In the latest indication that the war in Gaza is significantly threatening Israel's dominance over American politics, a sitting US congressman and Senate hopeful has announced he's returning donations received from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and refusing to accept any more.   

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“In recent years, AIPAC has aligned itself too closely with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government," <a href="https://x.com/sethmoulton/status/1978882032240595086">said</a> Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton on Thursday, one day after announcing he was launching a primary challenge against incumbent Dem Senator Edward Markey. 

"I’m a friend of Israel, but not of its current government, and AIPAC’s mission today is to back that government...I don’t support that direction. That’s why I’ve decided to return the donations I’ve received and will not be accepting their support.” 
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Moulton will <a href="https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/10/16/seth-moulton-is-returning-aipac-donations-after-launching-senate-campaign-against-ed-markey/">refund $35,000</a> that he's received from AIPAC. 
<a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/SethMoulton.jpg?itok=rWmPF12d" data-link-option="0" href="/s3/files/inline-images/SethMoulton.jpg?itok=rWmPF12d"><picture><figure role="group" class="caption caption-img inline-images image-style-inline-images"><img alt="" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="caddae83-73ce-49ae-8a08-1cc6d2ebcfc6" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="337" src="https://zh-dev-046fffa0-2095-430f-bd04-a687fe941952.storage.googleapis.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/SethMoulton.jpg?itok=rWmPF12d" typeof="foaf:Image" width="500" /><figcaption>There were signs: Moulton looked less than thrilled in this group photo with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu taken in Israel last October</figcaption></figure></picture></a>

AIPAC quickly lashed out at its estranged beneficiary.

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 <a href="https://x.com/AIPAC/status/1978930742940877308">“Moulton is abandoning his friends to grab a headline</a>, capitulating to the extremes rather than standing on conviction,” the group wrote on X. 

“His statement comes after years of him repeatedly asking for our endorsement and is a clear message to AIPAC members in Massachusetts, and millions of pro-Israel Democrats nationwide, that he rejects their support and will not stand with them.”
</blockquote>

AIPAC has long been regarded as one of the most powerful lobbying groups in US politics. Historically, politicians from both parties have been eager to accept AIPAC money - and quick to accept AIPAC's voting instructions.  Similarly, they've been fearful of incurring the group's wrath, which could quickly turn into a potent primary challenge. In 2024, AIPAC and allied pro-Israel groups spent enormous sums in successful efforts to oust New York Dem. Rep. Jamaal Bowman and Missouri Dem. Rep. Cori Bush. AIPAC's $15 million spent against Bowman helped make that race the most expensive House primary in US history.  

However, in a political earthquake emanating from Israel's staggering destruction of Gaza with US-supplied weapons, AIPAC now finds its position in American politics wobbling like never before, as citizens across the political spectrum demonstrate growing unease with Israel's influence over politicians and policy. Increasingly, both Republicans and Democrats find themselves under fire for accepting AIPAC money. In an August town hall, Massachusetts GOP Rep. Jake Auchincloss was repeatedly grilled for just that: 

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Watch this congressman realize that his voters know he is bribed by Israel in realtime. Treason. The tides are shifting. <a href="https://t.co/xAB3ywfWE4">pic.twitter.com/xAB3ywfWE4</a>
— Israel Exposed (@xIsraelExposedx) <a href="https://twitter.com/xIsraelExposedx/status/1974855023101452585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>This week, New Jersey Democratic Sen. Corey Booker was confronted about his acceptance of AIPAC money by the hostesses of the "I've Had It" podcast :

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SEN. BOOKER: “I don’t take corporate PAC money.”<a href="https://twitter.com/MizzWelch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MizzWelch</a>: “What about AIPAC money?? — There was a photo shoot with you with Netanyahu, and I was like: what in the actual fuck? We want credible messengers.” 
Full <a href="https://twitter.com/ivehaditpodcast?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ivehaditpodcast</a> ep: <a href="https://t.co/Qg8kAl0LuH">https://t.co/Qg8kAl0LuH</a> <a href="https://t.co/XGntLftdss">pic.twitter.com/XGntLftdss</a>
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTNHoller/status/1978190539389366699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>In the most comical display of discomfort over the AIPAC question, California Gov. Gavin Newsom positively malfunctioned this week when asked about AIPAC's role in US politics, calling the topic "interesting" 8 times in 30 seconds, and disingenuously claiming "I haven't thought much about AIPAC" -- a preposterous claim for a likely 2028 presidential candidate.  

