Monday, March 11, 2024

They're Just Right Wingers

Whatever one's thoughts about Israel policy specifically are, it's long been true that AIPAC is *also* right wing organization dedicated to dragging politics to the right generally.

The stakes of the challenges have been raised by the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians so far. The coalition is also highlighting AIPAC’s political track record. Nine of the top ten funders to AIPAC this year have in the past regularly given to Republican candidates and causes. In that sense, Republican mega-donors are meddling in Democratic primaries to choose favored candidates. AIPAC has also endorsed over 200 Republicans for office in 2024, including 109 congressional Republicans who voted to overturn the 2020 election. Democratic primary voters are not likely to look kindly on such spending, if they can be told about it.

“AIPAC has exposed itself as the right-wing organization it is,” said Waleed Shahid, former spokesperson for Justice Democrats, who is not involved with the Reject AIPAC effort. “The task ahead for progressives is to raise name recognition and awareness of AIPAC to the vast majority of Democrats who have no idea who AIPAC or its financiers are.”
Also fuck J-Street, which supposedly existed precisely for this moment and then fucked it into the sun.
The news comes as J Street, the self-described pro-Israel, pro-peace PAC that spent millions as a counterweight to AIPAC in 2022, bowed out of doing the same in 2024.