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AIPAC is one of the most powerful forces in American politics. Unless you have been involved in politics personally on a state or federal level, you likely haven’t heard of AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) however. It is time to make AIPAC a part of the conversation when evaluating and discussing candidates.

Political Action Committees are a fact of life in modern politics. They exist as a way to avoid campaign finance laws, as there are no limits to what a political action committee can receive from an individual as a donation. There are also no limits as to what a Political Action Committee can spend in support or opposition of a candidate.  

The vast majority of Political Action Committees have an ideological leaning. Most PACs exist to advocate for either liberal beliefs or for conservative beliefs. In the vast majority of circumstances, these PACS will show greater than 99% support to either the Republican or the Democrat Party. AIPAC is a different animal regarding who it funds.  

Before we get discuss Political Action Committees any further, let’s talk about lobbyists. Lobbyists exist at both the state and federal level of politics. They are typically engaged to advocate for specific policy which will benefit those who hired them. A business may wish to lobby a member of congress to pass policy which would benefit their industry.  At the state level, a municipality may wish to lobby a legislator for state  funds which would be brought back to their area. Lobbyists typically wine and dine federal and state legislators to make things move that are favorable to them. It is certainly sleezy, but it is reality.  

The chart below shows the top 10 Federal lobby spends for the year 2024. 

As you can see, the National Association of Realtors carries a massive amount of influence with over 60 million dollars spent in 2024 alone.  You will find many other major industry players listed among the top 10, ranging from pharma to technology. What you will not find is AIPAC.  Although it function as a lobby, they spend the majority of their money on getting hand selected people elected rather than attempting to change the minds or votes of members who are currently in office.  

Per their own website, AIPAC exists to support those who will strengthen the relationship between the United States and Israel. 

The phrase “strengthen and expand the US-Israel relationship caused me to take a look at the current relationship between the United States and Israel. I decided to look at the Council on Foreign Relations to gather factual numbers regarding American financial support around the globe. 

What I found was alarming. The Council on Foreign Relations lists their funding as a cumulative total from 1946-current day. While I realized that Israel was heavily funded by America, I had no clue that the total would more than double the second place nation.  

Now, lets look at AIPAC and what they pour into American elections.  The dollars that AIPAC is willing to spend in American politics to support Israel is astounding. Per Open Secrets, AIPAC has poured in excess of 32 million dollars into American elections in 2024 alone.  As you can see, AIPAC heavily funds both parties, showing that they do not have ideological leanings, rather they will fund and support anyone who commits to advance the interest of a foreign nation. When looking at who specifically AIPAC funds, you must go all the way to the 11th highest recipient to find a Republican, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.

If AIPAC were listed as a lobbyist, they would be the third largest lobby in the United States, spending more than big oil annually.  What I find astonishing is the overwhelming support for Israel by Conservatives. Since the start of the Russia/Ukraine conflict, Conservatives have consistently expressed loud vocal opposition to the funding of Ukraine.  In the meantime, there has been as much as a whimper of opposition to the financial support of Israel.

I have said from the beginning, America First is exactly that.  You simply cannot be all out on Ukraine but all in on Israel. As I type this piece, I am well aware that I open myself up to being called an antisemite. My criticism here is not of the Jewish people at all, but rather the Israeli Government. Since 2020 Republicans have screamed about a corrupt American government. Why would anyone believe that the Israeli Government could not be corrupt as well.  

American politics has evolved from elections to fundraising contests. AIPAC has been a major player in that evolution. If there were ever a burning bipartisan issue in America it is the threat of a foreign nation funding and installing members of American government who will do the bidding of a foreign nation.  

In fact the 2024 Omnibus bill currently set for a vote in Congress appropriates 10.5 billion dollars in additional aid to Israel. Kentucky congressman Thomas Massie has went as far as to say that every Republican member of Congress except him has a AIPAC handler.

Those on the left and right would be wise to come together and oppose foreign interests in our own government. As Americans, Republicans and Democrats have a fundamental right to disagree. I strongly believe that both sides of the aisle would find common ground in resisting foreign infiltration rather than constantly fighting with each other over trivial matters.

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