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80-810: MEPC was originally named the American-Arab Affairs Council and was co-founded by journalist Richard Curtiss, who later founded the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs , and George Naifeh, who remained president of the MEPC until 1991. Naifeh was an American diplomat who represented the United States in diplomatic missions in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia over nearly three decades. Subsequent presidents include George McGovern (1991-1997) and Charles W. Freeman Jr. (1997-2009). Frank Anderson

160-510: A Pentagon analyst pleaded guilty to espionage charges of passing U.S. government secrets to senior AIPAC officials, in what became known as the AIPAC espionage scandal . Until 2021, AIPAC did not raise funds for political candidates itself; its members raised money for candidates through political action committees unaffiliated with AIPAC and by other means. In late 2021, AIPAC formed its own political action committee. It also announced plans for

240-665: A Super PAC , which can spend money on behalf of candidates. In a letter explaining the move, Betsy Berns Korn, AIPAC president, said: "The DC political environment has been undergoing profound change. Hyperpartisanship, high congressional turnover and the exponential growth in the cost of campaigns now dominate the landscape." Dov Waxman, director of the UCLA Y&;S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies, said: "Although for decades AIPAC has had informal ties with pro-Israel PACs, it has always refrained from forming its own PAC." He added: "I think its decision to establish its own PAC and super PAC

320-660: A Super PAC , which can spend money on behalf of candidates. Its critics have stated it acts as an agent of the Israeli government with a "stranglehold" on the United States Congress with its power and influence. AIPAC has been accused of being strongly allied with the Likud party of Israel, and the Republican Party in the U.S. An AIPAC spokesman has called this a "malicious mischaracterization". AIPAC describes itself as

400-651: A Saudi lobby that could widen the range of debate, i.e. counter the Israel lobby." Mr. Goldfarb's phrase "Saudi lobby" referred to an article by Washington Times writer Eli Lake where he wrote that "Since 1997, Mr. Freeman has been president of the Middle East Policy Council (MEPC), a Washington think tank. In 2007, he accepted a $ 1 million donation from Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al-Saud that, according to

480-701: A bipartisan organization, and the bills for which it lobbies in Congress are always jointly sponsored by both a Democrat and Republican. AIPAC states that it has over 3 million members, 17 regional offices, and "a vast pool of donors". AIPAC's supporters claim its bipartisan nature can be seen at its yearly policy conference, which in 2016 included both major parties' nominees: Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump . AIPAC has been criticized as being unrepresentative of American Jews who support Israel, and supportive only of right-wing Israeli policy and viewpoints. Journalist and lawyer Isaiah L. Kenen founded

560-596: A challenge from Jessica Cisneros , a 28-year-old immigration lawyer also endorsed by the Squad. After Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch released a report accusing Israel of imposing apartheid, Cuellar said "[t]hese inaccuracies incite antisemitic behavior" and decried what he called "dangerous effects of falsified name-calling." AIPAC veteran Darius Jones founded the "National Black Empowerment Fund" (NBEAF), which contributed money to defeat pro-Palestinian black candidates like Jamaal Bowman , and Cori Bush . NBEAF

640-652: A day-long seminar at the National Press Club in April 2015 entitled "The Israel Lobby: Is It Good for the U.S.? Is It Good for Israel?". According to the Baltimore Jewish Times , the seminar discussed "the so-called Jewish lobby ’s power to influence politicians on Capitol Hill and the Obama administration," noting that "factual inaccuracies throughout the day were plenty". The BBC said in 2004 that WRMEA's reporting

720-554: A fraught debate" in American politics over whether AIPAC has too much influence over American policy in the Middle East, while highlighting the deterioration of some relationships between progressive Democrats and pro-Israel organizations. On March 6, 2019, the Democratic leadership put forth a resolution on the House floor condemning anti-Semitism, which was broadened to condemn bigotry against

