Friend,
Progressive New York Congressman Jamaal Bowman was defeated last night after AIPAC, the right-wing pro-Israel lobby, spent an unprecedented $14.5 million against him, an all-time record for outside spending in a House election.
Bowman’s defeat removes one of the few members of Congress willing to openly challenge Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his vicious military campaign in Gaza, which has left more than 38,000 people dead — mostly innocent men, women, and children.
Bowman’s defeat is also a blow to the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which has led efforts to enact Medicare for All, raise taxes on the ultra-wealthy, confront corporate power, and tackle the climate emergency.
So this isn’t just about Jamaal Bowman, far from it.
It’s a prime example of how deep-pocketed special interests leverage their cash to dictate policy in Congress. It’s why so few lawmakers speak out against the billions in U.S.-made weapons being used to level Gaza. It’s why only a handful oppose Middle East policies that risk wider war.
AIPAC is the #1 biggest spender in Democratic Party primaries this year, despite the fact that much of its money comes from Republican donors. In fact, they already have their eye on their next progressive target: Rep. Cori Bush in Missouri.
Our newsroom team has reported on AIPAC’s big-money political machine for years, and — with nearly 40,000 dead in Gaza and hundreds of thousands facing starvation due to Israel’s ongoing siege — fearless reporting like this is as vital as ever.
We refuse to look away. If you value Common Dreams’ one-of-a-kind reporting on Gaza and the corrupting role of money in politics, please donate to support our independent journalism alive and strong.
