from thefreeonline on 17th Nov 2023 from Open Secrets.org / Wkipedia.org By Rayna Cohen and thefreeonline
Why does the US support Mass Murder of Palestinian children in Israel? Less than 2% of US population is Jewish. Here’s a report on the powerful Pro Israel ‘Donation’ Lobby in the corrupt US system, which says who is and isn’t to be elected. Even more powerful is Zionist financial clout, e.g. Yifat Oron, and Schwarzman, CEO of $$Trillion Blackstone, which controls much of US Media, is dubbed as Israel’s Blackstone secret weapon.
Israeli lobby (AIPAC) backed candidates won 2022 their midterm elections following big spending by group’s Super PAC
Candidates backed by ‘Billionaire Zionist lobby’ usually WIN in US – but Summer Lee WON despite $5.2 million spent against her- and she supports Gaza Ceasefire
First lets put to bed any suspicion of anti-semitism. Most US Jews do not support the tribal/religious psycopathy of Netanyahu’s supporters. and have historically been constructive progessives and an asset to the US ‘meltingpot’. The insidious US Zionist lobby is financed by the State, a small number of Jewish capitalist billionaires, and the US public, especially the evangelical Christian cults embracing old testament ideology. There is also perhaps a general identification with the Zionist idea of being a chosen race, with a whole world to loot, enabling the doctrine of US ‘Exceptionalism’ to international laws and morals.
American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) backed candidates won midterm races in 2022 following big spending by group’s super PAC .. except for Summer Lee
By Rayna Cohen at Open Secrets
On October 25, 2023, U.S. Rep. Summer Lee and just eight other progressives voted against the pro-Israel resolution
Also Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, Cori Bush, Andre Carson, Al Green, Ilhan Omar, Delia Ramirez, and Rashida Tlaib), along with Republican Thomas Massie, voted against congressional bi-partisan non-binding resolution H. Res. 771 supporting Israel in the wake of the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. The resolution “reaffirms the United States’ commitment to Israel’s security”; the resolution passed by an overwhelming 412-10-6 margin
US Vice President Mike Pence speaks during the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) 2020 Policy Conference in Washington, DC, March 2, 2020. (Photo by SAUL LOEB /
Following big spending by a super PAC affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in Democratic primaries, most of the candidates supported by Washington’s biggest pro-Israel lobbying group won their midterm races in 2022.
United Democracy Project raised a total of $31 million through the 2022 election cycle. AIPAC itself contributed $8.5 million to the super PAC, which poured $26 million into key races, mostly in Democratic primaries.
Summer Lee and Shri Thanedar win despite millions of Israeli lobby negative United Democracy Project/AIPAC spending
While many of the AIPAC candidates supported won, two candidates they spent millions of dollars opposing won their respective races for the House of Representatives. .
The super PAC spent millions opposing progressive Democrats during the general election, including $3.2 million against Summer Lee who won the race for the House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District. United Democracy Project spent $2 million opposing her during a contentious Democratic primary race – and $660,000 boosting her opponent, Steven Irwin – and an additional $1.2 million during the general election.
Gaza’s al-Shifa HospitaHospital forced to bury 179 dead patients in ‘mass grave’
United Democracy Project spent $600,000 on a new television ad just two weeks before the election, according to AdImpact. The ad included clips of Lee speaking on defunding the police and abolishing prisons. Israel was not mentioned in the ad.
Once sworn in, Lee is expected became one of the “squad,” a small group of progressive representatives including Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), who have been outspoken critics of Israel.
While Lee had not said much about Israel, she drew a comparison between George Zimmerman – the man who shot and killed Trayvon Martin – with Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in a Twitter thread from last year.
US support for Israeli massacres grows with FOX news 24/7 propaganda. Fox News Makes Massive Donation to Israel Relief.and House GOP unveils $14.3 billion Israel aid bill
“This is a race where there is clear pro-Israel candidate and an anti-Israel candidate in Summer Lee,” United Democracy Project spokesperson Patrick Dorton told The Intercept. He also cited comments in the Twitter thread and her relationship with members of the “squad” when asked why the super PAC opposed her with such ferocity.
Several Democratic and Republican megadonors contributed to United Democracy Project, including $1 million from Paul Singer, the Jewish founder of the investment firm Elliott Management. Israeli-American Haim Saban, founder of Saban Capital Group, also contributed $1 million.
Multiple Democratic primaries this election cycle saw big outside spending by United Democracy Project, including $4 million the super PAC spent opposing former Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.) in Maryland’s 4th Congressional District.
AIPAC described Edwards as a “detractor of the U.S.-Israel relationship who was heavily backed by some of the most vocal and persistent critics of the Jewish state” in a press release .
The super PAC also spent $2.1 million dollars to support the eventual nominee in the Democratic primary race in North Carolina’s 4th Congressional District state Sen. Valerie Foushee. The primary field had included Nida Allam, Durham County Commissioner and a progressive Muslim woman who has spoken out for Palestinian rights.
United Democracy Project also poured $3.9 million into the primary race boosting Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.),in Michigan’s 11th Congressional District. and $341,000 attacking prominent Jewish Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.). The two incumbents faced off after Michigan lost one U.S. House seat following the 2020 census.
