At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the Squad, a group of progressive Democratic lawmakers, spoke out about the influence of the pro-Israel lobby, particularly the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), in silencing critics of Israel’s human rights abuses. The topic of the war on Gaza and AIPAC’s role in elections was noticeably absent from the main stage, with no Palestinian speakers given time to address the convention. However, outside the United Center, where the convention was held, progressives held protests to draw attention to the need for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. weapons shipments to Israel.
Members of the Squad, including Rep. Cori Bush and Rep. Jamaal Bowman, spoke out against AIPAC’s involvement in their primary races. AIPAC spent over $25 million to unseat Bush and Bowman, making their races the most expensive Democratic House primaries in history. Bush criticized AIPAC’s attack ads, which concealed the group’s sole policy priority of supporting Israel and failed to address the issues of Palestine or antisemitism. She also highlighted the racist and bigoted nature of the ads, which targeted Black members of Congress.
Bush pushed back against the idea that AIPAC’s support for a Black opponent in her race absolved them of racism. She argued that AIPAC’s goal was to replace voices speaking truth to power with more palatable candidates who would advance their policy agenda. The influence of AIPAC and other outside groups in Democratic primaries is a cause for concern, as it can push the party further to the right and undermine progressive voices.
Other members of Congress, such as Rep. Summer Lee and Rep. Delia Ramirez, also spoke out against AIPAC at the DNC. They emphasized the need for all Democrats to be concerned about the influence of outside groups in primary elections, as it poses a threat to all members, not just progressives. Ramirez highlighted the concentrated spending by super PACs to take out a Democrat, with much of the money coming from Republicans. She called AIPAC’s actions criminal and expressed concern about the vulnerability of members who speak out against the group.
Rep. Lee warned about the influence of big money in politics, stating that it is never a friend to the people. She noted that AIPAC spent $4 million against her in the 2022 election cycle and failed to recruit candidates to run against her. Lee argued that the targeting of members like Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman is not just about foreign policy but also about maintaining power and influence. She criticized AIPAC for supporting politicians who will advance their policy agenda without considering the needs and concerns of Black communities.
Lee emphasized that the threat to Democrats goes beyond AIPAC and is part of an ongoing arms race of super PACs. She called on Democrats to pick a side and stand up to undemocratic influences, warning that failure to do so could result in the loss of democracy. The Squad’s message at the DNC was clear: Democrats need to wake up to the threat of AIPAC and other outside groups and take a stand to protect democracy and the voices of marginalized communities.
