As I write this article, an AP report states that over 8,000 Palestinians have been killed between October 7 and 29, including 2,913 innocent children and 29 journalists in the intensive bombardments and attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip by Israel, following the terrorist attack on its state on Oct. 7.
Yet, despite worldwide denunciation, including from the U.N., of the innocent killings via air, sea and land bombardment, the cutting off of food, water, electricity and even internet, many immigrant roots U.S. congressmembers are staying firmly on the side of Israel, silent on the issue or barely touching it all together.
Immigrants and children of immigrants account for at least 15% of the 118th Congress, a share that has steadily grown over the past three Congresses, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of members’ biographical information gathered from the Congressional Research Service, news articles, congressional offices and other sources.
Yet, few are bothering to raise their voices in condemnation of what Secretary-General António Guterres has called a “humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in front of our eyes.”
There is a reason and that reason has to do with money—specifically campaign donations and support from the very powerful AIPAC Political Action Committee, which, on its own website describes itself as “America’s largest bipartisan pro-Israel PAC.” whose mission is to “encourage and persuade the U.S. government to enact specific policies that create a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial relationship with our ally Israel.”
And it proudly lists all the U.S. lawmakers it supports, both Democrats and Republicans. They include many Black, Hispanic and immigrant lawmakers, including Congresswomen Grace Meng, Young Kim, Norma Torres, Yvette Clarke, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Congressmen Ted Lieu and Adriano Espaillat, Senator Ted Cruz and many, many more including Minority House leader Hakeem Jeffries.
AIPAC is among the groups currently reaching out to members of Congress, even as the House has remained mostly at a standstill. Marshall Wittmann has told Bloomberg News that the group’s primary focus now “is to ensure that America provides Israel the resources it needs as quickly as possible so it can permanently dismantle Hamas, which perpetrated the barbaric, terrorist attack on the Jewish state.”
AIPAC spent $2.2 million on federal lobbying from January through September of this year, according to filings with Congress. It also started a political action committee last election cycle that brought in nearly $19 million in donations during the 2022 campaigns. So far this cycle it has reported $10.5 million in donations through Aug. 31.
The group has sent large donations to the Republican National Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and the National Republican Congressional Committee, as well as donations to individual candidates on both sides of the aisle, Federal Election Commission reports show.
Ironically, as mentioned in my Oct. 16th column, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre, as senior advisor and national spokesperson to MoveOn.org, once wrote an op-ed calling AIPAC “the antithesis of what it means to be progressive.”
The pro-Israel lobbying group has been slammed as “trafficking in anti-Muslim and anti-Arab rhetoric while lifting up Islamophobic voices and attitudes.” In fact, Senator Bernie Sanders, while running for president, accused the group of providing a platform for “bigotry.” It also runs a number of attack advertisements against Democratic lawmakers, including Somali immigrant Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, as well as Betty McCollum, who have spoken critically of Israel.
Since Oct. 7th, most of the Caribbean American Congressmembers supported by the PAC have been very selective in what they have said publicly.
Jamaican American Congressmember Clarke has issued just one statement on the conflict. On Oct. 11th she joined Jewish Congressman Dan Goldman, (NY-10) and New York State Assembly member Simcha Eichenstein, (AD-48) “in calling on U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the U.S. State Department to take immediate action to help American citizens safely and quickly return home from Israel.”
No mention of the Americans still trapped in Gaza.
Haitian American Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick has also only issued one statement on the issue, on Oct. 12th, four days after the Oct. 7th attack, stating: “I remain unequivocally committed to ensuring that Israel has what she needs to defend herself from this detestable assault, and to provide security for its people. America will always side with Israel in its war against Hamas.”
Born in the Dominican Republic, Congressman Espaillat has been more involved, and immediately declared on Oct. 7th: “We stand united with Israel.” His office also declared that it is committed to “providing assistance to constituents or their loved ones who are currently in Israel.” There was no similar language reserved for Palestinians. However, Espaillat has introduced the Safe Return Act to support Americans abroad during crises, both in Israel and Gaza.
Money talks and AIPAC knows it!
The writer is publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com, the Black Immigrant Daily News.