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

7,700 Comments

  1. A piece that was confident enough to leave some questions open rather than forcing closure, and a look at modernfablefinds continued that intellectual honesty, content that admits the limits of its scope is more trustworthy than content that pretends to total understanding and this site has the right calibration on certainty consistently.

  2. The way the post stayed on topic throughout without going on tangents was really refreshing, and a look at moongrovegallery kept that focused approach going, discipline like this in writing is rare and worth recognising because most writers cannot resist wandering off into related subjects that dilute their main point and confuse readers along the way.

  4. Honestly enjoyed not being sold anything for the entire duration of the post, and a look at bestbuyinghub 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.

  5. Really appreciate that the writer did not assume I would read every other related post first, and a look at purechoicehub kept that self contained feel going where each piece can stand alone, accessibility for new readers is a sign of generous editorial thinking and this site has clearly invested in that approach.

  6. Really appreciate the confidence to make a clear point rather than hedging everything, and a quick visit to futurewildcollection maintained the same direct stance, writing that takes positions rather than equivocating is more useful even when the positions are debatable because at least the reader has something to react to clearly.

  7. Now realising the post has been quietly doing important work in my mind for the past hour, and a stop at globalfindsoutlet 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.

  8. Honest reaction is that this is the kind of writing I would defend in a conversation about good blog content, and a look at softmoonmarket reinforced that, the rare site whose work I would actively recommend rather than just tolerate is the kind I want to support through return visits regularly.

  9. Honestly enjoyed every minute spent here, that is not something I say lightly, and a look at everhilltrading confirmed I will be back, the bar for spending time online is high for me these days but this site clears it without effort which is high praise indeed from this reader who is usually rather demanding.

  10. Appreciate the work that went into laying this out so clearly, every section earns its place without filler, and a look at freshdailycorner confirmed the same care, definitely the kind of place that deserves a return visit when the topic comes up again later in the future or for any related question.

  12. Found the rhythm of the prose particularly enjoyable on this read through, and a look at discoverfashionfinds kept that musical quality going across the related pages, sentence rhythm is something most blog writers ignore but it makes a real difference in how content lands with the careful reader who cares.

  13. Left me wanting to read more rather than feeling burned out, that is a good sign, and a look at cozyorchardgoods 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.

  14. Generally I am cautious about recommending sites on first encounter but this one warrants the exception, and a look at findgreatdealsnow reinforced the exception making, the rare site that justifies breaking my normal cautious approach is the rare site worth flagging early and this one has prompted exactly that early flagging response from me.

  15. My usual response to new bookmarks is to forget them but this one I have already returned to twice, and a look at modernvaluehub pulled me back a third time, the actual return rate to bookmarked sites is the real measure of value and this one is clearing that measure at a notable rate already.

  19. A clear cut above the usual noise on the subject, and a look at globalfindsmarket only made that gap wider in my view, the kind of place that earns its visitors through quality rather than through aggressive marketing or sponsored placements which is increasingly the only way most sites stay afloat across the modern web.

  20. Felt the post had been written without looking over its shoulder, and a look at evernovaemporium continued that confident posture, content written for its own sake rather than against imagined critics has a different quality and this site reads as written from a place of confidence rather than defensive justification of every claim.

  21. Started a draft response in my head and ended without publishing it because the post said it well enough, and a look at evermountainstyle produced the same effect, content that satisfies my urge to add to it by being complete enough on its own is rare and represents a particular kind of editorial completeness here.

  22. Honestly the simplicity is what makes this work, the topic is not buried under filler words or overly complex examples, and a quick look at softmeadowstudio showed the same sensible style, I left with what I came for and no headache from over reading which is a real win these days.

  23. Took me back a step or two on an assumption I had been making, and a stop at yourshoppingzone pushed that reconsideration further, writing that gently corrects the reader without being aggressive about it is a rare diplomatic skill and the team here clearly knows how to land critical points without turning readers off.

