The writer is a former resident of Brattleboro.
WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Rep. Becca Balint and U.S. Sen. Peter Welch have been strong progressive advocates in Congress. Will they now join Sen. Bernie Sanders in standing up against the corrupting influence of conservative lobbying dollars in U.S. politics?
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has promised to spend $100 million in the 2024 election cycle to unseat progressive politicians critical of Israel. AIPAC is heavily funded by Republican megadonors and in recent years has endorsed more than three dozen MAGA election deniers.
In addition to supporting MAGA Republicans, AIPAC funnels money into Democratic primaries held in heavily Democratic districts. The strategy is simple: AIPAC works to nominate the most conservative, pro-Israel, Democratic candidate they can find during the primary, thereby ensuring that the eventual winner of the general election will share their political views.
Jamaal Bowman, squad member and representative of New York's 16th Congressional district, is the most recent high-profile victim of AIPAC's electoral strategy.
Bowman had grown increasingly critical and outspoken about Israel's actions in Gaza. On June 25, he lost his primary after AIPAC poured a record-setting $15 million into the race in support of Bowman's challenger - a staunch supporter of Israel with a troubling record of Islamophobic and racist comments.
The threat AIPAC poses, not only to U.S. democracy but peace throughout the world, is well understood by progressive groups like Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow.
That's why these organizations and others recently launched Reject AIPAC, a campaign that calls on elected officials across the country to go on the record and pledge to reject endorsements and financial contributions from AIPAC and AIPAC-aligned political action committees.
Current signatories of the pledge include Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, Rep. Cori Bush, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Rep. Summer Lee, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Rep. Mark Pocan, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Rep. Delia Ramirez, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, and Rep. Nadia Velázquez.
Becca Balint and Peter Welch are noticeably absent from this list of progressive leaders. While they have not accepted money from AIPAC, they should nevertheless add their names to the pledge.
The campaign seeks to stigmatize AIPAC and build political pressure against those who accept money from AIPAC. But this is possible only if all our elected representatives take an affirmative, public, and bold stance against the organization. Quietly and discretely foregoing donations is not enough.
Balint and Welch need to hear from you. Please call or write to them and demand they sign the pledge.
Aidan Smith
Washington, D.C.
The writer is a former resident of Brattleboro.
This letter to the editor was submitted to The Commons.
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