How Much Influence Does Israel Have Over U.S. Elected Officials?

Bernie Sanders’ 2020 national campaign director Analilia Mejia beat AIPAC-backed candidate Tom Malinowski in NJ’s recent special election

As mid-term season ramps up, important primary races are underway in Texas and Illinois. The midterm elections will potentially reshape the U.S. Congress, making it critical to understand how important the outcomes are for Israel and its powerful slate of U.S. lobbying groups.

“We expect to be involved in dozens of races both in primaries and general elections this cycle,” said Patrick Dorton, a spokesman for AIPAC’s affiliated super PAC, the United Democracy Project (UDP).

According to Track AIPAC, there are currently only 21 members of U.S. Congress who have never accepted money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC, the largest pro-Israel PAC in the US) or other pro-Israel lobby groups. The remaining 514 sitting members have all accepted varying amounts of fundraising money from pro-Israel lobbyists.

With the Illinois primary just two days away, AIPAC has spent more than $1.9 million on ads to replace retiring Rep. Danny Davis with Melissa Conyears-Ervin, the city treasurer of Chicago. She faces over a dozen other candidates in the upcoming primary. And IL Sen. Dick Durbin is retiring after more than 30 years in office, with three top Democratic candidates vying for his seat.

Durbin received more than $2.7 million in pro-Israel donations over his decades in office. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who accepted more than $1.7 million in pro-Israel donations, is vying for his seat along with Rep. Robin Kelly, the recipient of just over $368,000 from Israeli lobbies and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, who has received just over $248,000.

U.S. Democratic Reps. Jan Schakowsky and Jesus “Chuy” Garcia are also retiring. Schakowsky has received more than $2.5 billion from Israeli lobbyists while Garcia hasn’t received any and rejects AIPAC. Dozens of Democrats are vying for those seats, with AIPAC playing an increasingly bigger role in candidates’ platforms.

Schakowsky, once a staunch supporter of Israel, has increasingly become critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the war in Gaza and recently withdrew her support of Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller to succeed her. Miller has pulled in more than $3.3 million in AIPAC-related donations. “Illinois deserves leaders who put voters first, not AIPAC or out-of-state Trump donors,” said Schakowsky. She endorsed Evanston Mayor Daniel Bliss instead, who has received just over $288,000 in pro-Israel funding.

The Texas Senate primaries have yielded tight races for Democrats and Republicans alike, with AIPAC once again playing a key role. James Talarico, who received just over $23,000 from pro-Israel interests, will face an as yet to be determined Republican challenger. Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, who has accepted more than $2 million from AIPAC and other Israeli interests, is being challenged by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who received just over $53,000 from Israeli lobbyists.

The Republican primary was so close that the two candidates will face a runoff on May 26. Paxton’s success puts President Donald Trump in a sticky position. Trump himself has received more than $230 million from Israeli groups and it was expected he would endorse Israel’s candidate, Cornyn. But Paxton has gained traction within the MAGA movement, and Trump risks alienating his voters by endorsing Cornyn. Talarico’s popularity has been rising with some predicting he may turn one of Texas’s Senate seats blue for the first time in 33 years.

AIPAC and its offshoots began to ramp up spending during the 2022 midterms, shelling out more than $221 million between December of 2021 and January of 2026.

Their strategy has not always paid off though, as was the case in the recent Democratic primary special election in New Jersey. Israeli lobbyists spent more than $378,000 pushing former Rep. Tom Malinowski for a House seat. He was defeated by progressive candidate Analilia Mejia, who has been openly critical of Israel.

To learn if your U.S. representatives better reflect your interests or Israel’s, check Track AIPAC.

8,565 Comments

  1. Genuinely well crafted writing, the kind that makes the topic look easier than it actually is, and a look at discoverinfiniteideas added even more depth, you can feel the experience behind every line which is something only writers who have been at this for a while can pull off with this level of grace.

  2. Speaking honestly this is among the better discoveries of my recent browsing, and a stop at packnest reinforced that discovery quality, the ranking of recent discoveries is informal but meaningful and this site has placed near the top of that ranking based on the consistency of quality across what I have already read carefully.

  3. Pleasant surprise, the post delivered more than the headline promised, and a stop at bestdailyoffers continued that pattern of under promising and over delivering, the rarest combination on the modern web where most content does the opposite by promising the world and delivering thin recycled summaries instead each time you click on something interesting.

