In a shocking move, influential donors from the Israel lobby have poured tens of thousands of dollars into New Jersey's 11th Congressional District special election, helping moderate Tahesha Way gain ground in the competition against Tom Malinowski. This unexpected push comes as the election draws to a close.
According to an analysis by The Intercept, at least 30 donors associated with American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) groups, including its super PAC and pro-Israel advocacy organization Democratic Majority for Israel, have chipped in over $50,000 towards Way's campaign. Just last week, DMFI officially endorsed her.
The move is an unusual one from the lobby, which typically campaigns against progressive candidates who are vocal critics of Israel policy. Instead, they're backing a moderate like Way to challenge Malinowski – a former lieutenant governor and more progressive on issues related to Israel.
However, this pro-Israel boost comes at the expense of Malinowski, who has been the subject of AIPAC ire due to his lack of progressiveness on Israel policy. Despite receiving significant spending from AIPAC's super PAC, United Democracy Project, which spent over $2.3 million on ads against him, the ads themselves did not mention Israel.
The group claims its goal is to build a bipartisan pro-Israel majority in Congress, and they argue that several candidates in this race are far more supportive of Israel than Malinowski. The statement did not address Malinowski's voting record on key issues.
Way, meanwhile, is running on a platform focused on fighting President Donald Trump's agenda while advocating for strengthening the Affordable Care Act and protecting democracy and voting rights. She has also received backing from several prominent New Jersey organizations but lacks significant fundraising strength compared to her opponents.
This unexpected move highlights the influence wielded by AIPAC in US politics, particularly when pitting more progressive candidates against moderate ones.
According to an analysis by The Intercept, at least 30 donors associated with American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) groups, including its super PAC and pro-Israel advocacy organization Democratic Majority for Israel, have chipped in over $50,000 towards Way's campaign. Just last week, DMFI officially endorsed her.
The move is an unusual one from the lobby, which typically campaigns against progressive candidates who are vocal critics of Israel policy. Instead, they're backing a moderate like Way to challenge Malinowski – a former lieutenant governor and more progressive on issues related to Israel.
However, this pro-Israel boost comes at the expense of Malinowski, who has been the subject of AIPAC ire due to his lack of progressiveness on Israel policy. Despite receiving significant spending from AIPAC's super PAC, United Democracy Project, which spent over $2.3 million on ads against him, the ads themselves did not mention Israel.
The group claims its goal is to build a bipartisan pro-Israel majority in Congress, and they argue that several candidates in this race are far more supportive of Israel than Malinowski. The statement did not address Malinowski's voting record on key issues.
Way, meanwhile, is running on a platform focused on fighting President Donald Trump's agenda while advocating for strengthening the Affordable Care Act and protecting democracy and voting rights. She has also received backing from several prominent New Jersey organizations but lacks significant fundraising strength compared to her opponents.
This unexpected move highlights the influence wielded by AIPAC in US politics, particularly when pitting more progressive candidates against moderate ones.
so there are these rich donors from Israel who are basically bankrolling Tahesha Way's campaign and now she's gaining on Tom Malinowski 
I mean i know he was getting a lot of cash from pro-Israel groups but i didn't think they were gonna actually support someone more moderate than him 
it's wild that AIPAC is trying to build a bipartisan pro-Israel majority in Congress, like what even is the point of that 
anyway Way seems like she's got some cool ideas on healthcare and voting rights but I don't know if it's enough to take down Malinowski 
. it's crazy how influential donors from the Israel lobby are throwing their weight behind Tahesha Way 
! meanwhile, Tom Malinowski is getting slammed with ads 
, but no Israel mention 
. it's all about building a bipartisan pro-Israel majority in Congress 
. way to keep things interesting in the NJ 11th Congressional District 
!
. And what's with the lack of transparency about his voting record? It's like they want to sweep all this under the rug 
. I just wish we had more info on how this is gonna play out in terms of policy 
I mean, who would've thought that pro-Israel donors would be backing a mod like Tahesha Way? 
Anyone got thoughts on this one? 
, but those who quietly support a cause from behind the scenes 
. Maybe we can all learn from this to look for ways to use our unique voices and strengths to amplify the causes we care about 
?
. It's like, they want a bipartisan pro-Israel majority in Congress and they're willing to make some unconventional moves to get it 
!
This tells me they're not just trying to keep progressive candidates at bay, but actually thinking they can win with someone on the center-left. I'm curious to see how this plays out - does this sudden shift in strategy mean AIPAC is open to some bipartisan cooperation or are they just playing politics as usual? 