One of the most storied lobbies in Washington, the America Israel Public Affairs Committee has, for more than six decades, built its brand as a cheerleader for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship rooted in values and interests the two countries share. Values like democracy.

In fact, one of AIPAC’s most frequent go-to lines is that the United States needs Israel because it is “the only democracy” in the Middle East.

In 2022, AIPAC has entered directly into American electoral politics for the first time, in an election cycle where U.S. democracy itself is on the line. The group launched both a traditional federal political action committee, AIPAC PAC, and a super PAC and has thus far poured nearly $30 million into primary campaigns.

Yet to date, AIPAC has spent not a cent to defeat members of the House or Senate who have threatened American democracy, voted against certifying the 2022 elections, and endorsed Donald Trump’s Big Lie. Instead, it has actually endorsed over three-quarters of the insurrectionist enablers—109 of them in total. Rather than devoting its resources to defending the democratic values on which the U.S. and Israel stand, its super PAC is putting 100 percent of its funds into crushing progressive Democrats it has labeled—without any good reason—“anti-Israel.”

Across the country, this spending has become a dominant storyline in this year’s Democratic primaries and is making Israel more of a political football than it has ever been in American elections.

This article originally appeared on The New Republic. You can read the rest of it here.