  4. Нужен финаносвый план? инвестиционный бизнес план с расчетами подробное объяснение структуры документа, его роли в привлечении инвесторов, получении кредита и запуске бизнеса. Узнайте, какие разделы включает бизнес-план, какие расчеты нужны и как он помогает оценить прибыльность проекта.

  5. Halfway through reading I knew this would be one to bookmark, and a look at rankorbit confirmed that early intuition, when bookmark intent forms before finishing a post you know the writing has cleared a quality bar that most content fails to clear and this site has cleared it on multiple visits already.

  6. Speaking from the perspective of a fairly demanding reader the writing here clears the bar consistently, and a look at linkbloom continued clearing that bar, the calibration of demanding reader is something I apply to all sources and this site has been one of the few that handles the demanding reading well across pieces sampled.

  7. Thanks for the clean writing, no broken sentences and no awkward translations like some other sites have, and a quick stop at everydaychoicehub kept that polish going nicely, it really does make a difference when a reader can move through a page without tripping on every line or going back to reread.

  8. In the middle of an otherwise scattered day this post landed as a moment of focus, and a stop at trendandstyle extended that focused feeling across more pages, content that anchors a fragmented day rather than contributing to the fragmentation is content with real centring effect and this site is providing that anchoring function for me.

  9. Reading this gave me a small mental break from the heavier reading I had been doing, and a stop at creativechoiceoutlet extended that lighter feel, content that provides relief without becoming trivial is harder to produce than people realise and this site has clearly figured out how to be light without being shallow at all.

  10. Picked up a couple of new ideas here that I can actually try out, and after my visit to findyourpath I have even more notes saved, this is the kind of resource that pays you back for the time you spend on it which is rare to come across in this corner of the web.

  11. Top notch writing, every paragraph carries weight and nothing feels like filler, and a stop at findyourbalance reflected that same care, a rare thing on the open web these days where most pages exist for clicks rather than actual reader value or anything close to that which is honestly a real shame.

  12. Skipped to a specific section because I knew that was the question I had, and the answer was clean, and a stop at brightfashionfinds similarly delivered targeted answers without burying them, content engineered for readers who arrive with specific needs rather than open ended browsing is increasingly valuable in a search heavy reading environment.

  13. Worth bookmarking and sharing with anyone interested in the topic, that is my honest take, and a stop at brightvalueworld reinforces that, the kind of generous resource that makes the open web feel worth defending against the constant pressure to retreat into walled gardens and curated feeds today everywhere I look across all my devices.

  14. Now placing this in the small category of sites whose updates I would actually want to know about, and a stop at modernhomecorner confirmed that placement, the difference between sites I want to follow and sites I just consume from is real and this one has crossed into the active follow category from the casual consumption side.

  15. Felt no urge to argue with the conclusions even though I started the post slightly skeptical, and a look at packpeak maintained that pattern, writing that earns agreement through clarity of argument rather than rhetorical pressure is the kind I find most persuasive and the kind I want to read more of these days.

  16. Worth flagging that the writing rewarded a second read more than I expected, and a look at mystylezone produced the same second read benefit, content with hidden depths that emerge only on careful rereading is rare in the modern blog space and this site has clearly invested in that level of compositional density throughout.

  17. The examples really helped me grasp the points faster than abstract descriptions would have, and a stop at zentcart added a few more practical illustrations that drove the message home, the kind of writing that knows its readers learn better through concrete situations rather than vague generalities is rare and worth recognising clearly.

  18. While exploring online stores for design and usability quality, I noticed a structured interface that feels easy to use, and Cloud Meadow collective gallery offers smooth browsing overall – Content is organized in a readable format, helping users navigate and explore products comfortably without unnecessary visual distractions.

  19. This one is staying open in a tab for the rest of the day so I can come back and re read certain parts, and a look at findperfectgift suggests I will be doing the same with a few more pages here too, this is going to be a deep dive over the coming hours.

  20. Once you start reading carefully here it is hard to go back to lower quality alternatives, and a stop at startsomethingawesome reinforced that ratchet effect, the way good content raises standards is real over time and this site has clearly contributed to raising my expectations for what is possible in writing on the topic generally.

  21. Halfway through reading I knew this would be one to bookmark, and a look at explorelimitlesspossibilities confirmed that early intuition, when bookmark intent forms before finishing a post you know the writing has cleared a quality bar that most content fails to clear and this site has cleared it on multiple visits already.