  24. Now feeling that this site is the kind I want to make sure does not disappear, and a look at brightlinecrafted reinforced that quiet protective feeling, the rare sites whose disappearance would actually matter to me are the sites I want to support through return visits and recommendations and this one has joined that small protected list.

  25. Now noticing that the post did not mention the writer at all, focus stayed on the topic, and a look at coastlinecrafted continued that author absent quality, content that disappears the writer to focus on the substance is a particular kind of generosity and this site has clearly chosen the substance over the personality consistently.

  28. A piece that read smoothly because the writer understood how readers actually move through prose, and a look at startbuildingtoday maintained the same reader awareness, writers who think about the reading experience as much as the writing experience produce better work and this site has clearly made that shift in editorial approach.

  29. Bookmarked the page and the homepage too because clearly there is more to explore here, and a quick stop at modernrootsmarket 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.

  31. Found the rhythm of the prose particularly enjoyable on this read through, and a look at timberwolfemporium kept that musical quality going across the related pages, sentence rhythm is something most blog writers ignore but it makes a real difference in how content lands with the careful reader who cares.

  35. Now appreciating the way the post avoided the temptation to be longer than necessary, and a look at lunarwaveoutlet continued that lean approach, content with the discipline to stop when finished rather than padding for length is content that respects both itself and its readers and this site has that disciplined editorial culture clearly throughout.

  37. A memorable post for me on a topic I had thought I was tired of, and a look at freshseasonmarket suggested the same site can refresh other tired topics, sites that can revive my interest in subjects I had written off as exhausted are doing rare work and this one is clearly doing that for me today.

  38. Reading this as part of my evening winding down routine fit perfectly, and a stop at brightfashionhub extended the wind down nicely, content that calms rather than agitates is what I want at the end of the day and this site provides that calming reading experience reliably which is increasingly rare across the modern web.

  39. A piece that was confident enough to leave some questions open rather than forcing closure, and a look at newleafcreations continued that intellectual honesty, content that admits the limits of its scope is more trustworthy than content that pretends to total understanding and this site has the right calibration on certainty consistently.

  40. Now feeling the rare pleasure of trusting a source completely on first encounter, and a look at silverbranchdesigns extended that initial trust into something more durable, the calibration of trust to evidence is something I do informally and this site has earned high trust through the cumulative weight of multiple consistently good posts already.

  41. Reading this felt productive in a way most internet reading does not, and a look at discovernewworlds 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.

  42. Reading this in the morning set a good tone for the day, and a quick visit to findyourstrength kept that good tone going, content can do that sometimes when it hits the right notes and finding sites that consistently strike that tone is something I have learned to recognise and reward with regular visits.

  46. Stayed longer than planned because each section earned the next, and a look at urbanvaluecenter kept that pulling effect going across more pages, the kind of subtle pull that good writing exerts on attention is something I find harder and harder to resist when I encounter it on the open web today.

  47. Liked how the writer used real examples instead of theoretical ones to make the points stick, and a stop at globalfindscorner added even more concrete examples, this is the kind of practical approach that respects readers who actually want to apply what they learn rather than just nodding along passively without doing anything useful.

  48. Quietly the post solved something I had been turning over without quite knowing how to phrase the question, and a look at discoverandshopnow extended that quiet solving, content that addresses unformulated needs is content with reader insight and this site has demonstrated that insight at a high rate across the pieces I have read recently.

  49. Worth flagging this post as worth a careful read rather than a casual skim, and a stop at discoverbetteroffers earned the same careful approach, the few sites that warrant slower reading are sites I now treat differently from the daily content stream and this one has clearly moved into that elevated treatment category.

  50. However casually I came to this site I have ended up reading carefully, and a look at timberlakecollections continued earning that careful reading, the conversion from casual visitor to careful reader is something content earns rather than demands and this site has accomplished that conversion for me over the course of just a few pieces.

Leave a Reply

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