AIPAC Head Hosts Fundraiser for House Candidate Who Swears AIPAC Isn’t Backing Her

The American Israel General Affairs Committee is not publicly backing any candidate in the race to replace Democratic Rep Jan Schakowsky in Illinois s th Congressional District But in private the group is fundraising for Democratic state Sen Laura Fine who has distanced herself from AIPAC and commented she isn t seeking its endorsement AIPAC board president Michael Tuchin hosted a private benefit for Fine on Monday at his Los Angeles law office where an Intercept reporter was turned away in the building s front lobby The Intercept should not be here at all commented a building protection guard relaying a message from charity fundraiser organizers Three people entering the Century City high-rise office however proven that they were there to attend the Fine benefit event An attendee wearing a pin with adjoining U S and Israeli flags mentioned she was there for the event and was whisked away by building prevention when demanded why she supported Fine Related Meet the U S Donors Funding ELNET the AIPAC of Europe After spending years exerting largely unchecked influence over elected U S authorities AIPAC appears to be putting more distance between itself and several of its preferred candidates this midterm cycle amid inhabitants outrage over Israel s genocide in Gaza and as a growing slate of progressive candidates position themselves explicitly against the group But AIPAC and the broader pro-Israel lobby are still working to shape the next Congress to preserve the U S s diplomatic alliance with Israel and maintain the steady flow of weapons shipments The day Fine entered the race in May Jewish Insider released that she had met with pro-Israel lobbying groups including AIPAC and Democratic Majority for Israel The groups did not help Schakowsky who was instead backed by the more centrist pro-Israel group J Street during her career meaning the -term congresswoman s retirement represented an opportunity for the lobby to install a more hard-line supporter of Israel Fine s campaign AIPAC and Tuchin did not respond to a request for comment Fine is running in a crowded Democratic primary field that includes Kat Abughazaleh a Palestinian American activist who has made her opposition to AIPAC spending and Israel s genocide a central plank of her campaign Daniel Biss the current mayor of Evanston Illinois and Bushra Amiwala a local school board member and activist Abughazaleh and Biss led the pack in fundraising as of September according to Federal Vote Commission filings pulling in million and million respectively Amiwala has raised Fine had raised just over by the same deadline about half of it from close to donors who AIPAC appears to have directed to her campaign as the local outlet Evanston Now informed in October The group sent at least two fundraising emails urging donors in its grid to advocacy Fine after which AIPAC donors poured more than into her campaign It s not the first time the group has taken such an approach this cycle including in Illinois In the state s th Congressional District where Democratic Rep Danny Davis is retiring AIPAC hasn t endorsed a replacement but its donors are funding real estate mogul Jason Friedman The Intercept released Related Kat Abughazaleh on the Right to Protest When urged about meeting with AIPAC prior to entering the race Fine played down her patronage from the group telling the university newspaper Loyola Phoenix in October that she was not pursuing its endorsement Senator Fine has not received and is not seeking endorsement from J Street AIPAC or any Jewish organization her campaign commented at the time She s deeply aware of the diversity of political views in the Jewish society and in this district at large The Senator s priority is to represent all constituents bridge divisions continue standing up against antisemitism wherever it may appear and continue to represent all members of her district The post AIPAC Head Hosts Benefit event for House Candidate Who Swears AIPAC Isn t Backing Her appeared first on The Intercept