The backlash against AIPAC
6/8/202635 min
For decades, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, better known as AIPAC, has been one of the most powerful lobbying organizations in Washington.
It has helped shape U.S. policy toward Israel, cultivated relationships with lawmakers from both parties, and more recently spent millions of dollars helping elect candidates it supports and defeat those it doesn't.
But after the war in Gaza, Israel's conflicts with Iran and Lebanon, and a dramatic shift in public opinion among many Democrats, AIPAC's influence is facing new scrutiny. Candidates are increasingly being asked whether they'll accept its support, some are actively distancing themselves from the organization.
Today on Front Burner, Alex Shephard of The New Republic explains how AIPAC became one of the most powerful forces in American politics, and why, for the first time, its political influence is facing meaningful resistance.
For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts
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[upbeat music] Hey, everyone. I'm Jamie Poesso. On Tuesday, voters in Maine will be voting in the Senate primary. The Democratic front-runner is Graham Plattner, a rough-and-tumble Iraq vet and oyster farmer with a firm anti-war stance, with his fair share of controversies. He says his likely main opponent come November, incumbent Republican senator Susan Collins, is bought and paid for by Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu. And while that's not actually true, what he's referring to is the sizable chunk of Collins' fundraising that comes from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, the leading pro-Israel lobby group in the US. For years, they've appealed to American elected officials to preserve the US's relationship with Israel and continue its support