The American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s Covert Influence on Democratic Primary Races

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has been accused of disguising its efforts to undermine pro-Palestinian candidates in Democratic congressional primary races. AIPAC, the US’s most powerful pro-Israel lobby group, is pouring millions of dollars into influencing these races to counter the growing support for the Palestinian cause within the party.

The money is being funneled through a group called the United Democracy Project (UDP), which was created by AIPAC. The UDP aims to influence elections by funding campaign messages about issues other than Israel, in an attempt to block female candidates who may align with progressive members of Congress critical of Israel.

One of the races being targeted by the UDP is the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania, where $2.3 million has been spent to support a former Republican staffer turned Democrat, Steve Irwin, against progressive state representative Summer Lee. Lee, who has been vocal in her support for setting conditions on US aid to Israel and has criticized Israeli actions in Gaza, is endorsed by members of the progressive “Squad.”

In North Carolina, the UDP has spent $2 million to support state senator Valeria Foushee in the Democratic primary against Nida Allam, the first Muslim American woman to hold elected office in the state. Allam has participated in pro-Palestinian rallies and has been endorsed by members of the Squad.

AIPAC launched the UDP as a super PAC in December to support candidates without restrictions, but cannot make direct donations to campaigns. This move was prompted by concerns in Washington and Israel about the erosion of bipartisan support for Israel in the US, especially among younger Democrats.

The UDP’s actions have drawn criticism from J Street, a more liberal pro-Israel group, which has accused AIPAC of being a Republican-aligned organization that is trying to intimidate candidates into avoiding criticism of Israel. A UDP spokesman defended the group’s actions as legitimate political advertising.

The UDP has also spent $1.2 million to protect Texas Democratic congressman Henry Cuellar, who faces a run-off against Jessica Cisneros, an immigration lawyer endorsed by the Squad. Cuellar has defended Israel against accusations of apartheid and has accused human rights groups of endangering Jews.

Overall, the UDP plans to fund more campaigns to build a bipartisan coalition in Congress that supports the US-Israel relationship. The group is looking at 10 to 15 other races where pro-Israel candidates are facing challenges from candidates aligned with the Palestinian cause.

This story highlights the complex dynamics of lobbying in US politics and the efforts of interest groups to influence election outcomes based on foreign policy issues like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.