American Israel Public Affairs Committee Expected To Target Rep. Jamaal Bowman In New Ad

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has its eyes set on Rep. Jamaal Bowman as the new target in upcoming ads. 

The group’s super political action committee (PAC), United Democracy Project, is expected to run new ads against New York’s 16th Congressional District representative, also labeled as a member of the progressive “Squad,” ahead of the primary election scheduled for June 2024. 

Bowman’s campaign manager, Gabe Tobias, released a statement saying the team received inside information about a multi-million dollar campaign. “We’ve heard from inside sources that AIPAC is planning to spend up to $25 million dollars against Congressman Bowman, making this the most expensive House primary in U.S. history,” Tobias said 

“Their MAGA billionaire donors are spending everything they have against us because they know that Jamaal Bowman speaks for a majority of Democratic voters — from a ceasefire in Gaza to Medicare for All — and that our Democratic coalition can only be defeated with millions of dollars spent to divide our communities.”

AIPAC pledged to spend close to $100 million during the 2024 political cycle to oust members of the Squad, who have been on the leading end of calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and to end the U.S. military’s support for Israel. Bowman’s challenger, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, was recruited by AIPAC and assisted him in securing a little under $1 million in funding so far. 

However, after one of the group’s targets, Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.), won her primary last week, the group has backed away from the pledge. 

The new focus is ousting Bowman and other members of the Squad. Expecting to spend at least $20 million in each race, their eyes are also set on Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and will support opponent Wesley Bell during their upcoming primary in August 2024. Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) have also been listed as potential targets, wanting to go “all-in to make up for their failures.” “AIPAC started this cycle promising to take out every single member of the Squad, and they have already failed at that goal with Summer’s resounding victory last week,” Justice Democrats communications director Usamah Andrabi said.  

“Now, their Republican billionaire megadonors want to go all-in to make up for their failures by trying to defeat a former middle school principal and educator because nothing is a greater threat to right-wing power than everyday people having a megaphone in Washington through a Congressman Jamaal Bowman and Congresswoman Cori Bush.”

The timing of this announcement comes after Bowman hosted a fundraiser with a Muslim leader described as an extremist who allegedly praised the Hamas attack in Israel. According to the New York Post, the event was hosted at a private residence in Fairfax, Virginia, with Bowman’s face posted alongside the executive director of the Council on American–Islamic Relations, Nihad Awad. 

Awad was condemned by the White House after he publicly said in December 2023 that he “was happy to see” the Hamas slaughter in Israel and added, “The people of Gaza have the right to self-defense.”

The White House immediately severed ties with the organization, with spokesman Andrew Bates issuing a statement at the time saying, “We condemn these shocking, antisemitic statements in the strongest terms.”

“The horrific, brutal terrorist attacks committed by Hamas on Oct. 7 were, as President Biden said, ‘abhorrent’ and represent ‘unadulterated evil,’” the statement read.

On Facebook, Awad celebrated Bowman as a “staunch defender of Palestinian rights” and encouraged persons interested in attending to send him a private message. 

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