A coalition of progressive teams is demanding that Democratic management reject endorsements and out of doors spending by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-Israel lobbying group that helped take down two members of the “Squad” of their latest primaries.
The letter, addressed to Democratic Nationwide Committee chair Jaime Harrison, solely shared with HuffPost, emphasizes that AIPAC’s reliance on giant donations from right-wing donors and outsized assaults on the left wing of the Democratic Celebration.
“AIPAC and their allies are spending millions of dollars to defeat champions of the popular progressive agenda that voters demand and that help Democrats win, like Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, reproductive justice, transformative immigration and democracy reform, a lasting ceasefire, hostage deal, and halt on all weapons funding to the Israeli military’s assault on Palestinians in Gaza,” the letter says. “It will be significantly more difficult for Democrats to defeat Trump in November as long as the Party continues to allow GOP-backed PACs and corporate lobbies to have sway over Democratic politics.”
The letter comes after AIPAC and its affiliated tremendous PAC poured greater than $25 million into defeating two congressional progressives: Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.). Bush and Bowman, members of the casual left-leaning group that named itself the Squad, suffered decisive losses as allies complained Democratic management had carried out too little to guard its incumbents.
The timing additionally falls simply days earlier than the 2024 Democratic Nationwide Conference begins in Chicago, the place the celebration is hoping to mission a unified entrance as Vice President Kamala Harris publicly settle for the nomination for president. Few points have riven the celebration like U.S. assist for Israel and its lethal warfare in Gaza, which has killed greater than 40,000 civilians, in accordance with figures launched Thursday by Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Greater than two dozen progressive teams co-signed the letter, together with Justice Democrats, the Motion for Black Lives, the IfNotNow Motion, Dawn Motion and the Working Households Celebration. Their coalition, Reject AIPAC, was organized as a counterweight to AIPAC however has not been in a position to marshal the identical jaw-dropping ranges of spending.
Mark Schiefelbein/Related Press
The flexibility of AIPAC, a single-issue lobbying group, to recruit candidates and deploy tens of millions of {dollars} in main contests the place a variety of progressive causes could also be at stake has lengthy angered the left wing of the celebration. Though AIPAC and its tremendous PAC solicit donations from Republicans and Democrats alike, GOP mega-donors have furnished a few of its largest contributions. When AIPAC has taken a stance in contested primaries, the group has virtually at all times focused progressive members of Congress who usually are not solely critics of Israel however who’ve additionally led requires wealth taxes, Medicare for All, and pupil debt cancellation ― all insurance policies despised on the suitable.
AIPAC and its tremendous PAC, United Democracy Mission, have at all times maintained they assist or oppose candidates based mostly solely on their stance on Israel.
However after the Oct. 7 terrorist assaults on Israel, when AIPAC signaled its intentions to spend a document sum of money unseating critics of U.S. army assist for Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza, members of the left-leaning Squad and their allies started to air their frustration in public.
“It’s a Trojan horse — it’s a way to smuggle Republican money into Democratic primaries,” Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), a longtime AIPAC critic, informed HuffPost. “People should have to answer for taking that toxic money.”
Nonetheless, few have been prepared to name on celebration management or different members to reject AIPAC outright. Firstly of the primaries, only one Democrat in Congress, Bush, was calling explicitly for her fellow members to reject any assist from AIPAC. A handful of her fellow progressives within the Home, plus Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), have since signed on to Reject AIPAC’s pledge to not settle for AIPAC’s endorsements or contributions.
Though the celebration can’t cease AIPAC from spending limitless funds in its primaries, it will probably discourage AIPAC-recruited candidates from getting into main contests, assist incumbents fundraise, spend cash of their protection and thwart AIPAC’s legislative objectives if it continues to focus on celebration members.
In its letter, Reject AIPAC argues that resisting AIPAC’s interference in primaries is essential to the long-term well being of the celebration.
“They have sought to unseat the very candidates who energize the critical base that Democrats need to reach to win in November ― young people, progressives, and people of color,” the letter says. “The Democratic Celebration can’t depend on voters turning out in November on the highest problems with reproductive rights, democracy, and peace whereas accepting donations and endorsements from a right-wing group that’s actively undermining these very rules.
