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.

Tweet
Share
Pin
Share
0 Shares

7,715 Comments

  1. Now appreciating that the post left me with enough to say in a follow up conversation, and a look at explorelimitlessgrowth added more material for those follow ups, content that prepares me for related conversations rather than just informing me alone is content with social utility and this site provides that social armament reliably for me.

  2. Once you find a site like this the search for similar voices begins, and a look at globalshoppingzone extended the search energy, finding a high quality reference point makes the gap between it and adjacent sources visible in a way it was not before and this site has provided that high reference point across multiple recent visits.

  3. Decided to subscribe to the RSS feed if there is one, and a stop at everhollowbazaar confirmed that decision, content that I want delivered to me proactively rather than just remembered when I have time is content that has earned a higher level of commitment from me as a reader looking for reliable sources.

  4. Just wanted to drop a quick note saying this was a useful read on a topic I have been circling, no fluff, and a stop at trendchoicecenter added a few extra points that fit the same simple style which makes the whole site feel coherent rather than thrown together by many different writers with different goals.

  5. The structure of the post made it easy to follow without losing track of where I was, and a look at everwoodsupply kept the same logical flow going, this site clearly understands that organisation is half the battle in keeping readers engaged from the first line to the last across any kind of post.

  6. My reading list is short and selective and this site is now on it, and a stop at dailyvalueworld confirmed the placement, the short list of sites I read deliberately rather than encounter accidentally is something I curate carefully and adding to it is a real act of trust which this site has earned today.

  7. Bookmark added in three places to make sure I do not lose the link, and a look at growandflourish got the same redundant treatment, sites I am afraid to lose are the rare keepers and this is clearly one of them based on what I have read so far across this and a couple of related posts.

  8. Found this useful, the points line up well with what I have been thinking about lately, and a stop at everfieldhome added some angles I had not considered yet, definitely walking away with more than I came for which is the best outcome from time spent reading online for any kind of topic.

  9. Glad the writer did not feel the need to argue with imaginary critics in the post itself, and a stop at yourstylecorner kept the same focused approach going, defensive writing wastes the reader time and confidence on positions that did not need defending and this post has clearly avoided that common failure.

  10. Worth every minute of the time spent reading, and a stop at modernshoppingcorner extends that value across more pages, in a media environment where most content is engineered to waste attention this site stands out by treating reader time as something valuable rather than something to be exploited and stretched as far as possible.

  11. Bookmark added in three places to make sure I do not lose the link, and a look at futureharborhome got the same redundant treatment, sites I am afraid to lose are the rare keepers and this is clearly one of them based on what I have read so far across this and a couple of related posts.

  12. Closed the tab and immediately reopened it ten minutes later because I wanted to reread a part, and a stop at findamazingproducts drew the same return, content that pulls you back after closing it is doing something well beyond the average and worth marking as exceptional in my mental catalogue of reliable sites.

  15. Thank you for keeping the writing honest and the points easy to verify against your own experience, and a stop at pureharborstudio reflected the same approach, no exaggeration just steady useful content that I can take with me into my own work without second guessing every sentence I happen to read here.

  16. Now adjusting my expectations upward for the topic based on this post, and a stop at ironvalleydesigns continued that bar raising effect, content that resets what I think is possible on a subject is doing real work in shaping my standards and this site is providing those bar raising experiences at a notable rate during sessions.

  17. Really like that the writer trusts the reader to follow simple logic without restating every previous point, and a stop at modernfashionworld kept that respect going, treating an audience as capable adults rather than as people who need constant hand holding makes a noticeable difference in the reading experience for me.

  18. Bookmarked the page and the homepage too because clearly there is more to explore here, and a quick stop at freshfashiondeal only made that more obvious, this is the kind of place I want to dig through over a weekend rather than rushing through during a coffee break tomorrow morning before getting back to work.

  19. This actually answered the question I had been searching for, and after I checked silveroakstudio I had a few more pieces I had not realised I needed, that is the sign of a site that knows what its readers want before they even know how to ask it which is impressive.

  20. A small editorial detail caught my attention, the way headings related to body text, and a look at purefashioncollection maintained that careful relationship, structural details like that show up to readers who notice them and the writers here have clearly thought about every level of the piece rather than just the words.

  21. Excellent post, balanced and well organised without showing off, and a stop at discoverfindsmarket continued in that same vein, this site has clearly figured out the formula for content that works for readers rather than for search engine ranking signals which is harder than it sounds today and worth real recognition from anyone.

