Is a Jewish Lobby Undermining our Democracy?

Our national Jewish family—and mine—are in great conflict.

Within the American Jewish community distinct divisions exist related to our attitudes regarding our country’s relationship with Israel. There are three distinct groups.

One group, which some refer to as the “far left,” sees Israel primarily as an oppressor of the Palestinian people and may even see Israel as committing “genocide” against the civilians who live in Gaza.

The second and third groups are both Zionist, meaning they believe in the state of Israel and its self-determination as the ancestral homeland for the Jewish people.

The first of these latter two groups is relatively small. They support the Israeli government and refrain from any criticism of Israel. This group is represented by a powerful lobbying organization, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). The other group represents the majority of American Jews who are Zionists. They are willing to be critical of many of the actions of the Israeli government.

My experiences with the latter two groups have impacted my own family and social network.

Historically, the American Jewish population has long supported human rights, social justice, and democratic principles. Politically, we have been at the forefront of fighting for these principles.

Since Donald Trump’s election in 2016, our country has been threatened by undemocratic, autocratic, and oligarchical forces. Many of our democratic institutions have been eroded. And following the January 6th insurrection on the US Capitol, our legal system has been seriously damaged. One political party has become the “party of Trump”—a party abandoning the principles of our Constitution, some calling it a “fascist” party. Many scholars agree that our country is on the precipice of becoming a dangerous autocracy.

At the risk of offending some of the people for whom I care deeply, I must ask some questions. Is it okay for an organization that supports a democratic Israel to fund U.S. Congressional candidates who undermine our Constitution? And most crucially, are the supporters of AIPAC aware that in the 2024 election AIPAC supported 75 GOP house candidates who voted against certifying Joe Biden’s election in 2020? These GOP candidates voted just hours after insurrectionists violently attacked our capital to support the blatantly false premise that the “election was rigged.” To be clear, in the 2024 election, AIPAC also supported Democratic candidates.

How can we give support to an organization claiming to support the only democracy in the Middle East, when this organization has backed those who have voted to undermine our fragile democracy? How can we do this and embrace our Jewish values of justice, human rights, and lawfulness?

Is this Jewish lobby undermining our own democracy?