AIPAC’s Influence Targets American Democracy

WASHINGTON (08-07) – Under the watchful eye of a Capitol policeman, a group of human rights activist from Code Pink and CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) held a tech-in at the Rayburn House office building cafeteria August 7 to discuss how American democracy is influenced by AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) and its agenda through financial support and influence for lawmakers who support Israel.

Robert McCaw, the government affairs department director for CAIR, dissected how AIPAC along with other pro-Israel organizations has long vilified Muslim organizations with distortions, hateful rhetoric, misinformation and false accusations of their being connected to designated terrorist groups. “The goal is to make our community politically radioactive, unapproachable and to deny us of being able to express our views.” He went on to say that AIPAC has also accused them of being unregistered foreign agents when AIPAC itself has operated for many years as such.

This is in reference to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) of 1938. The act “requires certain agents of foreign principals who are engaged in political activities or other activities specified under the statute to make periodic public disclosure of their relationship with the foreign principal, as well as activities, receipts and disbursements in support of those activities,” all which AIPAC regularly engages in contrary to law.

McCaw went on to tell how AIPAC specifically “targets” Black and Muslim women members of Congress such as Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar along with Cori Bush. Bush ran afoul of AIPAC, he said, for voicing “legitimate criticism about Israel’s war crimes and human rights violations.” He referred to an online Intercept article on the $9 million AIPAC ad campaign that showed Bush’s image which emphasized distorted features making her head look bigger and elongated as a “racist attack” against her and in support of the opposition candidate, Wesley Bell.

He also recalled a similar Facebook attack of an altered image of Ilhan Omar whom the group targeted and depicted with very dark skin and text saying in part “Stand with America Stand Against Terrorists.”

On the subject of undue influence by AIPAC, McCaw told of an interview with conservative Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie who has voted against funding Israel 15 times, who during an interview with Tucker Carlson said that fellow Republicans have approached him and said, “I wish I could vote with you today, yours is the right vote, but I would just take too much flak back home.” While others indicated “That’s wrong what AIPAC is doing to you, let me talk to my AIPAC person. By the way every Republican ‘except me has an AIPAC ‘person’ assigned to them.” He likened the AIPAC assignee as a ‘babysitter’ who is aways talking to you for AIPAC.

Massie, who has barred AIPAC from his office, went further when he told Carlson “That it (Israel) is the only country that does this.”

McCaw followed with “The size, the scope and the reach of AIPAC presents significant challenges in advocating for pro-Palestinian human rights on Capitol Hill.” He assured everyone that “CAIR is actively fighting the weaponization of government power to silence criticism of Israeli war crimes, genocide, its human rights record and policies of occupation apartheid.” He also mentioned that CAIR is actively fighting anti-BDS bills which stifle free speech.

In closing, he said that we need to embolden our allies in Congress to “…speak out in the face of such unmatched political spending and intimidation.”

During the teach-in, the joke that “AIPAC could write a bill on a napkin and Congress would vote on it” seemed more than that when one realizes our democracy is truly for sale by buying votes, influence and silence. As a backdrop for the speakers, a handwritten chart showed the “Top AIPAC Recipients” with the amount of money they have been given.

Code Pink’s Medea Benjamin spoke of the recent downturn in AIPAC’s massive annual convention that no longer entertains tens of thousands of attendees but instead has been radically downsized as support for the organization has begun to wither.

Benjamin went on to illustrate what impunity AIPAC enjoys by relating that while protesting at one of the large annual conventions in Washington, she was assaulted by another person and asked a uniform METRO Police officer to arrest the individual. The officer refused and informed her that he was working for the “organizers,” and that she instead should call 911.

One person who identified as Jewish at the teach-in said that “Israel is now the least safe place in the world for Jews” thanks to its ongoing genocide in Gaza and with a regional war about to break out.

On that note, it was discussed how Christian Zionists supporting Israel are overly anxious for just such an occurrence so that they can be on hand at the end of times to greet the messiah.

At the conclusion of the teach-in, the attendees made their way to the office of Cori Bush (D-MO) who was the first member of Congress to call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas shortly after October 7 Hamas invasion who is now being punished for being critical of Israel, a lesson that will intimidate many of her colleagues who will remain silent on the issue fearful of losing their positions.

At the Congresswoman’s office, activists wrote messages of support for her and posted them on the walls around the entrance thanking her for her advocacy and for taking a position to stand up for human rights, against genocide and for dignity, even at her own personal cost.

Report and photos by Phil Pasquini

© 2024 nuzeink all rights reserved worldwide