When Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) was badly beaten last week in his effort to serve another term in Congress, he blamed the “Israel lobby”—not U.S. President Donald Trump, who aggressively campaigned against him. Rather, by extension, Massie was blaming Jews, a majority of whom support Israel. By further extension, he blames Jews for defending their interests in the American democracy, as though Jews supporting a candidate who represents their interests is somehow “dirty” politics.
Massie isn’t alone. A movement is underway by many Democrats who are refusing to accept contributions from AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee), the leading lobbying and political-candidate-funding organization supporting the U.S.-Israel relationship. Again, support of Israel and the use of Jewish money to influence elections have become, in some quarters, illegitimate.
No matter that scores of other American interest groups and individual corporations far exceed AIPAC’s financial and political clout. It’s Jewish money that is suspect. It’s Israel—not Saudi Arabia, not Qatar, not Big Pharma—that is untouchable. The core notion of this reasoning is that Jews shouldn’t have equal rights under America’s democracy to invest in their political interests.
Ironically, while Jews represent just 2.4% of the U.S. population, they are one of the largest sources of philanthropic giving, accounting by some measures of up to 20% of all donations to charitable causes. (Is that OK?)
Jews also subsidize their own communal protection to the tune of $768 million a year for security at Jewish events and institutions—a burden borne privately by no other identifiable American group.
In short, despite the United States being one of the friendliest nations in the world to the Jewish people and to Israel, as elsewhere, Jews face existential and social threats greater than any other group. Why shouldn’t American Jews use hard-earned dollars to protect their community, as well as to promote institutions that serve them and politicians who support them? Why also should they be treated as pariahs for supporting one of America’s most loyal allies, which is also their ancient homeland?
There’s no other way to put it: Opposition to “Jewish money” for any of these causes is simply antisemitic. It is singling out American Jews, of all Americans, as beneath democratic freedom—life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. However, while it is unfair, American Jews have proven themselves to be uniquely capable of resisting—and defeating—this discrimination. Massie and his strange bedfellows, the anti-Israel Democrats, can expect more of the same.
Trump, not AIPAC, defeated Massie. The president recruited Massie’s opponent, Ed Gallrein, and campaigned and aggressively advocated for him with videos and social-media messages. Yet Massie chose to blame the “Israel lobby.” In his concession speech on election night, Massie directly disparaged the influence of pro-Israel forces.
Massie wasn’t alone in suffering Trump’s opposition, as numerous anti-MAGA Republicans lost to Trump-backed competitors. In recent weeks, for instance, Sen. Bill Cassidy in Louisiana and several Indiana state senators who defied Trump on redistricting lost their races to rivals supported by the president.
The anti-AIPAC movement swells. The Reject AIPAC coalition, a movement launched by more than 20 progressive groups in 2024, has been encouraging politicians to reject AIPAC funding. As a result, a number of House and Senate Democrats, as well as some potential Democratic presidential contenders, have pledged not to accept funding from AIPAC. These include notoriously anti-Israel House representatives, such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York), Ilhan Omar (Minnesota) and Rashida Tlaib (Michigan), as well as potential 2028 presidential candidates Corey Booker (New Jersey), Gavin Newsom (California) and Ruben Gallego (Arizona). None of these candidates is likely to be offered AIPAC support, but several pro-Israel Democrats, with AIPAC help, did defeat enemies of Israel in recent primary races.
AIPAC’s clout is dwarfed by other advocacy groups. While in 2025, AIPAC spent about $3.8 million on lobbying, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has spent $70 million to $96-plus million in recent years. Consider also the National Association of Realtors ($50 million to $86 million) and the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America ($38-plus million). Large individual corporations, such as Amazon (approximately $50 million in some reports) also spend much more. In short, AIPAC’s lobbying efforts are far outgunned by much bigger-spending political players. Yet it’s only Jewish money earning politicians’ disdain and media headlines.
Likewise, while AIPAC is funded by American citizens—not Israel—other foreign countries invest hugely to influence Congress and the American public. Spending by Saudi Arabia, China, Japan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates dwarfs efforts to support Israel, yet only AIPAC and other pro-Jewish, pro-Israel groups draw criticism for undue influence.
American Jews contribute disproportionately to charity. Jews represent just 2.4% of America’s population, but the data indicates that they’re responsible for up to 20% of total charitable contributions in the country. Most of this money, however, doesn’t go directly to support Jewish causes. In fact, analyses of Jewish foundations and mega-donors indicate that the majority of their funds go to secular causes, such as higher education, arts/culture and medicine/healthcare.
Unfortunately, Jews in America also have the dubious distinction of having to spend a whopping $768 million annually to protect their events, institutions and activities—more than any other definable group. Indeed, instead of relying on community policing, the average Jewish organization is compelled to devote some 14% of its annual budget to security. Furthermore, Jewish organizations historically receive the large majority of funds from the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). In short, Jews in America bear a much larger financial burden for self-protection simply because they’re Jews.
Why should anyone attack Jews for supporting their interests in America’s democracy? No other group is criticized for undue influence in American society—not unions, not tech, not China. Why should Jews be denied the right to support politicians and groups who support Jewish interests, Israel among them? If anyone singled out another community, such as blacks or Latinos, for using their money to support friends in Congress, they would rightfully be labeled racist. Yet bigots like Thomas Massie get a pass for targeting Jews and only Jews.
Criticizing and singling out American Jews for simply exercising democratic rights to support their interests is just plain racist—antisemitic—and therefore, intolerable in the context of American values.
Originally published by Facts and Logic About the Middle East (FLAME).