  22. Closed the post with a small satisfied sigh, and a stop at globalcrestfinds produced the same gentle exhale, content that ends well is content that respects the rhythm of reading and the writers here have clearly thought about how their pieces close rather than just trailing off when they run out of things to say.

  23. Probably this is one of the better quiet successes on the open web at the moment, and a look at boldcrestfinds reinforced that quiet success quality, sites that are doing well without making a noise about doing well are the sites I most respect and this one has clearly chosen the quiet success path consistently throughout.

  24. A piece that reads as if the writer trusted readers to fill in obvious gaps, and a look at apexhelm continued that respectful approach, content that does not over explain what the reader can infer is content that respects intelligence and this site has clearly chosen to write to capable readers rather than to the lowest common denominator.

  25. Left me wanting to read more rather than feeling burned out, that is a good sign, and a look at sunsetgrovestore confirmed there is plenty more here to explore, the kind of writing that builds appetite rather than killing it which is a rare quality on the modern open internet today across most categories of content.

  28. This stands out compared to similar posts I have read recently, less noise and more substance, and a look at openplainstrading 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.

  30. Glad I clicked through from where I did because this turned out to be worth the time spent, and after freshfashionoutlet I had a fuller picture, the kind of content that earns its visitors through delivering value rather than chasing them through aggressive advertising or constant pop ups appearing everywhere on the screen lately.

  31. Reading this felt productive in a way most internet reading does not, and a look at whisperingtrendstore continued that productive feeling, sometimes the open web feels like a waste of time but sites like this remind me why I still bother to look around rather than retreating to old reliable sources for everything I need.

  34. Held my interest from the opening line through to the closing thought, and a stop at globaltrendcollection did the same, content that earns sustained attention in an environment full of distractions is doing something right and this site is clearly doing several things right rather than just one or two which I really appreciate.

  36. A slim post with substantial content per word, and a look at everydayforestgoods maintained the same density, the content per word ratio is something I track informally and this site scores high on that ratio compared to most sources I read regularly which is a quiet indicator of careful editorial work behind the scenes.

  38. Worth flagging that the post handled an angle of the topic I had not seen elsewhere, and a look at urbanstylecollection extended that fresh treatment, content that finds underexplored corners of well covered subjects is genuinely valuable and this site has demonstrated that exploratory editorial approach across multiple pieces in my reading sessions today.

  39. Now adding the homepage to my regular check rotation rather than waiting for individual links to find me, and a stop at everwildmarket confirmed the rotation upgrade, the move from passive discovery to active checking is a vote of confidence in a sites ongoing quality and this site has earned that active engagement clearly.

  40. A piece that did not lean on the writer credentials or institutional backing, and a look at brightfashionstore maintained the same focus on substance, content that earns trust through quality rather than through name dropping is the kind I find most persuasive and this site is clearly playing on the substance side of that distinction.

  41. Better than most of the writing I have come across on this topic recently, simpler and more direct, and a look at trendandstylezone continued in that same way, a real outlier in a crowded space full of repetitive content that says little while taking up a lot of reader time today which is unfortunate.

  42. In the middle of an otherwise scattered day this post landed as a moment of focus, and a stop at softmorningshoppe 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.

  43. Granted I am giving this site more credit than I usually give new finds, and a look at rusticstoneemporium continued earning that credit, the calibration of how much trust to extend after limited exposure is something I do carefully and this site has earned more trust on shorter exposure than most due to consistent quality across.

  44. Worth recognising that this site does not chase the daily news cycle, and a stop at modernshoppingcorner confirmed the longer publication arc, sites that resist the pressure to comment on every passing event are sites with genuine editorial discipline and this one has clearly chosen depth over volume which I respect deeply.

  46. Glad to find something on this topic that does not start with three paragraphs of throat clearing before getting to the point, and a stop at risingrivercollective also dives right in, respect for the readers time shows up in small editorial choices like this and they add up to a real difference quickly.

  48. Now adding the writer to a small mental list of voices I want to follow, and a look at puregiftoutlet reinforced that follow intention, the few writers whose work I actively track are writers who have demonstrated sustained quality and this writer has clearly demonstrated that sustained quality across the pieces I have sampled here today.

  50. A piece that read as if the writer was thinking carefully rather than just typing fluently, and a look at fashiontrendcorner continued that considered quality, the difference between fluent typing and careful thinking shows up in writing and this site reads as the product of thought rather than just the product of language fluency apparently.

Leave a Reply

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