Sanders Warns of $233 Million AIPAC Spending Against Netanyahu Critics in US Elections

By Staff, Agencies

US Senator Bernie Sanders has warned that the American "Israel" Public Affairs Committee [AIPAC] plans to spend $233 million during the US congressional midterm elections targeting candidates who criticize the government of “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a post on X, Sanders said the pro-“Israel” lobbying organization was preparing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to defeat candidates who oppose or publicly challenge Netanyahu’s government.

Sanders cited the Michigan campaign of Abdul El-Sayed as an example, saying AIPAC had spent $33 million attempting to defeat him but failed. El-Sayed has opposed unconditional US military assistance to “Israel” and criticized Netanyahu’s policies toward Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Sanders reiterated his opposition to US military aid for “Israel,” writing: “NO MORE US MILITARY AID FOR ‘ISRAEL’.”

The dispute comes as US political debate over Washington’s relationship with “Israel” intensifies. Candidates within the Democratic Party have increasingly faced pressure to address US military assistance, civilian casualties in Gaza, settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and the broader direction of Netanyahu’s government.

Critics of AIPAC’s political spending argue that large campaign expenditures can be used to punish lawmakers and candidates who challenge the US government’s longstanding support for “Israel.” Supporters of the organization, meanwhile, characterize its political activity as an effort to elect candidates who support the US-“Israel” relationship.

The controversy has become particularly significant amid growing criticism of the war in Gaza and US policy toward the region. Candidates opposing unconditional military support for “Israel” have increasingly made the issue part of their campaigns, while pro-“Israel” political organizations have sought to influence congressional races.

The battle over campaign spending is therefore becoming part of a larger political struggle in Washington over US military assistance to “Israel,” the Netanyahu government’s policies, and the treatment of Palestinians.