AIPAC Has Become a Force for Moderation in U.S. Politics

June 11 2024

In 2021, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee formed a separate organization for raising funds to donate to political campaigns. It is now pouring money into congressional primary races for both parties, hoping to unseat or to keep out of office anti-Israel candidates such as New York’s Jamaal Bowman. Josh Kraushaar analyzes the group’s tactics, which he terms “disciplined to a fault” in focusing on races it can win:

Along with other GOP outside groups, [AIPAC] spent over $1 million to secure a victory for the center-right representative Tony Gonzales (R-TX) as he faced a serious challenge from a right-wing candidate with a history of anti-Semitic rhetoric. They helped prevent the former Republican congressman John Hostettler, who wrote a book blaming Israel for U.S. involvement in the Iraq war, from returning to Congress. They helped a liberal Maryland state senator, Sarah Elfreth, with a record of support for Israel, prevail in a crowded [Democratic] primary, including against a candidate backed by national liberal donors.

Kraushaar notes that AIPAC’s influence has a salutary effect on American politics:

One of the great ironies about the progressive activists’ rhetoric against AIPAC is that it caricatures the group as a handmaiden of right-wing Republicans—even as the group has been mainly engaged on behalf of moderate Democrats and, overall, been a force against extremism on all sides. It’s a sign of the abuse of language—and overall bias in coverage—that a sinister narrative of AIPAC’s deep resources has overwhelmed the reality that they’re the biggest outside force for moderation in politics right now.

In that sense, AIPAC’s involvement in congressional elections is doing as much to improve the health of America’s democracy as it is to ensure the future of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship.

In a sense, this should not be a great surprise. Since the terms left and right came to have political meaning, it is the extremes of both that have gravitated most toward anti-Semitism.

Read more at Liberal Patriot

More about: AIPAC, U.S. Politics, U.S.-Israel relationship

How Senator Schumer Put Short-Sighted Partisan Interest over Jewish Concerns

Last week, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce reported on its investigation into anti-Semitism on college campuses. Among the revelations therein is information about the role played behind the scenes by the Senatate majority leader Chuck Schumer, who often touts his own role as “protector” (in Hebrew, shomer) of his fellow Jews in the halls of power. Seth Mandel comments:

The leaders of Columbia, where the anti-Semitism was and is among the worst in the country, eventually came before Congress in April. Three months earlier, President Minouche Shafik met with Schumer, and the supposed shomer told her that Democrats had no problem with her and that only Republicans cared about the anti-Semitism crisis on campus. His office advised Shafik not to meet with Republicans on the Hill. When the Columbia Trustees co-chair David Greenwald texted the previous co-chair Jonathan Lavine about the situation, Lavine responded by saying, “Let’s hope the Dems win the house back.” Greenwald wrote back: “Absolutely.”

This is the message that Schumer had sent about anti-Semitism on campus and that message came through loud and clear: investigations into Jew-hatred would only occur under a Republican majority. Putting Democrats in charge would put a stop to the government’s efforts to help Jews on campus.

Though the Jewish vote is, as always, unlikely to cost Democrats the election, it is simply undeniable that non-Republicans and non-conservatives are fairly disgusted with the type of behavior displayed by Schumer.

Read more at Commentary

More about: Anti-Semitism, Chuck Schumer, Israel on campus, U.S. Politics