800-640: A joint session of Congress or a State of the Union address." The New York Times has described AIPAC as "a major force in shaping United States policy in the Middle East" that is able to push numerous bills through Congress. "Typically," these "pass by unanimous votes." A House of Representatives resolution condemning the UN Goldstone Report on human rights violations by Israel in Gaza, for example, passed 344–36 in 2009. In 1997, Fortune magazine named AIPAC

880-672: A new headquarters on K Street in Washington, D.C. AIPAC spent $ 3.5 million on lobbying in 2018, a relatively large sum in the realm of foreign policy (more than 10 times J Street 's lobbying expenditure), but less than many industry lobby groups, according to OpenSecrets , with the top 15 such groups in the US all spending over $ 15 million. It has also been noted that, simple dollar value comparisons aside, AIPAC has "a somewhat unique model" that often begins donating early in careers of politicians with "long-term promise". AIPAC also commits to spending on

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960-530: A number of publications over the years. Pro-Israel and Jewish activists have criticized the Washington Report as conspiratorial and polemical in its criticism of Israel. In the Middle East Quarterly in 1997, Michael Lewis of AIPAC claimed the Washington Report was the "most conspiratorially-minded of the anti-Israel forces" for promoting conspiracy theories about Israel, including regarding

1040-566: A press release at the time, was meant for "future projects" for the council." Mr. Lake went on to write that "In an interview in 2006 with the Saudi-U.S. Relations Information Service, Mr. Freeman said, 'These are obviously very difficult times for any organization attempting to promote better understanding and stronger ties between the United States and the Arab world. Attitudes are extremely negative. Financial support has been very negatively affected both by

1120-561: A recurring feature series, Middle East In Focus , that provides a synopsis of news and commentary from Middle Eastern and other international media. This survey complements a digest of timely articles from the region also available on the web site. In 2011, Senior fellow Mark N. Katz contributed a weekly series, The War on Terror in Perspective , where he addressed "the regional impact of American withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. policy choices after withdrawing from these conflicts, and

1200-534: A separate organization with separate finances. In 1959, AZCPA was renamed the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, reflecting a broader membership and mission. Kenen led the organization until his retirement in 1974, when he was succeeded by Morris J. Amitay . According to commentator M.J. Rosenberg , Kenen was "an old-fashioned liberal," who did not seek to win support by donating to campaigns or otherwise influencing elections, but

1280-551: A similar, mid-1970s timeframe for the rise of AIPAC power: "It [the Jimmy Carter presidency] also coincides with the militant emergence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as a major force in shaping American policy toward the Middle East." In 1980, Thomas Dine became the executive director of AIPAC, and developed its grassroots campaign. By the late 1980s, AIPAC's board of directors

1360-402: A variety of "less formal means of influence-peddling", such as luxury flights and accommodation for congress members. In addition to lobbying, AIPAC has affiliated political action committees which spend millions of dollars on political campaigns. Thomas Dine developed a network to reach every member of congress. American Jews, the "vital core" of AIPAC membership, made up less than 3% of

1440-488: A wide variety of groups before it passed on March 7. In August 2024, AIPAC's headquarters in Washington, D.C. were vandalized by anti-Israel activists. AIPAC's stated purpose is to lobby the Congress of the United States on issues and legislation related to Israel. AIPAC regularly meets with members of Congress and holds events where it can share its views. As of early 2019, AIPAC had 17 regional and satellite offices and

1520-475: Is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization that conducts educational programs, including educational trips to Israel for members of the U.S. Congress and other American politicians. AIEF trips for members of Congress occur every two years, becoming "the top spender on congressional travel" in those years. In August 2019, the foundation sponsored week-long trips with 72 members of Congress: 41 Democrats and 31 Republicans. They traveled to Israel and

1600-420: Is an American foreign policy magazine that focuses on the Middle East and U.S. policy in the region. It was characterized as "critical of United States policies in the Middle East" in 1998, and "a non-partisan publication that has been critical of Bush's policies" in 2005. Pro-Israel organizations accuse the magazine of being anti-Israel and conspiratorial in its criticism of Israel . The Washington Report

1680-500: Is based on the recognition that campaign funding is a crucial means of exerting political influence in Congress, and that AIPAC now needs this tool in order to maintain its influence in Congress." Former AIPAC executive director Tom Dine and legislative director Douglas Bloomfield criticized the move, saying it could call the organization's neutrality into question. In March 2022, the PAC released its first endorsements of 130 candidates for

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1760-461: Is known as the AIPAC espionage scandal . Rosen and Weissman were later fired by AIPAC. In 2009, charges against the former AIPAC employees were dropped. In February 2019, freshman U.S. representative Ilhan Omar (D- Minnesota ), one of the first two Muslim women (along with Rashida Tlaib ) to serve in Congress, tweeted that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy 's (R-California) support for Israel

1840-412: Is led by Richard St. Paul, a member of AIPAC's National Council. Some black organizations argue NBEAF advocates for Israel, not black people. J Street spokesperson Logan Bayroff, has called AIPAC "a Republican front organisation", a fact that he said they are obfuscating while "trying to persuade Democratic voters who they should support". He added: "The United Democracy Project sounds innocuous ... but

1920-547: Is meant to counter what it considers the "too pro-Israeli stance of the U.S. media". The Baltimore Jewish Times described WRMEA in 2021 as an "anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian semimonthly publication." As early as 1990, WRMEA argued that criticism of Israel should not be equated with antisemitism . WRMEA publishes listings of pro-Israel political action committee contributions to congressional candidates for each Congress, as well as elected representatives' voting records during each Congress. This resource has been quoted by

2000-658: Is published by the American Educational Trust (AET), a non-profit founded in 1982 in Washington, D.C. by Edward Firth Henderson , former British Ambassador to Qatar , Andrew Killgore , who was U.S. Ambassador to Qatar when he retired from the United States Foreign Service in 1980, and Richard Curtiss , a former head of the Arabic Service of the Voice of America . Killgore is the publisher and Curtiss

2080-475: Is that the primary incentive P5+1 negotiators can give Iran to stop its nuclear program is reduction in the sanctions that have harmed Iran's economy. By imposing even harsher sanctions on Iran, AIPAC takes this chip away. According to a "senior" Obama Administration official, the administration told AIPAC leadership that its tougher sanctions on Iran "would blow up the negotiations—the Iranians would walk away from

2160-499: The Congressional Research Service (CRS), these include providing aid "as all grant cash transfers, not designated for particular projects, and...transferred as a lump sum in the first month of the fiscal year, instead of in periodic increments. Israel is allowed to spend about one quarter of the military aid for the procurement in Israel of defense articles and services, including research and development, rather than in

2240-562: The Federal Election Commission had improperly refused to label American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a pro-Israel lobbying group, a "political action committee" (PAC) and require AIPAC to disclose the sources and uses of money. The case went to the United States Supreme Court . The Supreme Court ruled in a majority decision that the plaintiffs had the right to raise issues regarding AIPAC, but referred

2320-724: The George W. Bush administration , the Anti-Defamation League criticized the publication for hosting an essay by Paul Craig Roberts in which he writes the "fanatical neoconservatives and Israelis are using Bush to commit the United States to a catastrophic course." The pro-Israel media watchdog Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America ("CAMERA") in 2006 described Washington Report as being "virulently anti-Israel". In February 2010, Fox News reported that

2400-556: The House Committee on Appropriations ' Foreign Operations subcommittee and requested that Israel receive $ 2.775 billion in military aid in fiscal year 2010, as called for in the 2007 Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. and Israel that allocates $ 30 billion in aid for Israel over 10 years. Kohr stated that "American assistance to Israel serves vital U.S. national security interests and advances critical U.S. foreign policy goals." The military hardware Israel must purchase to face

2480-607: The Maryland Association for Concerned Citizens near Baltimore . The Washington Post states that "its Web site, which details how members of Congress voted on AIPAC's key issues, and the AIPAC Insider , a glossy periodical that handicaps close political races, are scrutinized by thousands of potential donors. Pro-Israel interests have contributed $ 56.8 million in individual, group, and soft money donations to federal candidates and party committees since 1990, according to

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2560-648: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a supporter of a deal to allow Saudi Arabia to buy sophisticated airborne early warning and control (AWAC) military planes was defeated by Democrat Paul Simon . Simon was asked by Robert Asher, an AIPAC board member in Chicago, to run against Percy. In 2005, Lawrence Franklin, a Pentagon analyst pleaded guilty to espionage charges of passing U.S. government secrets to AIPAC policy director Steve J. Rosen and AIPAC senior Iran analyst Keith Weissman, in what

2640-598: The USS Liberty incident , and for accusing Israel and Zionists of being collectively responsible for many issues in the United States and the Middle East. Pro-Israel critics quoted in Jewish Journal in 2006 criticized the Washington Report as guilty of frequent factual distortion, accusing the magazine as "an unrelenting polemic against Israel". In 2000, Jonathan S. Tobin wrote in Jewish World Review that

2720-661: The United States government , its European allies, Russia, and China. In 2012, AIPAC called for "crippling" sanctions on Iran in a letter to every member of Congress. In line with this approach, AIPAC has lobbied to levy economic embargoes and increase sanctions on Iran (known as the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2013). However, according to The New York Times , its effort "stalled after stiff resistance from President Obama." On agriculture and agricultural trade AIPAC lobbies for greater cooperation between

2800-559: The Washington Report had deleted from a 2007 article a comment by Rashad Hussain , the newly appointed U.S. envoy to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), calling the prosecution of Sami Al-Arian a "politically motivated persecution". Editor Delinda Hanley told Fox News she believed the change was made in February 2009, because the comments attributed to Hussain were actually made by Sami al-Arian's daughter, Laila, who also attended

2880-614: The Washington Report , was hospitalized after Israeli soldiers cracked his ribs and inflicted other injuries at a crossing from Jordan into the occupied West Bank . The Israeli government disputed Omer's claims. In 2004, AET's Andrew Killgore spearheaded a letter to President Bush signed by a number of former British and U.S. diplomats objecting to US policy towards Israel and the Palestinians, especially then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon 's plan to leave Gaza without bothering to negotiate with Palestinian representatives. AET sponsored

2960-899: The West Bank and visited with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas . Other educational activities include regular seminars for congressional staff. Critics alleges that these trips are propaganda rather than education and do not tell the Palestinian "side of the story," and that they violate ethics rules prohibiting lobbying groups from gifting personal travel to congresspersons. Until 2021 AIPAC did not raise funds for political candidates itself, but its members raise money for candidates through political action committees unaffiliated with AIPAC and by other means. In late 2021, AIPAC formed its own political action committee. It also announced plans for

3040-679: The American Zionist Committee for Public Affairs (AZCPA) as a lobbying division of the American Zionist Council (AZC), and they split in 1954. Kenen, a lobbyist for the Israeli government, had at earlier times worked for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs . As a lobbyist, Kenen diverged from AZC's usual public relations efforts by trying to broaden support for Israel among traditionally non-Zionist groups. The founding of

3120-716: The House of Representatives and the Senate. The list included 37 Congresspersons of the Sedition Caucus who had voted to overturn the 2020 election of Joe Biden. The endorsement drew criticism from a variety of sources. Former U.S. ambassador to Israel Daniel C. Kurtzer said it was "very disappointing that AIPAC has turned a blind eye to the damage that these people have done to our democracy. Their support of Israel cannot ever trump that damage." Conservative pro-Israel columnist Jennifer Rubin called it "truly horrifying". AIPAC's push into

3200-555: The Iraq War, some in the pro-Israel community had seen the war as aligning the United States and Israel against Arab and Muslim radicalism. However, by the time of the 2007 AIPAC annual policy conference, continuing violence in Iraq had undermined that view, and at a conference session, the war was blamed for an increase in global terrorism. AIPAC's official position on Iran is to encourage a strong diplomatic and economic response coordinated among

3280-557: The Israeli government, officially had no position on the merits of going to war with Iraq, Bush administration officials were applauded at AIPAC events for defending the Iraq War . Jeffrey Goldberg reported in The New Yorker that AIPAC had lobbied Congress in favor of the war, but that Iraq was not one of its chief concerns. J. The Jewish News of Northern California explained that while AIPAC never explicitly supported or lobbied for

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3360-471: The PAC matter back to the FEC because the FEC was drafting its membership threshold rules to directly address the unclear issue. The FEC decided that AIPAC did not spend an amount of time or money on political issues to make it a PAC, and in 2010 the last of WRMEA ' s appeals to have the FEC ruling reversed was dismissed. In 2008, a number of publications reported that Mohammed Omer , the Gaza correspondent for

3440-627: The Pennsylvania Democratic congressional primary race in Pennsylvania. Lee has supported setting conditions for US aid to Israel and accused the country of atrocities in Gaza, comparing Israeli actions to the treatment of young black men in the U.S. The UDP also spent $ 2m in a North Carolina senate primary to support the incumbent Valeria Foushee against Nida Allam , the first Muslim American woman to hold elected office in North Carolina and

3520-698: The U.S. population and was concentrated in only nine states. Today, thousands of AIPAC supporters gather at AIPAC's annual Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. every year. Donors and VIPs are invited to the Leadership Reception on the final night of the conference, which hosts hundreds of members of Congress. AIPAC has created "caucuses" in every congressional district , with AIPAC staffers organizing every district's Jewish community, regardless of size. Campaign contributions were bundled and distributed to candidates in congressional districts and where they would do some good. According to journalist Connie Bruck, by

3600-860: The United States." In 2016, nearly 20,000 delegates attended the AIPAC Policy Conference; approximately 4,000 of those delegates were American students. For the first time in AIPAC's history, the general sessions of Policy Conference were held in Washington, D.C. 's Verizon Center in order to accommodate the large number of delegates. Keynote speakers included Vice President Joe Biden , former secretary of state Hillary Clinton , Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump , Governor John Kasich , Senator Ted Cruz , and Speaker Paul Ryan . Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu , who has spoken at AIPAC before in person, addressed Policy Conference via satellite on

3680-528: The beginning. The policy practitioners, analysts, economists and academics appearing in our venues have provided a wide diversity of views on the region stretching from Morocco to Afghanistan and from Central Asia to Oman. They question conventional wisdom and explain complex issues without oversimplifying them." Established in 1993, the Capitol Hill Conference Series is aimed at members of Congress and their staffs, opinion leaders and members of

3760-506: The broader geopolitical context in which 'war' takes place." Political risk analyst Ian Siperco has also contributed articles regarding political developments in the region. In expressing alarm over former MEPC president Chas Freeman's nomination to the National Intelligence Council (NIC) in early 2009, Weekly Standard contributing editor Michael Goldfarb claimed that MEPC funds from Saudi Arabia were for "the funding of

3840-741: The deterioration in the atmosphere [and] the sense on the part of many of our Arab donors that nothing can be done to fix the negative image of the Arabs in the United States at present.' The interview was publicized in 2009 on the blog of a former foreign policy director of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee , Steve J. Rosen ." According to non-profit disclosure forms, The Middle East Policy Council's 2007 total receipts were $ 731,000. Washington Report on Middle East Affairs The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs (also known as The Washington Report and WRMEA)

3920-617: The end of the 1980s, there were "dozens" of political action committees with no formal relation to AIPAC, but whose leader was often an AIPAC member. The Wall Street Journal reports that in 1987 at least 51 of 80 pro-Israel PACs were operated by AIPAC officials. Some committees that "operate independently" of AIPAC but "whose missions and membership align" with it include the Florida Congressional Committee, NORPAC in New Jersey , To Protect Our Heritage PAC near Chicago , and

4000-415: The event. But article's author, Shereen Kandil, told Fox News that she had not confused the two people. The White House also attributed the comments to Al-Arian's daughter. Hussain himself said he had made the remarks in response to a question from Laila Al-Arian, but had complained to the Washington Report shortly after they were published that they "lacked context", and the publication eventually removed

4080-466: The final day of the conference. Senator Bernie Sanders chose not to attend the conference. Howard Kohr has been the CEO of AIPAC since 1996, nearly half of its existence, serving with most of its presidents. AIPAC has a wide base of supporters both in and outside of Congress. The American Israel Education Foundation is a sister organization of AIPAC, that handles educational work, rather than lobbying. It

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4160-455: The floor to vote on a resolution they've never read, about a report they've never seen, in a place they've never been. ' " Baird worries that AIPAC members and supporters believe that they're "supporting Israel" when they are "actually backing policies" such as the killing of civilians in Gaza, "that are antithetical to its highest values and, ultimately, destructive for the country." A criticism of AIPAC's proposal for tougher sanctions on Iran

4240-778: The increased threat of terrorism and Islamist radicalism is increasingly expensive due to the recent spike in petroleum prices which have enabled countries such as Iran to augment their military budgets, according to Kohr. The day after George W. Bush addressed the United Nations General Assembly to call for action against Iraq , AIPAC said to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that "[i]f the president asks Congress to support action in Iraq, AIPAC would lobby members of Congress to support him." John Judis wrote in The New Republic that although AIPAC lobbying

4320-616: The late 1980s. Whereas Kenen had come out of the Zionist movement , with early staff pulled from the longtime activists among the Jewish community, AIPAC had evolved into a prototypical Washington-based lobbying and consulting firm. Leaders and staffers were recruited from legislative staff and lobbyists with direct experience with the federal bureaucracy. Confronted with opposition from both houses of Congress, United States President Gerald Ford rescinded his ' reassessment .'" George Lenczowski notes

4400-550: The magnitude of the Holocaust , listing the names of Jewish publishers of leading U.S. newspapers to demonstrate 'Zionist' control of the media, and accusing Israel of ' Nazi -style' genocide against the Arabs. Each issue is filled with wild conspiracy theories about Israel and pro-Israel lobbying groups, accusing them of orchestrating everything from the Monica Lewinsky scandal to the assassination of John F. Kennedy ." During

4480-501: The media. According to the Council web site "the starting point for each forum is the same: What are the interests of the United States in the Middle East, and how should they be realized?" Recent Capitol Hill Conferences include: Video archives from these events are available on the MEPC website and the events are streamed live. Since 1985, the workshops of TeachMideast have been conducted in nearly all fifty U.S. states, reaching over 20,000 teachers. The Contributor Dialogue Series

4560-417: The new organization was in part a response to the negative international reaction to the October 1953 Qibya massacre , in which Israeli troops under Ariel Sharon killed at least sixty-nine Palestinian villagers, two-thirds of them women and children. As the Eisenhower administration suspected the AZC of being funded by the government of Israel, it was decided that the lobbying efforts should be separated into

4640-534: The non-partisan OpenSecrets . Between the 2000 and the 2004 elections, the 50 members of AIPAC's board donated an average of $ 72,000 each to campaigns and political action committees." According to Dine, in the 1980s and 1990s contributions from AIPAC members often constituted "roughly 10 to 15% of a typical congressional campaign budget." AIPAC influences lawmakers in other ways by: AIPAC has supported loyal incumbents (such as Senator Lowell P. Weicker Jr. , R- Connecticut ) even when opposed by Jewish candidates, and

4720-443: The organization has worked to unseat pro-Palestinian incumbents (such as Representative Paul Findley ) or candidates perceived to be unsympathetic to Israel (Senator Charles H. Percy ). However, a Jewish member of Congress, Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-Illinois), who had maintained good relations with AIPAC and had been given campaign contributions by its members, was opposed by the group in her 2010 reelection campaign after she

4800-540: The other way: a four-hundred-thousand-dollar swing." AIPAC-directed campaign contributions—as with many interest groups—came with considerable "tactical input". AIPAC staffers told Baird and other lawmakers, "No, we don't say it that way, we say it this way." Baird complained, "There's a whole complex semantic code you learn. ... After a while, you find yourself saying and repeating it as if it were fact." AIPAC strongly supports substantial U.S. aid to Israel . In March 2009, AIPAC executive director Howard Kohr appeared before

4880-410: The political campaign support comes amid the erosion of bipartisan support for Israel in the US, with opinion polls showing growing criticism for the state among younger Democrats, including American Jews, the breaking of the taboo on comparisons between Israel's treatment of Palestinians and apartheid South Africa, and rising support for the Boycott, Sanctions and Divest (BDS) movement. In May 2022, it

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4960-400: The political director for the 2016 presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders . Both candidates are endorsed by the squad. UDP spent an estimated $ 280,000 to support incumbent Ohio's 11th Congressional District incumbent Shontel Brown over her primary challenger, progressive Nina Turner . The UDP spent a further $ 1.2m to help the Democratic congressman for Texas, Henry Cuellar , face off

5040-451: The publication was "the guidebook to the Arabist lobby in the United States," that it "specializes in defaming Israel", and that it is "a must-read for friends of Israel who want a reliable indicator of the thinking of the anti-Israel crowd." Rafael Medoff of the David Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies wrote in 2002 that "in addition to the standard denunciations of Israeli policies, the Washington Report published articles belittling

5120-717: The reason that they’re aligning with certain candidates is because they are more aligned with their more hawkish positions on Israel". In mid-March 2024, with reports of AIPAC and UDP planning to spend $ 100M to primary incumbent progressive House Democrats, opponents formed the Reject AIPAC coalition "to protect democracy & Palestinian rights". Founding members include: Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) , Gen-Z for Change , IfNotNow , Justice Democrats , National Iranian American Council , Our Revolution , Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), RootsAction , Sunrise Movement , Working Families Party . One critic, former congressman Brian Baird , who "had admired Israel since I

5200-431: The remarks. American Israel Public Affairs Committee The American Israel Public Affairs Committee ( AIPAC , / ˈ eɪ p æ k / AY -pak ) is a pro- Israel lobbying group that advocates its policies to the legislative and executive branches of the United States. One of several pro-Israel lobbying organizations in the country , it has been called one of its most powerful lobbying groups. AIPAC

5280-406: The scenes since its founding in 1953, AIPAC only became a powerful organization in the 15 years after the Yom Kippur War in 1973. By the mid-70s, AIPAC had achieved the financial and political clout necessary to sway congressional opinion, according to historian Michael Oren . During this period, AIPAC's budget soared from $ 300,000 in 1973 to over $ 7 million during its peak years of influence in

5360-572: The second-most powerful influence group in Washington, D.C. AIPAC advises members of Congress about the issues that face today's Middle East, including the dangers of extremism and terrorism. It was an early supporter of the Counter-Terrorism Act of 1995, which resulted in increased FBI resources being committed to fight terrorism. AIPAC also lobbies for financial aid from the United States to Israel, helping to procure up to $ 3 billion in aid yearly, making Israel "the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign assistance since World War II." According to

5440-431: The two countries. AIPAC considers agriculture to be a key economic sector for economic cooperation between them. AIPAC has been compared to firearms, banking, defense, and energy lobbies as "long" being "a feature of politics in Washington." Its promotional literature notes that the Leadership Reception during its annual Policy Conference "will be attended by more members of Congress than almost any other event, except for

5520-414: Was "all about the Benjamins " (i.e. about money]]). The next day, she clarified that she meant AIPAC. Omar later apologized but also made another statement attacking "political influence in this country that says it is okay to push for allegiance to a foreign country.” The statements aroused anger among AIPAC supporters, but also vocal support among the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and "revived

5600-635: Was "dominated" by four successful businessmen—Mayer (Bubba) Mitchell, Edward Levy, Robert Asher, and Larry Weinberg . AIPAC scored two major victories in the early 1980s that established its image among political candidates as an organization "not to be trifled with" and set the pace for "a staunchly pro-Israel" Congress over the next three decades. In 1982, activists affiliated with AIPAC in Skokie, Illinois , backed Richard J. Durbin to oust U.S. representative Paul Findley ( R - Illinois ), who had shown enthusiasm for PLO leader Yasir Arafat . In 1984, Senator Charles H. Percy (R-Illinois), then-chairman of

5680-420: Was a kid," but became alienated from AIPAC, argued that "When key votes are cast, the question on the House floor, troublingly, is often not, 'What is the right thing to do for the United States of America?', but 'How is AIPAC going to score this? ' " He cited a 2009 House resolution he opposed condemning the Goldstone Report on civilian deaths. "When we had the vote, I said, 'We have member after member coming to

5760-518: Was also revealed that AIPAC has been spending millions, channeled through surrogate group, the United Democracy Project (UDP), which makes no mention of its creation by AIPAC, to defeat progressive Democrats and particularly female candidates who might potentially align with " the Squad " of progressive Congress members made up of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib . The UDP spent $ 2.3m in opposition to Summer Lee in

5840-516: Was elected president of the council in 2017. The Council advances its mission through three programs: the quarterly journal Middle East Policy , the Capitol Hill Conference Series for policy makers and their staff, and professional development workshops for educators through the TeachMideast arm. According to the Council web site: "Fresh thinking and new insights have been our stock in trade from

5920-454: Was endorsed by the advocacy group J Street . According to former representative Brian Baird (D- Washington ), "Any member of Congress knows that AIPAC is associated indirectly with significant amounts of campaign spending if you're with them, and significant amounts against you if you're not with them." "AIPAC-connected money" amounted to about $ 200,000 in each of his campaigns for office—"and that's two hundred thousand going your way, versus

6000-440: Was founded in 1954 by Isaiah L. Kenen , a lobbyist for the Israeli government, partly to counter negative international reactions to Israel's Qibya massacre of Palestinian villagers that year. AIPAC only became a powerful organization during its peak influence in the 1980s. In 2002, AIPAC expressed intent to lobby Congress to authorize use of force in Iraq , and in 2003, the Iraq War was defended at AIPAC events. In 2005,

6080-486: Was introduced in spring of 2021 to explore Middle East Policy Journal articles through interviewing different authors of compelling pieces. Recent Contributor Dialogues include: In addition to featuring its journal articles, videos, and transcripts from the Capitol Hill Conferences, the MEPC web site houses various book reviews and essays written by scholars and members of the MEPC board. The council also shares

6160-467: Was not widely reported to prevent Arab states from connecting Bush's war plans to Israel, executive director Kohr called " 'quietly' lobbying Congress to approve the use of force in Iraq " one of AIPAC's successes at a January 2003 AIPAC meeting. AIPAC spokesman Josh Block told The New Republic that AIPAC did no lobbying and that Kohr was misquoted. In articles for The Washington Post , both Dana Milbank and Glenn Frankel noted that while AIPAC, like

6240-481: Was the Executive Editor until his death in 2013. Delinda C. Hanley, Curtiss's daughter, is the current editor. To counteract what the magazine's publishers viewed as a "pro-Zionist bias" in libraries, AET donated 3,200 free subscriptions and dozens of books "from its approved list" to libraries. In 1989, Washington Report founders Andrew Killgore and Richard Curtiss joined other plaintiffs in complaining that

6320-525: Was the president of the MEPC from 2009 to April 2012. Anderson served in the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency for 26 years. He served three tours of duty in the Middle East as an agency station chief, headed the Afghan Task Force (1987–89), and was chief of the Near East and South Asia Division. In late 2013 the MEPC board appointed Ford M. Fraker president. Following Fraker's death, Richard J. Schmierer

6400-680: Was willing to "play with the hand that is dealt to us." By the 1970s, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and AIPAC had assumed overall responsibility for Israel-related lobbying within the Jewish communal landscape . The Conference of Presidents was responsible for speaking to the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, while AIPAC dealt mainly with the Legislative Branch . Although it had worked effectively behind

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