AIPAC is dying a slow death from a self-inflicted wound

The established US-Israel lobbyist in the US has lost the support of American Jews, argues LEV STESIN.

AIPAC is slowly dying. It’s true that no organisation or institution is eternal, but rarely do we see the mortal wound self-inflicted at the height of one’s success.

AIPAC’s decision to indefinitely cancel its annual policy conference from last year is one such act of self-immolation. This decision takes the word “public” out of AIPAC – the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. But without the “public” – Jewish and other Israel-loving Americans – no political organisation dedicated to the hotly debated topic of US-Israel relations can survive.

AIPAC is shifting its strategy to  emphasise electing Israel-friendly candidates from both parties. That includes getting directly involved in the primaries. Given the  polarisation and churn in Congress, this approach makes a certain sense. AIPAC is also holding video conferences and small local in-person gatherings.

It cited many good motivations behind the cancellation of the policy conference: budgetary constraints, the increased political polarisation in the United States, the post-COVID environment. These would all be good reasons if AIPAC were a business.

But it isn’t, and it has to be a lot more if it wants to persevere in the policy arena.

Tragically, it appears that the old guard, which really understands the politics of public endeavours – the folks connected with the people they represent – are stepping aside from leadership positions. The new generation of AIPAC leaders will likely run it as a business.

And to use the vocabulary of business, they may provide a better short-term return for large investors, but the most important stakeholder, the Jewish people, will come out the loser in the long term.

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AIPAC Is Dying a Slow Death (Haaretz)

Photo: Then US secretary of state Mike Pompeo speaking at the AIPAC Policy Conference in March 2020. (Jose Luis Magana/AP)