The Pro-Israel Lobby Is Trying to Fly Under the Radar
Amid widespread public disapproval of Israel’s destruction across the Middle East, pro-Israel donors aligned with AIPAC appear to be resorting to new fundraising vehicles to covertly channel money to favored Democratic candidates.
Along with new committes like the Better Blue Fund, longtime AIPAC donors have used other spending vehicles to hide recent spending on behalf of favored candidates. (Michael Brochstein / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images)
Amid widespread public disapproval of Israel’s mounting destruction across the Middle East, pro-Israel donors aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) appear to be resorting to new, innocuous-sounding fundraising vehicles to covertly channel money to favored candidates in high-stakes Democratic primaries.
That now includes the Better Blue Fund, a newly formed umbrella group that’s using weakened campaign finance rules to act as a “one-stop shop” for contributions from some of the pro-Israel lobby’s largest longtime donors, albeit with no mention of having a pro-Israel agenda. In less than two months, the fund has amassed more than $250,000 as it backs Democratic candidates already under fire from progressive challengers for supporting military aid to Israel or receiving endorsements from pro-Israel groups.
That list includes former Rep. Ben McAdams in Utah, House incumbents Adriano Espaillat and Dan Goldman in New York, and Rep. Wesley Bell in Missouri, who are all facing contested primary races where their support for pro-Israel policies has come under scrutiny.
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