Washington, DC – Pro-Israel groups in the United States are spending millions of dollars in elections to assert their influence over rising anger towards Israeli policies. A set of primaries in the Midwestern state of Illinois on Tuesday represents an early test for the strength of pro-Israel politics in the US amid the countries’ joint war on Iran.
The Chicago area Democratic primaries, where groups linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) have emerged as some of the largest spenders, come as Israel’s popularity in the US hits a historic low. As AIPAC’s brand becomes increasingly rejected by Democrats, newly formed political action committees (PACs) with generic names that share vendors with the pro-Israel lobby group have been spending heavily against progressives in Illinois.
According to an investigation by Chicago’s public radio WBEZ, AIPAC and its donors have spent $13.7 million on the primaries, including through funds funnelled to shadow PACs. Usamah Andrabi, a spokesperson for the progressive group Justice Democrats, said AIPAC is using “covert shell” groups because it is aware of the unpopularity of Israel, especially after the “live-streamed genocide” in Gaza.
In one of the most closely watched contests, Kat Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old progressive activist who has openly called Israel’s war on Gaza a genocide, is locked in a crowded race for the open seat vacated by retiring Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. Her most viable opponents are Daniel Biss, the mayor of the Chicago suburb of Evanston, who is critical of some Israeli policies and backed by the liberal Zionist group J Street, and State Senator Laura Fine, seen as the pro-Israel candidate in the race.
An AIPAC-linked group initially attacked Biss to prop up Fine, but fearing another miscalculation, pro-Israel groups have focused on Abughazaleh in recent days. In a bizarre twist, a group linked to AIPAC ran an advertisement last week supporting Bushra Amiwala, a long-shot candidate fiercely opposed to US aid to Israel, in an apparent effort to siphon off votes from Abughazaleh and possibly Biss.
Other competitive races include a primary contest to fill the seat of Representative Robin Kelly, who is now running for the Senate, and another crowded contest to fill the seat of retiring Democratic Congressman Danny Davis. According to Jewish Insider, AIPAC’s priority is to defeat activist Kina Collins in that race.
Andrabi said that no matter the results on Tuesday, polls show AIPAC’s shrinking influence. He also accused the pro-Israel lobby group of “moving the goal posts” from electing its favoured candidates to blocking progressive hopefuls. Although the majority of Democrats in Congress are pro-Israel, an NBC poll published on Monday suggests that only 17 percent of the party’s voters sympathise more with Israelis than Palestinians.
Tuesday’s elections pose an early test to voters’ attitudes towards the war on Iran, whose impact is starting to bite Americans at the petrol pump. Andrabi said the war will become a major issue in Tuesday’s primaries and beyond, claiming the Democratic base does not want more “forever wars” allegedly waged for the sake of Israel or AIPAC.
Source: www.aljazeera.com