United States: Candidates Defending Palestinians Targeted by AIPAC Money

Voters in the 16th Congressional District of New York State (to the immediate north of New York City) are stunned when informed that the Democratic primary election for that seat has attracted nearly $25 million in contributions — mostly for George Latimer, who is challenging the incumbent, Jamaal Bowman. Latimer is the beneficiary of funds coming from the leading organization of the Zionist Lobby in the U.S., the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and its affiliates. Through its Super PAC, the United Democracy Project, AIPAC has purchased $18 million in advertising to defeat Bowman, in addition to another estimated $4 to $6 million given to Latimer’s campaign through individual contributions. The election (open to all members of the Democratic Party) takes place on June 25.

Bowman has been targeted by AIPAC for daring to speak out against Israel’s assault against the Palestinian population of Gaza, which the International Court of Justice is investigating, after issuing provisional measures to stop what it called a “plausible case of genocide” conducted by Israel in response to attacks by Hamas on October 7. Bowman was among the first of the Democratic “Progressive” Caucus to call for a ceasefire, and he signed a resolution calling on President Biden to cut off U.S. funds and weapons shipments to Israel. Bowman has called Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu a “maniac” and a “blockade to a pathway to peace”.

Latimer is described by mainstream media as having a “more centrist, establishment position”, which means in present media-speak that the U.S. must continue to give full support to the Israeli campaign for ethnic cleansing of Palestine. He has been endorsed by Hillary Clinton and is a strong defender of President Biden’s package of nearly $25 billion to fund Netanyahu’s murderous assault on Gaza.

LaRouche independent candidates Diane Sare and Jose Vega are intervening against this blatant attempt by AIPAC to buy a Congressional seat. Sare, who is on the ballot in New York for U.S. Senate, released a statement on June 18, “Is Your Vote for Sale? George Latimer Is”! The statement says that “Jose Vega and I are counting on the voters of New York’s 16th Congressional District to stand firm as American citizens, free from foreign meddling in our electoral process as AIPAC is attempting supposedly on behalf of Israel….”

Vega, who is running as an independent for Congress in the neighboring 15th District, joined with Sare and 34 campaign activists at a Bowman rally on June 22 to expose the corruption of the “donor class” backing Latimer. Vega reported that while few of the 1,500 people at the rally were aware of the record amount of funds from AIPAC being poured in to defeat Bowman, there was outrage at the scale of corruption it exposed.

AIPAC officials have stated they are prepared to spend at least $100 million in the 2024 campaign to elect pro-Israel candidates like Latimer.