Setbacks that have devastated the Israel Lobby...

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the most influential organization of the "Israel Lobby" in the US, is experiencing the most fragile period in its history. AIPAC operated within the two wings of American politics—Republicans and Democrats. However, starting from the Obama era, AIPAC's turning its compass more toward Republicans has been criticized even by Jewish circles that support Democrats.

For American politicians, appearing on AIPAC's stage was seen as advantageous. The generous donations from AIPAC were attractive to candidates. All candidates had to do was adjust their position in the US Congress when Israel's interests were at stake.

The backlash from the American public against Israel's genocide in Gaza began to erode the power of the Israel Lobby. Especially the shifting anti-Israel sentiments within the Democratic base have cornered the party's centrist leadership. The increasing criticism of Israel among Democrats in the US Congress has made AIPAC's behind-the-scenes activities more visible. This visibility also made Israel's intervention in American elections more apparent.

We are now in a period where it is no longer very easy for Israel to direct American politics through lobbies and money. I should also note that a significant portion of young Republicans, along with young Democrats, are rebelling against Israel's influence over American politics.

Compared to past periods, the Israel Lobby is spending much more money in primaries and general elections. Despite all this, AIPAC's influence continues to be broken. The victory of Arab-American Dr. Abdul El-Sayed in the Democratic primary for the US Senate in Michigan was a major blow to AIPAC. It is said that the money AIPAC poured, directly and indirectly, to ensure the pro-Israel rival candidate's victory reached $70 million. These unprecedented expenditures for a primary show that the Lobby is in a state of panic.

Accepting AIPAC donations has begun to burn Democratic politicians. The grassroots organizing of young voters and the increase in individual donations make it difficult for politicians to take pro-Israel positions. Many candidates feel compelled to pledge not to accept AIPAC donations. For this reason, AIPAC uses other lobbies as fronts in cases where it does not want to be seen. This happens mostly against candidates on the party's far-left wing (Democratic Socialists), who draw support from young Democrats.

Meanwhile, some Republican politicians are even concerned that being openly supported by AIPAC could be a losing factor. AIPAC's attempt to support Mike Rogers, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed's Republican rival in Michigan, backfired. It emerged that Rogers, a staunchly pro-Israel politician who had previously served as Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, was uncomfortable with AIPAC's open support for him.

The strong anti-Israel sentiment in Michigan prompted Rogers to stay away from AIPAC. According to reports in the US media, Rogers met with the AIPAC chairman and requested that the advertising campaign prepared on his behalf be stopped. It was also stated that Rogers wanted AIPAC's donation support to be channeled through Republican support groups.

AIPAC, which had to stop the ads in Rogers' favor, was said to be unhappy with his request. Now, Republican Jewish donors close to both sides are reportedly trying to reconcile AIPAC and Rogers to prevent Dr. El-Sayed from winning.

Likewise, on Tuesday, Aisha Wahab's victory in the special election in California, held due to a resignation in the House of Representatives, shook AIPAC considerably. Like Dr. El-Sayed, Wahab is a young Democratic politician who openly states that Israel is committing genocide.

AIPAC spent millions of dollars in this special election to ensure the victory of Wahab's Democratic rival, the pro-Israel candidate Melissa Hernandez. Wahab, the first Afghan-American politician elected to the US Congress, will serve temporarily in the House of Representatives until January 2027.

The cost for the Israel Lobby to keep the US Congress pro-Israel is rising steadily. The fact that candidates wanting to end unconditional US support for Israel can compete against AIPAC's billions with small donations from individual donors and win is a devastating development for the Israel Lobby. This development will certainly have consequences.