The powerful pro-Israel lobby group American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) appears to be facing growing political challenges in the United States, with some politicians on both the left and right becoming increasingly reluctant to accept its support.
Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers of Michigan has reportedly asked AIPAC not to run a campaign on his behalf ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections. Rogers is concerned that openly receiving AIPAC’s backing could hurt his chances in Michigan, which has one of the country’s largest Arab-American populations.
AIPAC, founded in 1954, has long advocated strong US support for Israel. Its influence expanded significantly after the 1967 and 1973 Arab-Israeli wars, when it increasingly focused on military assistance and defence cooperation between Washington and Israel.
For decades, AIPAC maintained influence across both major US political parties. However, tensions have grown within the Democratic Party as progressive lawmakers have increasingly questioned unconditional US military support for Israel, particularly over the war in Gaza.
AIPAC began directly spending money in elections through its political action committee and the United Democracy Project (UDP) in 2021. The organisation has since spent tens of millions of dollars attempting to influence Democratic primary races.
In Michigan, AIPAC-backed groups spent more than $30 million supporting Congresswoman Haley Stevens in the Democratic Senate primary against Abdul El-Sayed. Despite the spending, El-Sayed won the primary and will face Republican Mike Rogers in November.
AIPAC has also been accused of using several political action committees to make its election spending less transparent. Critics argue that these groups can make it difficult for voters to determine the true source of campaign funding.
Despite recent setbacks, AIPAC remains one of the most powerful single-issue lobbying organisations in Washington and continues to have significant influence over US policy toward Israel.
However, public opinion appears to be changing. An Associated Press-NORC survey conducted in June found that 58 percent of Democrats believed the United States was too supportive of Israel, compared with 45 percent in January 2024. Among Republicans, 60 percent said US support for Israel was about right.
Some politicians who previously accepted AIPAC support have also begun distancing themselves from the organisation. Democratic Congressman Seth Moulton, for example, returned AIPAC donations and said the group had become too closely aligned with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
On the Republican side, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has also sharply criticised AIPAC over its position on Israel and Gaza.
AIPAC rejects claims that it represents the interests of a foreign government. The organisation says it is made up of Americans who believe a strong US-Israel relationship benefits both countries.
The recent developments suggest that while AIPAC remains highly influential, its ability to shape US elections without facing significant political resistance may be weakening, particularly as opposition to US support for Israel grows among parts of both the Democratic and Republican parties.
Source: Aljazeera English
.jpeg)
.jpeg "Sunayen kofofin aljanna guda takwas 8")
0 Comment about the Post: