A 30-second campaign ad aired in Illinois in mid-March appeared innocuous, but it was secretly funded by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), according to public records reviewed by Al Jazeera. The ad promoted congressional candidate Bushra Amiwala to siphon votes from progressive Palestinian American candidate Kat Abughazaleh, who narrowly lost the race.

AIPAC has poured tens of millions of dollars into US elections to defeat candidates critical of Israel, using a network of political action committees (PACs) to conceal its involvement. In Illinois, funds flowed from AIPAC’s election arm, United Democracy Project, to Elect Chicago Women, then to Chicago Progressive Partnership, which placed the ad.

Critics argue that AIPAC’s use of “shell PACs” exploits loopholes in campaign finance laws, undermining transparency. “Every cycle, AIPAC shows how broken our democracy is,” said Usamah Andrabi of Justice Democrats. The group’s tactics have drawn backlash as public sympathy for Palestinians grows: a New York Times/Siena poll found 57% of Democrats sympathize more with Palestinians.

AIPAC’s influence extends beyond individual races. It has encouraged donors to support 361 legislators, including both Republicans and Democrats. Former President Barack Obama noted in his memoir that politicians feared “crossing” the lobby.

The rights group DAWN released a report revealing that 66 former AIPAC staffers now work in the US government, creating a “revolving door” that amplifies AIPAC’s influence. DAWN called on AIPAC to publish its leadership and staff list, a standard practice for comparable nonprofits.

Source: www.aljazeera.com