The pro-Israel lobbying group has sent a flurry of communications to members of Congress, citing specific language for them to parrot in support of Israel’s strikes on Iran.
By David Dayen and Ryan Grim, Drop Site
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has been furiously urging House Democrats to release messages of steadfast support for Israel in its war with Iran, the Prospect and Drop Site News have learned, even as bipartisan lawmakers come together on a War Powers Act resolution to prevent U.S. troops or funds being used in yet another Middle East conflagration.
One member relayed that a colleague had received literally 100 phone calls from members of AIPAC and its allied pressure groups. AIPAC wants House Democratic members to state explicitly that they “stand with Israel” in its actions against Iran aimed at destroying the Islamic Republic’s nuclear capability, and add that Iran “must never have a nuclear weapon.”
In addition, AIPAC has taken particular pains to denigrate the moderate pro-Israel group J Street, both in private conversations with members of Congress and in public, picking a fight aimed at blocking any Democrats from using J Street as cover to deviate from AIPAC’s maximalist position. “They’re worried their members in Congress may start to shift toward J Street and they’re trying to head that off,” said an aide to one Democrat.

“I did see that AIPAC took issue with my statement,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state. “They were taking on J Street for endorsing me, which was ridiculous.” To get a sense of how extreme AIPAC’s demands are, note that J Street’s own statement merely calls for diplomacy while still supporting Israel. “We urge the Trump Administration to meaningfully pursue a diplomatic resolution to this conflict as quickly as possible while making clear the US will do what is necessary to defend Israel and US troops from retaliation,” the statement read.
AIPAC issued the same tweet in response to any statement that fell short of its expectations, such as one by Rep. Greg Casar of Texas, which called for a diplomatic resolution: “Consistent pattern: J Street endorsees issue anti-Israel statements. @jstreetdotorg is many things, but it’s not pro-Israel.”
The messages reflect one way special interests shape policies in Washington, where a conforming statement is a metric lobbyists can cite to show their dominance. While not everyone received this bombardment of communications from AIPAC officials—particularly progressives who have made their views known about Israel’s actions—judging by a substantial portion of House Democrats, the effort appears to be having an effect.
According to a review of member statements at their congressional websites and on social media, 28 House Democrats have issued messages saying explicitly that they “stand with Israel,” or some close variation thereof. Another 35 express unequivocal support for Israel without using the magic words “stand with Israel” precisely, but they leave no doubt as to the member’s support. And 16 others express “soft” support for Israel, without quite the same inflammatory language.
Recent Posts
The GOP’s New Civil War Against America Isn’t With Bullets — It’s With Ballots
August 8, 2025
Take Action Now Why 51 Texas lawmakers fled the State to stop a power grab, and what it means for us all…By Thom Hartmann, The Hartmann Report The…
As Americans Ration Care, Health Insurers Rake In Record $71.3 Billion In Profits
August 8, 2025
Take Action Now Despite rising out-of-pocket costs and millions losing coverage, U.S. health insurance giants posted record profits in 2024 while…
We’re Making Musk The World’s First Trillionaire With Public Money And Public Assets
August 7, 2025
Take Action Now We gave him our dollars, our knowledge, our launchpads, our tech. While people ration insulin, he’s on track to be the first…
Gazing On Gaza: The Gordian Knot Of Israel And The Middle East
August 7, 2025
Take Action Now Today, in 2025, Gaza has become the world’s living proof that there are horrors for which words like “tragedy” or “crisis” are…