Protesters gather near the offices of the American 'Israel' Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) during a rally in New York City demanding a ceasefire and the end of Israel's attacks on Gaza.
AIPAC retreats from spotlight as Gaza war reshapes US politics: Report
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- Growing public anger over the war on Gaza is forcing the pro-'Israel' lobby to abandon overt election tactics.
- AIPAC is shifting back to indirect funding to preserve its influence ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The American pro-'Israel' lobby is undergoing a quiet but significant transformation as popular outrage over the war on Gaza begins to reshape US electoral politics.
An investigation by The Intercept examines how the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, is retreating from the aggressive public election campaigns it ran in recent cycles, opting instead for a more discreet strategy aimed at shielding candidates from backlash while maintaining leverage in Congress.
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Public backlash grows
Rising support for Gaza and mounting disgust over what it describes as genocidal crimes have turned AIPAC’s once-boasted electoral muscle into a political liability, according to the report.
During the 2024 election cycle, AIPAC ran an unusually public campaign to demonstrate its power, spending more than 100 million dollars to unseat critics of 'Israel' and claiming credit for backing 361 pro-'Israel' candidates who won races across the country.
That success, however, was met with what The Intercept called “popular revulsion” toward the war on Gaza, as noted by political correspondent Akela Lacy.
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The backlash has fueled a growing political movement seeking to curb AIPAC’s influence by promoting congressional candidates who explicitly pledge to reject funding from the pro-'Israel' lobby.
A quieter strategy for 2026
Facing this shift, AIPAC is now scaling back its public presence ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, abandoning the overtly confrontational approach it adopted in 2024.
Former Democratic congresswoman Marie Newman, who lost her seat in 2022 with heavy backing from pro-'Israel' donors, said AIPAC is acutely aware of its damaged image. “AIPAC knows full well that its reputation is at rock bottom,” she was quoted as saying.
Hamed Bandas, communications director at the Institute for Middle East Understanding Policy Project, told the outlet that more Democrats are distancing themselves from AIPAC money because it has become “an electoral burden”.
He added that it remains unclear whether these candidates will also reject funding from allied groups such as Democratic Majority for 'Israel', which advances similar policies, particularly expanded arms transfers to 'Israel'.
Back to the shadows
The report cautions that AIPAC’s lower profile does not signal a loss of influence.
Instead, the lobby is reverting to long-used tactics of indirect support, channeling funds through intermediaries and aligned political committees to keep its name out of campaigns and limit public scrutiny.
In recent races, donors linked to the pro-'Israel' lobby have reportedly financed candidates across multiple districts without formal disclosure of AIPAC’s involvement.
Newman said the organization is deliberately removing itself from the foreground, routing money through other committees and individual donors so candidates can claim support from independent contributors while avoiding direct association with the lobby.
Repositioning, not retreat
The Intercept frames these moves as the latest adaptation by AIPAC to a political environment that has grown increasingly hostile toward 'Israel' in recent years.
For decades, AIPAC built bipartisan consensus largely out of public view, focusing on lobbying, briefing lawmakers, organizing trips to 'Israel', and cultivating regional activist networks, while avoiding direct participation in campaigns.
That changed in the early 2020s, as more candidates began running on platforms critical of unconditional US military support for 'Israel'.
In response, AIPAC launched direct election spending, including funding advertisements by Democratic Majority for 'Israel' that targeted Bernie Sanders during the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries.
The report concludes that AIPAC is not exiting the political arena. Rather, it is recalibrating, returning to indirect methods that sustained its influence for more than half a century, as it seeks to survive in a US political landscape more resistant to its agenda than at any point in its history.