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/California?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#California</a> Gov. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Newsom?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Newsom</a> glitches when asked about <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AIPAC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AIPAC</a> 
Stutters while saying 'INTERESTING' 8 times in 30 secs 
'What's interesting about it?'<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gavin</a>: 'That it's just interesting' 
? <a href="https://t.co/FHt3Ss7SsN">pic.twitter.com/FHt3Ss7SsN</a>
— Mahalaxmi Ramanathan (@MahalaxmiRaman) <a href="https://twitter.com/MahalaxmiRaman/status/1978510543460745427?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>While opposition to AIPAC and US support of Israel is strongest on the left, it's becoming a stance that can be found across America's political spectrum. A September New York Times/ Siena College <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/29/polls/israel-gaza-war-us-poll.html">survey</a> found that, for the first time, more Americans sympathize with the Palestinians instead of the Israelis. The most striking shift in sentiments is seen inside the Republican Party, where younger party members are resoundingly rejecting the party's traditional embrace of the Israel. When asked whether they sympathize more with the Israelis or Palestinians, <a href="https://sadat.umd.edu/sites/sadat.umd.edu/files/Young%20Republicans%20Final.pdf">only 24% of Republicans under age 34 side with Israel,</a> according to a University of Maryland poll taken this summer. 

Though Democrat Moulton is making headlines with his public divorce from AIPAC, some of the loudest AIPAC critics on Capitol Hill are Republicans -- namely, Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. <a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/political/super-pac-targeting-massie-funded-three-israel-backing-billionaires">Massie is staring down the barrel of a PAC created for the sole purpose of ousting him</a> from the House -- a PAC funded entirely by three Israel-backing billionaires. Earlier this month, Greene dared AIPAC to back a challenger in her own district, telling <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/marjorie-taylor-greene-dares-israel-030537114.html">Matt Gaetz</a>:

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"I think Americans have very much become aware that Israel is a foreign government that has been meddling not only in campaigns and elections, but also meddling in government policy...If AIPAC wants to take a shot at me in Northwest Georgia, then you know what? Giddy-up, go ahead. I’m America First. I will not apologize for that, and AIPAC is Israel First, and I don’t think my district will tolerate it." 
</blockquote>

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Congressional members &amp; candidates wore name badges with QR codes <a href="https://twitter.com/AIPAC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AIPAC</a> donors would scan to contribute if they liked the pol, per former Rep. Gaetz: 
“Can you just imagine how demoralizing that is… hoping they would scan you like a can of tomato soup? <a href="https://t.co/MAfz2urVG1">pic.twitter.com/MAfz2urVG1</a>
— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcACaputo/status/1975916560155041792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>In contrast to Massie and Greene, Moulton is seemingly attempting to walk a political tightrope in which he repudiates the high-profile AIPAC while stopping short of thwarting the ongoing redistribution of American wealth to Israel: His campaign <a href="https://sethmoulton.com/">website</a> doesn't mention Israel or any foreign policy topic at all.

In Maine, <a href="https://x.com/CynthiaNixon/status/1960134567068672026">Democrat Graham Platner</a>, who's challenging incumbent Susan Collins, has made his own opposition to AIPAC a central theme of his campaign, saying, "I refuse to take money from AIPAC or any group that supports the genocide in Gaza." As we wade deeper into the 2026 political cycle, watch for AIPAC and Israel to increasingly become a wedge issue, particularly in Democratic Party primaries. 

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Seth Moulton never saw a military aid package to support Israel's genocide that he didn't like, and vote for. But AIPAC is too toxic even for him. 
We'd love to see a follow-up post that he won't continue voting for genocidal aid. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlockTheBombs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlockTheBombs</a> <a href="https://t.co/C6QLIGTnug">https://t.co/C6QLIGTnug</a>
— Massachusetts Peace Action (MAPA) (@masspeaceaction) <a href="https://twitter.com/masspeaceaction/status/1978933491120189546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Move comes after Gavin Newsom short-circuits when asked about AIPAC


Senate Candidate Returns AIPAC Money As Pro-Israel Group Becomes Political Poison

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