AIPAC Cuts Off Democrats Over Israel Vote as TIME Details Israeli PR Operation

Date: 19 July 2026 - 00:41

News ID: ۱۵۱۸۸۹

WASHINGTON (Dispatches) -- The notorious American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) cut off online fundraising support for more than two dozen House Democrats after they voted against a $3.3 billion military aid package to Israel, while a TIME investigation found that Israel has been financing a multimillion-dollar influence campaign aimed at shaping conservative opinion in the United States.
The two developments have intensified scrutiny of pro-Israel lobbying efforts and influence campaigns as criticism of Israel gains traction across both Democratic and Republican constituencies.
AIPAC removed contribution buttons from its donation portal for Democratic incumbents who voted in favor of an amendment introduced by Republican Representative Thomas Massie on July 15 to eliminate roughly $3.3 billion in annual U.S. military assistance to Israel under the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program. The amendment would also have barred any funds in the fiscal 2027 State Department appropriations bill from supporting Israel.
Although the proposal was defeated by a 314–104 vote, nearly half of House Democrats backed the measure, highlighting growing divisions within the party over continued military support for Israel.
The vote followed a period of mounting criticism of Israel among U.S. voters and progressive activists. According to the original text, candidates critical of Israel have gained support in recent elections, while accepting AIPAC funding has become increasingly controversial among a growing segment of the electorate.
Meanwhile, a TIME investigation published on 14 July reported that Israel has been paying former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale’s political communications firm, Clock Tower X, $1.5 million per month to run a digital influence campaign targeting Gen Z audiences and supporters of President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.
According to the report, the campaign was launched under a contract arranged through global advertising agency Havas in September 2025. Parscale’s firm reportedly pledged to generate at least 50 million digital impressions each month and sought to influence how artificial intelligence platforms, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, and Google’s Gemini, characterized Israel and the Gaza war.
An Israeli foreign ministry official familiar with the effort told TIME that “there was another strategic aim: preventing young conservatives from turning against Israel.”
The report said the campaign intensified after the announcement of the June Iran–U.S. memorandum of understanding, as MAGA influencers criticized the agreement for failing to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program and objected to provisions concerning Lebanon and Hezbollah.
The revelations come amid widening debate over Israel’s influence in U.S. politics as criticism of Washington’s support for Tel Aviv expands across the American political spectrum.