In response to AIPAC’s political action committee announcement that it now endorses 109 anti-democratic Members of Congress who voted against certifying Joe Biden’s election as president following the attempted insurrection on January 6, 2021, J Street’s National Political Director Laura Birnbaum issued the following statement:
“Since announcing earlier this year that they had endorsed over three dozen Members of Congress who voted to overturn the presidential election results on January 6, AIPAC has faced strong condemnation and criticism from prominent Jewish communal leaders and commentators, including several of their own former senior staff. Yet instead of reversing course, they have now tripled down – endorsing 109 anti-democratic Members of Congress. They have sent a clear message that they do not care about the future of American democracy, and that they are ready to raise millions of dollars for those who empower and excuse insurrection.
“AIPAC’s support for these candidates undermines the true interests and values of millions of American Jews and pro-Israel Americans who AIPAC often claims to represent. Elected officials who threaten the very future of our country should be completely beyond the pale – whatever their views on Israel.
“While AIPAC claims to solely care about one issue, the truth is that by spending millions of dollars to support far-right Republicans, they are deliberately choosing to undermine democracy and harmfully impact our politics at a critical moment in the history of our country. Claims of ‘bipartisanship’ cannot excuse support for candidates who only respect election results when their party wins.
“J Street has repeatedly urged all pro-Israel PACs to take a “Democracy Pledge” to never support such anti-democratic candidates. We will continue to do all that we can to support elected officials who are prepared to uphold and defend democracy both in the US and in Israel, and to confront those who falsely claim to speak for the American Jewish and pro-Israel communities.”
The full list of AIPAC-endorsed candidates who voted to overturn the election results on January 6 can be found here. In total, AIPAC now endorses over two-thirds of all those who sided with the insurrectionists.
Contact: Logan Bayroff, [email protected].