AIPAC Spending $17,000 per Hour to Defeat Bowman

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[President Biden posted earlier today: “I’m appalled by the scenes outside of Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles. Intimidating Jewish congregants is dangerous, unconscionable, antisemitic, and un-American. Americans have a right to peaceful protest. But blocking access to a house of worship – and engaging in violence – is never acceptable.” Prem Thakker of The Intercept responded: “This wasn’t a haphazard protest blocking a place of worship, there was a sale of Palestinian land being held here. Note on the other hand: Biden has not said anything about news of a Texas woman attacking a Palestinian mother and trying to drown her two kids.” See video of protesters and “Democracy Now” report on a New Jersey synagogue selling Palestinian land.]

Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s primary is Tuesday. He represents parts of the Bronx and Westchester.

PETE TUCKER, petercarlltucker@gmail.com, @PeteTucker
Tucker is originally from Westchester. He now lives in D.C. and covers politics. He just wrote a piece about the AIPAC attack on Bowman: “The American Israel Public Affairs Committee has been around over 60 years, but it only began intervening in Democratic primaries in a big way last election cycle. AIPAC’s move came on the heels of a string of corporate Democrats losing primary contests to progressive ‘Squad’ members, such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2018, and Bowman two years later.

“To stop this trend, AIPAC — backed by millions from Republican donors — quickly became the top outside spender in Democratic primaries, dropping $26 million in 2022. This year, AIPAC plans to spend a cool $100 million, and the group’s top target is Bowman, whose primary is Tuesday, June 25.

“'[I]n barely a month, an AIPAC-affiliated super PAC has spent $14.5 million — up to $17,000 an hour — on the race, filling television screens, stuffing mailboxes and clogging phone lines with caustic attacks,’ the New York Times reported. ‘With days to go, the expenditures have already eclipsed what any interest group has ever spent on a single House race.’

“Tellingly, AIPAC’s ads rarely mention Bowman’s views on Israel, which are thoughtful and nuanced, and supported by many progressive Jews. ‘Calling for cease-fire does not mean we support Hamas, does not mean we support the killing of Israelis or Jews, does not mean we support antisemitism,’ Bowman said at a protest outside the White House late last year. ‘We are calling for cease-fire because we don’t want anyone else to die.’”

See clip of Bowman in a recent debate.

See IPA news release from 2022: “‘AIPAC Has Taken Over the Democratic Primary Process.‘”