It looks like “The Squad” is about to have their work cut out for them. Recently, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) decided to allocate a significant budget of up to $100 million for primary challengers that go up against the members of Congress known as “The Squad”.
This group includes progressive lawmakers such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI).
This move by AIPAC represents an escalation in its efforts to influence U.S. politics, particularly within the Democratic Party, due to the vocal criticism that The Squad has expressed towards Israeli policies regarding Gaza following an attack by Hamas on October 7th.
It seems clear that this influential pro-Israel lobbying group has targeted these progressive legislators who have expressed support for Palestinian rights and ideals—a decision which shows a deepening rift between the two sides of the political aisle over Mid East issues.
???? BREAKING: American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is reportedly planning to spend over $100 MILLION on primary challenges against far-left members of the U.S. Congress known as “The Squad.”
AMAZING NEWS ????????????https://t.co/eCnEZKbPpm
— Proud Elephant ???????????? (@ProudElephantUS) November 16, 2023
Despite AIPAC’s strong stance on this issue, Data for Progress recently conducted a poll regarding public opinion surrounding the U.S.-Israel relationship and found that a majority of Americans across all political parties are actually in favor of ceasefire and de-escalation activities in Gaza—something which The Squad has consistently advocated for.
This reveals some degree of disagreement between what most people would prefer and what those in power are attempting to do with their financial resources.
At this time, it appears that AIPAC is aligning itself more closely with conservative policies and Republican interests due to their endorsements of 109 Republican members who voted against certifying 2020 election results, as well as their recruitment from GOP circles. In addition, they emerged as one of the largest single-issue outside spenders during last year’s midterms—primarily targeting progressive candidates rather than Democrats overall—which leaves many wondering if they will continue down this path leading into 2024 elections or if there could be some shift in strategy based upon public opinion polls such as Data For Progress’.
Regardless, it looks like we can expect more big money spending from AIPAC during upcoming election cycles.
