Democrats face internal rift after government reopening
Democratic strategist Julian Epstein and former U.S. Senate candidate Tiffany Smiley join ‘The Faulkner Focus’ to discuss the growing divide in the party after six House Democrats voted with Republicans to reopen the government.
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A trend of Democrats rejecting money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), one of the nation’s most influential pro-Israel groups, is garnering intraparty backlash after an Arizona state representative slammed the shift as “antisemitism under the guide of campaign virtue.”
Democrats have been pulling back from AIPAC and cozying up with other, more liberal Jewish groups, like J Street, highlighting a shift in the historical bipartisan consensus that saw both parties treat support for Israel as a given. This changing consensus, particularly within the Democratic Party, became more clear following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel by Hamas terrorists.
While some Jewish groups have criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approach to the subsequent war that followed the attack, AIPAC has stood behind Netanyahu’s strong response.
AIPAC’s unwavering support for Israel after Oct. 7, 2023, was followed by a coalition of far-left Democrats, including Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and other members of the “Squad,” who called for lawmakers to “REJECT AIPAC.” Since then, a handful of other Democratic Party lawmakers have also rejected or returned money from AIPAC.
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Anti-Israel supporters rally in front of the Israeli Consulate in Los Angeles. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“I’m getting really sick and tired of Democratic candidates who are announcing they will not “accept” AIPAC money, as it’s apparently the cool thing to say when you are running now,” Democratic Arizona state Rep. Alma Hernandez said on X Wednesday.
“Let’s be clear: most voters have no idea what that even means. AIPAC itself doesn’t make candidate contributions; its supporters, many of whom, like me, are pro-Israel Democrats. I can assure you that most of you who are publicly announcing this would NEVER receive a dime from any of us.”
Following the cohort of radical Democrats in Congress launching their “REJECT AIPAC” coalition, other Democratic Party members of Congress took action to reject AIPAC money as well.
Less than a year after his 2024 election victory, which was financially supported by AIPAC, Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Ky., said he would no longer take donations from AIPAC. Rep. Deborah Ross, D-N.C., and Rep. Valerie Foushee, D-N.C., made the same commitment earlier this year.
Last month, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., refunded past donations from AIPAC and pledged to reject any future funding from the group.
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American Israel Public Affairs Committee President Michael Tuchin introduces Secretary of State Antony Blinken before his address to the AIPAC Policy Summit at a hotel in Washington, D.C. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
Hernandez had a stark message for any more Democrats thinking about doing the same.
“There are plenty of elected officials and candidates who have privately sought support over the years, and yes, I have the receipts of your text and emails,” Hernandez said in her post on X. “So, to any of you who are thinking of jumping on that wagon because you think it sounds like the cool thing these days, think again.
Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., is among Democrats who have recently rejected or returned donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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“Don’t mask antisemitism under the guise of campaign virtue.”
