AIPAC ends direct donations to US congressional candidates, will maintain super PAC
Pro-Israel lobby says it will prioritize members' personal donations to candidates as it did before creating PAC and super PAC in 2021, which some analysts say hurt its image
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee informed members on Wednesday that it will cease officially endorsing or directly fundraising on behalf of US congressional candidates, just five years after it began the practice.
But while the pro-Israel lobby will halt such operations through its political action committee, it will continue operating its United Democracy Project (UDP) super PAC, which can spend unlimited sums in congressional races but coordinate directly with candidates. UDP has spent over $83 million in this election cycle, placing it in seventh place among US super PACs in terms of giving totals.
In an email to members first reported by Jewish Insider, AIPAC’s leadership said the group will now “prioritize increasing direct, organized contributions from individual Americans to candidates.”
That was how AIPAC operated before establishing both a political action committee and super PAC in 2021, in what some analysts say helped contribute to the deterioration of its image.
Since then, there has also been growing partisan polarization in the United States over Israel and a rapid deterioration in Democratic support for the country and its government, trends exacerbated by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and broader conflict across the Middle East.
AIPAC’s brand has become so toxic in Democratic circles that candidates in primaries have routinely accused one another of being tied to the lobby. Even longtime pro-Israel lawmakers such as US Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey have said they would no longer accept donations from outside groups such as AIPAC.
The aversion to AIPAC has extended to far-right and even some more moderate Republican circles as well, with Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers reportedly asking the group not to campaign on its behalf, fearing such support could harm his chances in next month’s election against anti-Israel Democrat Abdul El-Sayed.
While its members are US citizens, some critics have portrayed AIPAC as an arm of the Israeli government, prompting accusations that such rhetoric can veer into antisemitism by questioning the loyalties of American Jews.
In its letter to members, AIPAC’s leadership called next month’s midterms “one of the most challenging environments in recent memory.. [The] challenges we are confronting will continue to grow in the years ahead, and the 2028 cycle will demand an even stronger commitment by our activists to pro-Israel politics.”
“To win the fight for the future of the country and the US-Israel alliance, we must build a more strategic, consequential, and nimble political operation,” the message continued.
“We will prioritize increasing direct, organized contributions from individual Americans to candidates — expanding upon our current efforts — and maximizing the emerging political fundraising tools… Endorsements, direct PAC contributions, and earmarking will no longer be part of our approach so we can expand individual giving and utilize new tools to help our friends win,” it added.