Let’s be clear what happened in Illinois’ 9th district tonight:
AIPAC spent millions in a Democratic primary, funded in large part by Republican donors, trying to stamp out opposition to Netanyahu’s policies.
But voters had other plans - and rejected that effort.
AIPAC targeted Daniel Biss not because he’s anti-Israel, but because he represents the kind of balanced, pro-Israel leadership they fear: committed to Israel’s security, while also standing up for Palestinian rights and U.S. interests.
They went after him and others because a growing Democratic Party consensus says support for Israel cannot be a blank check, and that U.S. aid must be consistent with our laws and our values. And they tried to hide their fingerprints because their direct involvement would only hurt.
If there’s a lesson in tonight’s result, it’s this: you can’t rebuild support for Israel through fear, intimidation, and outside money.
Those tactics are doing the opposite - accelerating the erosion of support, especially among younger voters who are already asking why the U.S. is backing policies that don’t reflect the values they were raised with.
“Wars and peace process fatigue hardened a people and gave rise to an exploitative demagogue in Benjamin Netanyahu, whose signature achievement has been turning brother against brother, idealist into cynic.”
✍️ From J Street leader @DanielBral: https://t.co/BZAEuS1ODa
🚨 Today, we’re launching a national initiative calling on our Jewish communal leaders and institutions to speak out about the urgency of ending the war, releasing all hostages and surging aid to Gaza.
Take action. Silence is complicity:
https://t.co/0KE3Q443G5
Gaza is starving. And those who dare seek food are being shot. This is morally and strategically disastrous. We continue to call on our community to act and push back against this policy – for peace, for an end to the war, for every parent trying to feed their children.
Our @jstreetdotorg LA chapter helped organize a powerful conversation at @IKAR_LA ft @JeremyBenAmi and Rabbi Sharon Brous. Hear two of our community’s boldest voices speaking with urgency, nuance, and clarity on some of the world’s most pressing issues: https://t.co/cb3no6kJTl
We are horrified by the shooting this evening outside of an American Jewish Committee event for young professionals at the Capital Jewish Museum in DC that took the lives of two Israeli Embassy staff. 1/2
“He’s finished, done, gone. He polls terrible. People hate him,” said a GOP operative who was granted anonymity to speak frankly. “He’d go to Wisconsin thinking he can buy people’s votes, wear the cheese hat, act like a 9-year-old. ... It doesn’t work. It’s offensive to people.” https://t.co/5chPXzvMRa
🚨 Just released, the Muslim Public Affairs Council (@mpac_national) and J Street issue a joint statement condemning Trump's use of fighting antisemitism as a pretext to suppress free speech and civil liberties: https://t.co/uAb8kV5bhm