Reuters said today that the Democratic primary race for a US House of Representatives seat in New York has turned into a new battleground for an influential pro-"Israel" fundraising group, which spent almost $2 million on ads this week against incumbent Jamaal Bowman.

In the June 25 primary for the 16th Congressional district including the northern Bronx and parts of Westchester County, Jamaal Bowman is going against George Latimer, the county executive for Westchester.

Reuters reported that both of them said that they are with a "two-state solution" in Palestine, however, Bowman believes that there should be a change in Israeli leadership and urges for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza emphasizing that he is against "genocide" and "ethnic cleansing." 

Bowman vs UDP

A new ad published this week by the United Democracy Project (UDP) which is a super PAC for the American "Israel" Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) claimed that Bowman has "his own agenda" and says that he "refuses to compromise, even with President (Joe) Biden," it added.

According to Reuters, super PACs like the UDP can receive unlimited size donations however they cannot coordinate with campaigns directly. 

When asked about more details the UDP spokesperson Patrick Dorton claimed that Bowman has a "radical anti-Israel view that is far different than President Biden's."

Speaking with CNN, however, Bowman said that he stands by Biden's decision earlier that month of not sending additional weapons to "Israel" adding that the UDP was attacking him "simply because we called for a permanent ceasefire and simply because we're calling for peace in Gaza."

Reuters said that Bowman was also attacked before by the UDP's campaign on X as they said "They think they can buy our democracy. We're going to prove them wrong."

A coalition of New York City and Westchester Jews, Jews for Jamaal, backed Bowman saying that he has cooperated with Biden to get in more than $1 billion in funding for the district, Reuters added.

UDP's spending

According to Reuters, UDP's spending has attracted criticism as democratic voters and lawmakers are split over the Israeli war on Gaza with part of Biden's party criticizing him heavily for supporting "Israel." 

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To promote candidates that stand by a strong US-"Israel" relationship, Federal Election Commission records revealed that the UDP has raised around $50 million this election cycle so far and spent more than $18 million.

According to OpenSecrets, an organization that keeps tabs on political contributions, $4.2 million was spent by UDP this election cycle to boost a Democrat in Maryland's 3rd congressional district Sarah Elfreth in this week's Democratic primary.

Elfreth was able to beat former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn who, according to Reuters, defended the January 6 2021 attack on the US Capitol. 

According to AdImpact, which tracks political ads, for the New York race through May 20, the UDP has reserved $1.9 million for ads.

As reported by Reuters, Jews for Jamaal say that UDP's leading donors are huge donors for the Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump who disagrees with Bowman and Biden's position on issues like gun violence and investments in housing. 

AIPAC says that it is "the top fundraiser for Democratic candidates, Congressional Black Caucus members, Hispanic caucus members, and Progressive Caucus members."

An AIPAC spokesperson Marshall Wittmann said, "It is entirely consistent with progressive values to stand with Israel as it battles Iran and its terrorist proxies."

According to data from OpenSecrets, Marcus Foundation a philanthropic organization established by the co-founder of Home Depot is among the top donors for UDP as well as donors from hedge fund Highfields Capital Management and lending platform GreenSky, who support Democratic causes and investment firm Elliott Management, who support Republican causes.

As Latimer was asked this week in a debate about AIPAC's support and their ties to Republican donors, Latimer said "My actions prove who I am." 

Latimer's and Bowman's offices did not respond to Reuter's requests for comment.

AIPAC on a quest to oust progressives due to Gaza stance: WaPo

Some of the best members of Congress may be removed this year, The Washington Post reported on March 26. They are facing massive spending campaigns as punishment for holding viewpoints that differ from those of the affluent and powerful, most notably their vehement opposition to the Israeli war on Gaza.

Perry Bacon Jr. details in the Post  that these 18 members had repeatedly asked for a ceasefire when they realized the Israeli response in Gaza to events of October 7 would be "full-scale destruction of Gaza."

This group includes Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York), Jamaal Bowman, Ilhan Omar, Cori Bush, and Barbara Lee. 

With Biden and most other leaders in both parties mainly backing "Israel", the members stood firm in their rejection, which is essentially why the highly pro-"Israel" AIPAC wants them removed from parliament. AIPAC has recruited more moderate Democrats to run against these progressives in primaries, and those rivals will allegedly get tens of millions of dollars.

Significant campaigns were underway against Bowman of New York, Omar of Minnesota, Bush, and Lee. Bacon believes these members have a genuine risk of losing since there will be no well-funded PAC on their side to save them. 

In reality, challengers typically lose because incumbents can raise and spend far more on their campaigns. However, these progressive incumbents will most certainly have significantly less money for TV advertising and other campaign activity in their districts than their opponents (AIPAC and the real politicians they are running against).