Democratic Critics of Israel’s War in Gaza Win Key Races, Dealing Setback to AIPAC

Democratic candidates critical of Israel’s war in Gaza won major congressional races on Tuesday, including two Senate contests in Michigan and Maine, according to Newsweek. The article reports that the results dealt a significant setback to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and raised questions about its ability to shape the Democratic Party’s position on Israel.

The most consequential result, Newsweek says, came in Michigan, where Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers despite a multimillion-dollar effort by AIPAC’s super PAC to prevent him from becoming the Democratic nominee. Research compiled for the article states that AIPAC’s United Democracy Project (UDP) spent approximately $30.6 million in Michigan’s Democratic primary, including roughly $20.1 million opposing El-Sayed and $10.5 million supporting his more moderate rival, Representative Haley Stevens. The article notes that those figures still require reconciliation with Federal Election Commission independent expenditure records, a step that truth requires before the totals are treated as settled (Proverbs 18:17). Newsweek also reports that El-Sayed later defeated Rogers in the general election, becoming the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. Michigan had voted for Donald Trump in 2024.

In Maine, Troy Jackson defeated Republican Senator Susan Collins, whose political action committee had supported her, which the article describes as another setback for the pro-Israel organization. Newsweek concludes from these results that opposition to unconditional American military assistance to Israel appears to be becoming less of an electoral obstacle for Democratic candidates, including those in politically divided states.

Jamie Beran, CEO of Bend the Arc, whose Jewish progressive organization supported the broader political movement, told Newsweek that voters had rejected attempts to divide communities over Israel. “AIPAC, tech bros and other special interests spent millions trying to defeat candidates like Dr. Abdul El-Sayed because he was critical of our tax dollars being used for unconditional military aid to Israel’s government,” Beran said. She added: “This is a sign that the politics of fear are losing their grip to something stronger: communities organizing together for a future where all of us are safe.” The article notes that the result does not establish how many voters shared El-Sayed’s position on Israel, since his campaign also emphasized health care, living costs and corporate influence.

Bar-Ilan University political scientist Jonathan Rynhold, quoted by Newsweek, says three pillars have traditionally sustained the U.S.-Israel relationship: bipartisan political support, the influence of the pro-Israel lobby in Congress, and Israel’s strategic importance to the United States. Rynhold argues that the first has largely collapsed, the second has been substantially weakened, and the third remains intact. He adds that growing numbers in both parties are questioning whether Israel’s military power is being used in American interests.

Newsweek reports that the Michigan result came alongside a broader group of Democrats whose positions on Israel depart from traditional bipartisan support for military assistance. In New York, Brad Lander won the 10th Congressional District after defeating incumbent Dan Goldman in the Democratic primary. Lander describes himself as a liberal Zionist and supports restrictions on military assistance. The article says the other candidates identified in the election research vary considerably: some support ending all U.S. military assistance to Israel, while others favor restricting offensive weapons transfers. Daniel Biss, who won Illinois’ Ninth District, supports conditions on assistance but has declined to describe Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide.

Newsweek also presents a more complicated picture of AIPAC’s influence. The article reports that AIPAC and its allies defeated several prominent critics of Israel during the primaries, including contests involving Republican Thomas Massie in Kentucky and Democrats Cori Bush, Kat Abughazaleh, Junaid Ahmed and Nida Allam. Rynhold told Newsweek that older Democrats remain broadly sympathetic to Israel despite opposing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, while younger Democrats formed their views during Netanyahu’s long period in power and his association with Trump. He also cautioned against reading the results as a wholesale rejection of AIPAC, noting that moderate Democrats who won competitive races often campaigned on domestic economic issues.

The immediate effect on American military assistance remains uncertain, according to the article. Even an enlarged group of lawmakers favoring restrictions would need sufficient congressional support to change appropriations or arms-transfer policy, and Rynhold argued that presidential authority over foreign and defense policy would limit practical consequences over the next two years. The first test will come when the new Congress considers military assistance and arms transfers to Israel.

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