AIPAC

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC; , AY-PAK) is an American pro-Israel lobbying group that advocates for policies strengthening the U.S.–Israel relationship. Founded in 1954 as the American Zionist Committee for Public Affairs, the organization adopted its current name in 1959. AIPAC is considered one of the most influential lobbying groups in the United States. Until 2021, AIPAC did not raise funds for political candidates itself; its members raised money for candidates through political action committees unaffiliated with AIPAC and by other means. In late 2021, AIPAC formed its own political action committee and announced plans for a Super PAC, which can spend money on candidates' behalf. AIPAC's critics have said it acts as an agent of the Israeli government and that it has a "stranglehold" on the United States Congress. AIPAC has been accused of being strongly allied with Israel's Likud party and the U.S. Republican Party. An AIPAC spokesman has called this a "malicious mischaracterization". AIPAC describes itself as a bipartisan organization. But reporting has found that its political spending has often supported efforts against candidates—mostly Democrats—considered "insufficiently supportive" of Israel. In the lead-up to the 2024 elections, The Guardian reported that AIPAC had recruited and supported challengers to candidates who had been critical of Israel's actions in the Gaza war. AIPAC has also been criticized as unrepresentative of the diversity of views among American Jews who support Israel, and for aligning closely with policies of right-wing Israeli governments. As of 2025, AIPAC reports more than 5 million members in the U.S., 17 regional offices, and "a vast pool of donors". It was founded in 1954 by Isaiah L. Kenen, a lobbyist for the Israeli government, partly to counter international criticism of Israel's Qibya massacre of Palestinian villagers that year. AIPAC became an influential organization during the...