DNC Rejects Resolution to Limit AIPAC Influence in Democratic Primaries

Democrats have once again chosen not to take a stance on the issue of Israel and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). The Democratic National Committee (DNC) members rejected a symbolic resolution aimed at limiting the influence of AIPAC and dark-money corporate groups in Democratic primaries.

The move is seen as a blow to those within the party who have been critical of AIPAC's recent interventions. The DNC also refrained from taking a stance on a pair of sweeping resolutions concerning conflicts in the Middle East, which pushed the party to support conditioning military aid to Israel. These measures were referred to the party's Middle East Working Group, which has been slow to coalesce around an agenda.

Background

The AIPAC resolution called for the DNC to condemn the growing influence of dark money in Democratic elections, including from the pro-Israel group that has pumped tens of millions of dollars into recent primaries in Illinois and New Jersey. Several members of the DNC's resolutions committee said they voted it down because they had passed a resolution earlier in their meeting broadly condemning the influence of dark money in the midterms without calling out individual groups.

Committee members similarly struck language from the catchall dark-money resolution that had singled out the glut of spending from AI- and cryptocurrency-aligned PACs. DNC Chair Ken Martin stated: "We had various resolutions that focused on different industries and groups, and instead of going one-by-one, we passed a blanket repudiation. I have made my position on this clear from day one: We must end the influence of dark money in our politics and restore power back to the people."

"The DNC made clear today that all Democrats, including millions who are AIPAC members, have the right to participate fully in the democratic process. And we plan to do just that," said AIPAC spokesperson Deryn Sousa in a statement.

Halie Soifer, a former Kamala Harris adviser and CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, suggested that the votes show the party hasn’t shifted on Israel as much as it seems. "There are misconceptions because there is a vocal, far-left faction of our party, but they are in no way leading here," Soifer said. "The DNC as a whole has not shifted from where it has been … which is an organization that is inclusive of Jewish Americans and is supportive of the U.S.-Israel security relationship, as well as Israel’s future as a Jewish and Democratic state."

Implications

But Florida Democrat Allison Minnerly, who introduced the AIPAC resolution, argued there’s "merit to calling out different PACs with intention" given their individual efforts to influence the party’s elections. She said in an interview after the vote that she was unsurprised but disappointed by the result. DNC leadership "really does not want to continue having this conversation … but our voters, our base, does," she said. "These are hard questions on a local and national level, but the DNC ultimately has to not just kick things down the road but address things head on because people are tired of waiting."

A Pew Research survey released this week showed 80 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents hold unfavorable views of Israel, up from 69 percent last year and 53 percent in 2022. A NBC News poll conducted in late February and early March, meanwhile, found that 57 percent of Democrats view Israel negatively, a dramatic change from when just 35 percent held a negative view of the country after Hamas attacked it on Oct. 7, 2023.