WASHINGTON – Can the American Israel Public Affairs Committee successfully buy an election? That’s what many are wondering ahead of several Democratic primary races on Tuesday, which will serve as the first true litmus test of AIPAC’s newfound political power.
The United Democracy Project, the pro-Israel group‘s super PAC, has invested unprecedented sums into both promoting centrist Democrats while heavily attacking progressive candidates it has deemed to be anti-Israel.
Unlike federal political action committees, a super PAC may raise unlimited amounts of money, including from corporations and unions.
The United Democracy Project has spent, and continues to spend, millions of dollars on attacks ads – the majority of which have nothing to do with Israel – against certain candidates. This has not only caused significant alarm among those already concerned with the tone of the debate surrounding the Democratic Party‘s support for Israel, but has brought new urgency to discussions over Super PACs’ influence on elections – touching not only on negative ads, but disproportionate fundraising on behalf of candidates.
LISTEN: Joshua Cohen On Winning a Pulitzer for ‘The Netanyahus’
The most notable example of this dynamic can be seen in Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District, where the United Democracy Project has spent at least $2.4 million. The vast majority of this spending has been on ads attacking progressive candidate Summer Lee, a 34-year-old state representative running against 62-year-old attorney Steve Irwin.
Lee, who is hoping to become the first Black woman to represent Pennsylvania in Congress, has been endorsed by like-minded lawmakers such as Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She has centered her campaign around issues such as climate change and access to health care.
Sen. Bernie Sanders on stage with Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District Democratic candidates Summer Lee last week. QUINN GLABICKI/REUTERS
She has been critical of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians and supports conditioning U.S. military aid, though has pushed back against allegations that she is “anti-Israel” by recognizing Israel’s right to exist while not personally ascribing to the BDS movement.
Republicans slam new White House press secretary as ‘anti-Israel’ over support for AIPAC boycott
‘No one on my staff gets permission from AIPAC!’: Inside Bernie Sanders’ presidential run
Israeli-U.S. billionaire Saban donates $1 million to AIPAC’s super PAC
AIPAC, meanwhile, bundled and fundraised over 40 percent of the total funds during the first quarter of 2022 for Irwin, who has publicly questioned Lee’s support for Israel.
Despite the Israel-centered points of divergence between Lee and Irwin, the vast majority of the super PAC’s ads against Lee have focused on her alleged ideological inconsistencies with the rest of the Democratic Party. This has raised concerns about the lack of transparency concerning the AIPAC super PAC’s involvement in ads that have nothing to do with Israel.
“I’ve been the target of the most expensive hate campaign of any candidate running, by a super PAC that sponsors Republicans who support insurrection,” Lee tweeted at the beginning of the month over AIPAC’s attacks, referring to its federal PAC’s endorsement of over 100 Republican “election deniers.”
The United Democracy Project defended its campaign, saying it was “completely legitimate for voters to know that [Lee] called to dismantle the Democratic Party, bragged about not supporting President [Joe] Biden and accused Biden of racism.”
North Carolina battles
A similar situation has unfolded in two separate Democratic races in North Carolina. In the state’s 4th Congressional District, AIPAC has invested at least $2.1 million in the race to replace retiring left-of-center stalwart Rep. David Price.
Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam, the first Muslim woman ever elected to state office in North Carolina, received a comparable slate of endorsements to Lee, and has prioritized similar issues like affordable housing and public education.
The daughter of Indian and Pakistani immigrants, Allam, 28, has also been vocal about “the urgent need to end Israel’s illegal, violent occupation of the Palestinian people.” She also apologized for a tweet that “regrettably and unintentionally invoked antisemitic tropes attempting to call attention to the United States’ withdrawal of humanitarian aid from the Palestinian people.” She also expressed regret for attending and livestreaming a protest at which protesters used “destructive and antisemitic language.”
Sharing a video from the progressive Jewish Vote organization, Allam said it was “heartening to see members of the Jewish community in Durham and across the country speak out against the insurrectionist-supporting super PAC that is eroding our democracy!”
AIPAC’s super PAC has heavily backed Valerie Foushee, noting that it supports the state assemblywoman – whom it described as a progressive – alongside other organizations like feminist PAC Emily’s List and the Congressional Black Caucus. It also highlighted how its federal PAC endorsed 45 members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
The Progressive Caucus of the North Carolina Democratic Party, meanwhile, announced last month it was revoking its endorsement of Foushee over the AIPAC super PAC’s donations. It said that “no American candidate should be accepting funds from an organization that provides financial support for those seeking to destroy our democracy,” adding that “AIPAC’s support of insurrectionists and [State] Sen. Foushee’s strong embrace of AIPAC runs contrary to our values.”
The United Democracy Project is also heavily involved in the Tar Heel State’s 1st Congressional District, where it has spent $2.3 million to date backing centrist state Sen. Don Davis in his primary against former state Sen. Erica Smith.
The super PAC has attacked both Smith and left-wing, pro-Israel group J Street for its endorsement of her. It called that move “a natural J Street endorsement,” adding that Smith was “so ‘principled’ that she deleted her tweets on the 2021 Gaza war and voted against North Carolina’s bipartisan anti-BDS bill. Pro-Israel leaders stand with our democratic ally and oppose the anti-Israel, anti-peace BDS campaign.”
Many progressives regard the super PAC’s tactics as the latest evidence of AIPAC conducting bad faith attacks on female candidates of color. Pro-Israel Democrats, meanwhile, are deeply concerned with how AIPAC’s entry into the campaign space has accelerated polarization within the party over Israel, creating a toxic atmosphere.
There is also growing concern among Republican activists that AIPAC has devoted its spending exclusively to Democratic primaries, shoring up support for Democratic candidates ahead of November’s midterm elections.
United Democracy Project Executive Director Rob Bassin told Haaretz in response to this story: “These are races where there is a clear choice between a strong supporter of the U.S.-Israel relationship and someone who is not. UDP is proud to be supporting candidates who are from the mainstream of the Democratic Party in their support of our democratic ally Israel.”
The super PAC’s spokesperson, Patrick Dorton, added: “We are singularly focused on building the broadest bipartisan pro-Israel coalition in Congress. We committed resources to the Shontel Brown race [in Ohio’s 11th Congressional District], to these three races in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, and are carefully evaluating 10 to 15 other races where there is a contrast between a pro-Israel candidate and a candidate that would under support for the U.S.-Israel relationship.”
English
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish