For years, the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC was a US political juggernaut, but deepening voter disillusion over US-Israeli ties and wins by openly Israel-sceptic candidates in last week’s midterm elections have left it reeling.
asserted
disillusion → deepen → it
Candidates of all stripes long courted the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s support.
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Candidates → court → support
But what was once an asset has become a liability in many races, as favourable opinions of Israel plummet over civilian deaths in Gaza and the costly Iran war.
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opinions → become → Gaza
In the Michigan Senate race, AIPAC’s once irresistible force ran into an immovable object.
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force → run → object
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed — who tapped into anger over US funding for Israel’s military — faced AIPAC-supported candidates in both the primary and general election, but emerged victorious to become the first Muslim senator.
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who → tap → primary
The tens of millions of dollars spent by an AIPAC-affiliated group, the United Democracy Project, not only failed to beat El-Sayed — they helped him boost his own messaging.
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him → spend → messaging
“To AIPAC… Thank you for giving me the opportunity to beat you twice,” the Michigan politician taunted in his victory speech.
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politician → thank → speech
The tables flipped so completely that allies of El-Sayed’s Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, reportedly even asked the group to stop spending on him at one point.
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allies → flip → point
“They definitely have become a liability,” Adam Wood, a veteran Democratic campaign strategist with City & State Public Affairs, said, noting several campaigns he worked on in years past “coveted” AIPAC’s support.
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he → become → support
Another Democratic Senate success story, James Talarico, won in Texas with a similar message of ending US funding for Israeli offensive weaponry and keeping distance from AIPAC.
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story → win → AIPAC
“I’ve never taken money from AIPAC, and I’m not taking money from AIPAC in this campaign,” Talarico said early in his bid.
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Talarico → take → bid
Israel support plummets
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support → plummet → ?
It has traditionally supported candidates from both the left and the right.
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It → support → left
According to its website, it only accepts money from Americans and its board is composed exclusively of Americans.
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board → accord → Americans
But the group has become a byword in US politics for Washington’s tight ties with Israeli governments, including the outgoing far-right coalition of Benjamin Netanyahu.
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group → become → Netanyahu
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs has asked Americans to rate their favourability of Israel on a scale of 0 to 100 regularly since 1978 and this year marked a record low: an average score of just 44.
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Council → ask → 44
That’s down from 58 in 2022, when the previous midterms were held.
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midterms → ’ → 2022
“Democrats started to really tank on Israel,” Dina Smeltz, a former State Department official who is now a managing director at the council, said.
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who → start → council
Leftist Democratic star, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has branded AIPAC as “a right-wing organization that undermines democracy.”
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that → brand → democracy
But support also appears to be faltering on the right.
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support → appear → right
On election day, President Donald Trump dialed into his favorite morning program, Fox & Friends, and made the surprising announcement that the US would be ending a major annual aid package to Israel — something El-Sayed and others on the left have repeatedly demanded.
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Sayed → dial → left
Vice President JD Vance said he’d been told by a trusted pollster that his party’s road to recovery after the midterms annihilation will require, in part, changing “our relationship to Israel.”
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road → say → Israel
And other right-wing voices, including broadcaster Tucker Carlson and libertarian Representative Thomas Massie, have openly criticized Israel in recent years in ways unimaginable in the 2000s and 2010s.
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voices → include → 2000s
Pro-Israel lobbyists are not going to go away of course.
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lobbyists → go → course
AIPAC already has competition from the left-leaning pro-Israel J Street as well as the recently formed pro-Palestine American Priorities super PAC.
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AIPAC → have → Street
The aftermath of elections in Israel, with the possible political eclipse of Netanyahu, could also help AIPAC to find its feet again.
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AIPAC → help → feet
“It has been around for a long time, it has a lot of money,” Smeltz said.
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Smeltz → have → money
The Aporia