  22. Honest opinion is that this is the kind of post that builds long term trust with readers, and a look at simplefashioncorner reinforced that perception, the slow accumulation of trust through consistent quality is the only sustainable way to build a real audience and this site is clearly playing that long game.

  23. Now realising the post has been quietly doing important work in my mind for the past hour, and a stop at seoimpact extended that quiet processing, content that continues to do work after I close the tab is content with afterlife in the mind and this site is producing those long lived effects at a meaningful rate.

  24. Found something quietly useful here that I expect to return to, and a stop at trendsettersparadise added more of the same, content with quiet utility ages well in a way that flashy hot takes do not and I have learned to weight quiet utility much higher when deciding what to bookmark for later use.

  25. Reading this in the gap between work projects was a small but meaningful break, and a stop at rankripple extended that gentle reset, content that provides genuine refreshment rather than just distraction during work breaks is content with a particular kind of utility and this site fits that role for me reliably during work days.

  26. While reviewing different ecommerce platforms, I came across a website that feels modern and easy to use, and TrendWorld Shop central offers a smooth browsing experience overall – Pages load fast, interface is intuitive, and users can explore products without unnecessary complexity or confusion.

  27. Probably the kind of site that should be more widely read than it appears to be, and a look at discoveramazingfinds reinforced that quiet wish, the gap between a sites quality and its apparent reach is sometimes large and that gap exists for this site in a way that makes me want to mention it more.

  28. Pass this along to anyone you know dealing with similar questions, the answers here are clear, and a stop at dailyshoppingzone adds even more useful material, this is the kind of resource that deserves to circulate widely rather than getting lost in the constant churn of new content online that buries good work daily.

  29. Probably the kind of site that should be more widely read than it appears to be, and a look at thebestdeal reinforced that quiet wish, the gap between a sites quality and its apparent reach is sometimes large and that gap exists for this site in a way that makes me want to mention it more.

  30. During my morning reading slot this fit perfectly into the routine, and a look at linkboostly extended that perfect fit into the rest of the routine, content that matches the rhythm of how I actually read rather than demanding accommodation from my schedule is content well calibrated to its likely audience and this site has it.

  31. Quietly impressive in a way that does not announce itself, and a stop at findyourfavorites extended that quiet impressiveness, the kind of quality that emerges through sustained attention rather than first impressions is the kind I trust more deeply and this site has been earning that deeper trust across multiple sessions over time consistently.

  32. Reading more of the archives is now on my plan for the weekend, and a stop at globalfashionzone confirmed the archive worth the time, the rare archive worth a dedicated reading session rather than just casual sampling is the rare archive of serious work and this site has clearly produced enough of that work to warrant the deeper exploration.

  33. Earlier today I explored various online trading sites before landing on featured commerce platform, and I noticed how the website stayed stable while presenting detailed information in a way that felt organized and easy to understand.

  34. Well crafted post, the structure flows naturally from one point to the next without forcing transitions, and a stop at growbeyondlimits kept the same flow going, you can tell when a writer has thought about how their content reads rather than just what it contains and this is one of those examples.

  35. Strong recommendation, anyone interested in this topic owes themselves a visit, and a stop at freshfashionmarket extends that recommendation across more of the site, this is the kind of resource that makes me more optimistic about the state of the open web than I usually am these days actually for once which is genuinely refreshing.

  36. Decided I would read the archives over the weekend, and a stop at pickmint confirmed that the archives would be worth the time, very few sites have archives I would actively read through but this one has earned that level of interest based on the consistent quality across what I have sampled so far.

  37. Honestly enjoyed not being sold anything for the entire duration of the post, and a look at creativityneverends kept that pleasant absence going across more pages, content that exists for its own sake rather than as a funnel to a paid product is increasingly rare and worth supporting where I can find it.

  38. This stands out compared to similar posts I have read recently, less noise and more substance, and a look at dailychoicecorner kept that gap going, you can really feel the difference between content made by someone who cares versus content made to fill a publishing schedule for an algorithm trying to keep growing somehow.

  39. Well crafted post, the structure flows naturally from one point to the next without forcing transitions, and a stop at theartofgrowth kept the same flow going, you can tell when a writer has thought about how their content reads rather than just what it contains and this is one of those examples.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *