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NEW COALITION AIMS TO DEFEND ‘SQUAD’ AND OTHER PROGRESSIVES
TARGETED BY AIPAC
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Amanda Becker
March 11, 2024
The 19th
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_ The overwhelming influence of corporate Super PACs on our elections
has expanded the gap between voters and their elected leaders into a
canyon. Rejecting AIPAC is a crucial step in putting voters back at
the center of our democracy, _
Rep. Summer Lee speaks at a press conference announcing a House
resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Among Squad members, Lee
will be the first to compete in a Democratic primary, which
Pennsylvania holds in April, (ALLISON BAILEY/NURPHOTO/AP)
A coalition has formed to protect progressive lawmakers who have
called for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war from a torrent of
political spending from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee
(AIPAC) and its affiliated entities.
The “Reject AIPAC” coalition announced Monday that it is planning
a seven-figure campaign of paid media and field organizing to defend
members of Congress, including lawmakers in the “Squad,” who have
taken pro-Palestinian stances that have put them in the pro-Israel
lobby’s crosshairs.
“We have watched as AIPAC has done everything it can to silence
growing dissent in Congress against [Israel Prime Minister Benjamin]
Netanyahu’s assault on Gaza — which has killed over 31,000
Palestinians — even as Democratic voters overwhelmingly support a
ceasefire and oppose sending more blank checks to the Israeli
military,” the coalition [[link removed]] said in a
statement.
The Israel-Hamas war and the Biden administration’s handling of it
has become an issue on the political left, with those in the
progressive wing of the party staking out pro-Palestinian positions
and more moderate Democrats voicing stronger support for Israel, a
longtime U.S. ally. After Hamas’ brutal October 7 attack on Israeli
civilians, members of the Squad were among the earliest in Congress to
call for a cease-fire as Israel launched its counter assault on Hamas
militants in the densely populated Gaza Strip.
While AIPAC is a longtime player in Washington, its affiliated super
PAC, United Democracy Project, launched in late 2021, enabling the
organization to impact elections more directly. In the 2022 midterms,
United Democracy Project spent $26 million targeting or defending
candidates
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all of them Democrats, according to campaign finance filings analyzed
by the government transparency watchdog group OpenSecrets. The vast
majority
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the money was spent in Democratic primaries to boost candidates who
took stronger stances supporting Israel.
The total political spending of AIPAC-affiliated entities in the 2024
cycle is expected to balloon to as much as $100 million, according to
multiple news reports. High on the organization’s agenda are U.S.
House races, where smaller sums are typically raised and spent than in
statewide races.
“The overwhelming influence of corporate Super PACs on our democracy
and elections has expanded the gap between voters and their elected
leaders into a canyon that has been exploited by every special
interest and corporate lobby. Rejecting AIPAC is a crucial step in
putting voters back at the center of our democracy,” the Reject
AIPAC coalition said in a statement.
The coalition includes [[link removed]] Justice
Democrats, the Working Families Party, Jewish Voice for Peace Action,
the IfNotNow Movement, the Sunrise Movement, Democratic Socialists of
America, Our Revolution, Gen-Z for Change, and the Green New Deal
Network.
Reject AIPAC is also circulating a pledge
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them to affirm their support for Palestinian rights and reject AIPAC
support; the names of those who sign in the first round will be
released later this month.
One of the first primaries that United Democracy Project spent money
in this year was for the Orange County, California-area seat held by
Rep. Katie Porter, who gave it up to run for the U.S. Senate. The
super PAC spent more than $4.5 million
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a Democratic opponent of California state Sen. Dave Min
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who came in second place in the nonpartisan, top-two race behind a
Republican. There was little daylight between the two Democrats’
public stances on Israel. United Democracy Project ran ads
highlighting Min’s arrest last year for driving under the influence.
It is unclear what impact these ads will have on the general election
in the swing district, which Porter flipped for Democrats in 2018, and
which was won by President Joe Biden.
One criticism from members of the Reject AIPAC coalition is that
United Democracy Project is usually opposing candidates of color.
Another is that the organization raises money from high-profile
Republicans to impact Democratic primaries — and that some of their
advertising against Democrats in swing districts could follow the
candidates to the general election and diminish their chances against
Republican opponents.
Over the past six months, top donors to United Democracy Project
included WhatsApp founder Jan Koum, financier Jonathon Jacobson,
former Home Depot CEO Bernie Marcus, an entity affiliated with New
England Patriots owner Bob Kraft, financier Paul Singer and private
equity CEO Marc Rowan. All are high-profile GOP donors, most of whom
have supported former President Donald Trump or his agenda.
An AIPAC spokesperson said that Americans from both parties
“overwhelmingly” back candidates who will advocate for a strong
U.S.-Israel relationship.
“Already in this election year, pro-Israel candidates have been
immensely successful in primaries, and we were proud to help elect
Democrats and Republicans who stand with the Jewish state,” AIPAC
spokesperson Marshall Wittmann told The 19th.
“On Super Tuesday alone, 79 candidates endorsed by AIPAC won their
primaries. We are continuing to evaluate races that involve
detractors of the US-Israel relationship,” he added.
In 2022, United Democracy Project opposed now “Squad” member Rep.
Summer Lee of Pennsylvania during both her primary and general
elections. The super PAC spent more than $2 million
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her during the primary, and Lee, a progressive Black woman
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won by fewer than 1,000 votes against a political novice. Lee handily
won the general election in the Pittsburgh-area district.
Among the Squad members, Lee, who has called for a cease-fire in Gaza,
will be the first to compete in a Democratic primary, which
Pennsylvania holds in April. AIPAC and United Democracy Project are
expected to target her in the race. During the last quarter of
2023, Lee’s campaign
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in nearly $1 million.
_AMANDA BECKER is The 19th's Washington correspondent. She has
covered the U.S. Congress, the White House and elections for more than
a decade. Becker previously worked at Reuters and CQ Roll Call. Her
work has appeared in publications including The Washington Post, The
New Republic and Glamour magazine. Her political coverage has also
been broadcast on National Public Radio._
_The 19th: We’re an independent, nonprofit newsroom reporting on
gender, politics and policy. Our journalism is powered by readers who
believe in our mission to empower women and LGBTQ+ people
— particularly those from underrepresented communities — with
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