The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has suspended online donations to a number of Democratic members of the House of Representatives who supported cutting aid to Israel during a vote this week.
Politico reported that the AIPAC political action committee’s website showed, as of Friday, that donation buttons had been removed for more than 12 Democratic representatives from a page that included current representatives, whom the organization describes as “standing with Israel.”
The list included Representative Kathryn Clark, the second-in-command of the Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives, Representative Joe Negos, a member of the party leadership, and Representative Pat Ryan, who had previously announced his refusal to accept financial support from AIPAC after the vote.
Committee spokeswoman Deryn Souza said AIPAC members value their representatives who “stand by the principles” and are disappointed by those who do not.
According to an archived version of the organization's website, the donation buttons were still active as of July 6. The page also included a thank-you message to former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for her support of US-Israeli relations, before it was later removed, along with a similar message addressed to Democratic Representative Julia Brownley.
AIPAC’s move came after 103 Democratic lawmakers voted in favor of an amendment that would have reduced the $3.3 billion in annual military aid that Washington provides to Israel.
The amendment failed due to opposition from most Republican representatives and 98 Democratic representatives, but it revealed the widening divide within the Democratic Party over continued US support for Israel, amid growing criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the war on the Gaza Strip.
The move reflects a shift in AIPAC’s relationship with the Democrats, after progressive candidates won primaries in which they attacked their rivals for accepting money from the pro-Israel group.
Representative Pat Ryan stated in a post on the X platform that he does not expect to receive future support from groups like AIPAC, adding, "Frankly, I don't want their support." He asserted that "hardline positions that refuse to confront the increasingly dangerous Netanyahu regime have no place in American politics."
However, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was among 97 other Democrats who voted against the amendment, reflecting a notable divergence between him and his colleague Clark, even though they are supposed to be in agreement in order to give clear voting instructions to the representatives from their party.
It is noteworthy that a similar measure to reduce US aid to Israel two years ago, when the Gaza war was at its peak, received the support of only 37 Democratic representatives.
“ Intellectual repositioning ”
It can be inferred from this that the issue of providing support to one of the most prominent allies of the United States has now become a source of division within the ranks of the American left, after it had been a matter of consensus between Republicans and Democrats for a long time.
Since the 2024 presidential campaign, a large number of activists and progressive organizations have refused to support candidate Kamala Harris, accusing her of inaction, as vice president, regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
A recent poll conducted by Ipsos and the Washington Post showed that about three-quarters of the Democrats surveyed want at least a reduction in US military aid to Israel, while 40 percent of them demand its complete elimination.
Political communications expert Mike Fahey believes this issue has become “a crucial benchmark in the Democratic Party primaries, especially for young and progressive voters.”
“When more than 100 Democratic representatives are willing to vote to cut military aid, it is no longer just a protest vote, but an indication that the party is undergoing an intellectual repositioning and a shift in age groups,” said the consultant, who has been involved in preparing campaigns for Democratic candidates, in a press interview.
It has been noted that a number of Democratic Party primaries in recent weeks, from New York to Colorado, have ended with victories for progressives who have made criticism of Israel a prominent focus of their campaigns.
Discontent among Israel supporters
A growing number of Democratic candidates also say they are now refusing any support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), an organization that works to get pro-Israel candidates to win elections.
Although the money that this committee injects into election campaigns is very useful to the committee injects into election campaigns is very useful to the candidates, many of them now see that the price they may pay politically as a result of receiving such controversial support is greater than the gains they may achieve.
Some pro-Israel Democratic lawmakers have expressed concern about this shift just over three months before the midterm elections.
Senator John Fetterman said last Wednesday that scrutiny of the Democratic primary winners recently reveals “an increasingly anti-Israel stance and hostility toward people” who support the long-standing U.S. ally.
The Pennsylvania senator, himself a prominent supporter of Israel in Congress, added that he might choose to leave the Democratic camp if the party's official stance became anti-Israel.
Brian Romick, who heads the Democratic Majority for Israel, argued that the amendment to cancel aid to Israel should never have been put to a vote in the first place.
But he noted in a statement that “the number of Democrats who supported the amendment sends a clear and strong message,” pointing to their “deep frustration” with Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, particularly regarding “the devastation in Gaza” and violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Brian Romick added, “The Israeli government should not ignore these concerns. Frankly, this vote should serve as a wake-up call and show that a major effort is needed to repair its relationship with the Democrats.”
