frequently disagreed with Aipac. The signatories draw attention to the fact that AIPAC recently endorsed radical Republicans and that some members of Congress voted against recognizing President Joe Biden’s win over Donald Trump in the 2021–2022 election cycle. It is also pointed out that the network of AIPAC received millions of dollars in donations from Trump supporters and used that money to support progressive candidates in Democratic primaries, mostly those who belong to racial and ethnic minorities.
Conclusion
In conclusion, The opinions of many Jewish Americans on AIPAC and its impact in US politics, particularly within the Democratic Party, have significantly changed as a result of this open letter. The discussion about US-Israel ties and AIPAC’s influence on US foreign policy is expected to heat up as the 2024 elections draw near.