Stevens’ website states that she stands firm in her commitment to the U.S.-Israel alliance and will continue to support policies that strengthen it in Congress. Levin, on the other hand, had proposed legislation to advance a two-state solution in Israel and criticized the annexation of Palestinian territories.
The SuperPAC also spent $588,767 during the general election on ad buys supporting Democrat Kevin Mullin in California’s 15th Congressional District.
Candidates backed by the super PAC – including Mullin, Stevens, Foushee and Ivey – won their general elections, adding to AIPAC’s influence in Congress.
“We congratulate the elected and re-elected senators and representatives from both parties who will be joining an overwhelmingly pro-Israel Congress,” said AIPAC in a statement regarding the midterm elections.
AIPAC did not return OpenSecrets’ request for comment.
The Israeli US lobby
The formal component of the Israel lobby consists of organized lobby groups, political action committees (PACs), think tanks and media watchdog groups. OpenSecrets, which tracks all lobbies and PACs, describes the ‘background’ of those ‘Pro-Israel’ as, “A nationwide network of local political action committees, generally named after the region their donors come from, supplies much of the pro-Israel money in US politics. Additional funds also come from individuals who bundle contributions to candidates favored by the PACs.
Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign aid: until February 2022, the United States had provided Israel US$150 billion (non-inflation-adjusted) in bilateral assistance.[2
In addition to financial and military aid, the United States also provides large-scale political support to Israel, having used its United Nations Security Council veto power 42 times against resolutions condemning Israel, out of a total 83 times in which its veto has ever been used.
Between 1991 and 2011, out of the 24 vetoes invoked by the United States, 15 were used to protect Israel.[5][6] The United States’ readiness to stand on behalf of Israel has been linked to the influence of pro-Israeli lobbies in U.S. politics, most notably AIPAC.[7][8]
American Israel Public Affairs Committee – AIPAC
Support for Israel is strong among American Christians of many denominations.[19] Informal Christian support for Israel includes a broad range varieties support for Israel ranging from the programming and news coverage on the Christian Broadcasting Network and the Christian Television Network to the more informal support of the annual Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem.[20]
Pro-Israel lobbying group Aipac secretly pouring millions into defeating progressive Democrats | Lobbying | American Israel Public Affairs Committee has disguised its efforts to undermine pro-Palestinian candidates.
The formal component of the Israel lobby consists of organized legal lobby groups, Political Action Committees (PACs), think tanks and media watchdog groups.
OpenSecrets, which tracks all lobbies and PACs, describes the ‘background’ of those ‘Pro-Israel’ as, “A nationwide network of local political action committees, generally named after the region their donors come from, supplies much of the pro-Israel money in US politics. Additional funds also come from individuals who bundle contributions to candidates favored by the PACs.
In his 2006 book The Restoration of Israel: Christian Zionism in Religion, Literature, and Politics, sociologist Gerhard Falk describes the Evangelical Christian groups that lobby on behalf of Israel as being so numerous that “it is not possible to list” them all, although many are linked via the National Association of Evangelicals.[20] It is a “powerful religious lobby” that actively supports Israel in Washington.[20]
Jewish members also make up a larger share of Congress than they do of the general public (6% vs. 2%), nearly 40 reps.
The New York Times has described AIPAC as “a major force in shaping United States policy in the Middle East”[55] that is able to push numerous bills through Congress. “Typically,” these “pass by unanimous votes.”[51]
AIPAC did not give donations directly to candidates until the early 2020s. Those who donated to AIPAC are often important political contributors in their own right. In addition, AIPAC helps connect donors with candidates, especially to the network of pro-Israel Political Action Committees. AIPAC president Howard Friedman says “AIPAC meets with every candidate running for Congress.
“These candidates receive in-depth briefings to help them completely understand the complexities of Israel’s predicament and that of the Middle East as a whole. We even ask each candidate to author a ‘position paper’ on their views of the US-Israel relationship – so it’s clear where they stand on the subject.”[48]
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC /ˈeɪpæk/ AY-pak) is a lobbying group that advocates pro-Israel policies to the legislative and executive branches of the United States.[4] One of several pro-Israel lobbying organizations in the United States,[5]
AIPAC states that it has over 100,000 members,[6] 17 regional offices, and “a vast pool of donors”.[7] Representative Brad Sherman (D–California) has called AIPAC “the single most important organization in promoting the U.S.–Israel alliance”.[8] In addition, the organization has been called one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the United States.
Read more OpenSecrets News & Analysis: Election 2022 · Super PACs
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Are there any heavyweights in Washington backing Palestinians?
Within the US Democratic Party, a growing faction of progressives who support the Palestinians has gained prominence on the national stage.
Lead among them are Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, both former contenders for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020. Sanders and Warren have called for conditioning US military aid to Israel on Palestinian human rights.
In the House of Representatives, new progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Summer Lee, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib – the first Palestinian American elected to Congress – have emerged as leading voices for Palestinians.
These younger newcomers are not as reliant on the traditional fundraising structures of US politics and are more motivated by concern about Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and in Israel.
By now there is widespread public revulsion at the ongoing blatant mass murder of innocent Palestinian civilians being supported by the US and its close allies.
However our research shows that any change is unlikely. US politicians know their careers and bank balances may depend on loudly proclaiming to support Israel, the mass media are controlled by corporations heavily invested in Israel, and the key weapons industries continue to make magnificent profits.
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