Pro-Israel PAC Is Funding Dems With Anti-Abortion Money to Unseat Dems Who've Called for a Ceasefire

Rep. Jamaal Bowman, left, and George Latimer. Photos: Shutterstock In April, Jezebel reported that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has endorsed over 200 anti-abortion Republicans this cycle—including dozens who have voted for or even co-authored extreme, anti-abortion legislation like the Life at Conception Act, which would establish fetal personhood. This election cycle, since Israel launched its horrific war on Gaza in October, AIPAC has waged an almost unprecedentedly aggressive spending campaign to primary and unseat Democratic Congress members who have called for a ceasefire in Gaza. And, according to a new Politico report from this weekend, since AIPAC believes support for Israel is bipartisan, an outsized number of donors who have given to Democratic candidates via AIPAC this cycle have given to anti-abortion Republicans since 2020. Specifically, nearly half of these donors—46%—to AIPAC’s Democratic challengers against members like Reps. Jamal Bowman (D-NY) and Cori Bush (D-MO) are also donating to anti-abortion Republicans. Bowman and Bush were among the first to call for a ceasefire. According to Politico’s review of campaign finance data, AIPAC is “the biggest source of Republican money flowing into competitive Democratic primaries this year.” This breakdown is especially concerning amid the looming threat of a federal abortion ban, should Republicans take both chambers of Congress and the White House this November. Democrats who accept funding from anti-abortion donors via AIPAC are fundamentally undermining the Democratic party writ large as it vocally runs on abortion rights this cycle. Bowman’s primary takes place on June 25, and AIPAC, alongside its affiliated super PAC, United Democracy Project, has spent a staggering $10 million to try to unseat him for his opposition to Israel's war. Bowman is being challenged by George Latimer, a moderate Democrat who’s staunchly supported Israel (and traveled to Israel in October), and received $1.61 million from AIPAC this cycle as of April 30, as well as $9.3 million from United Democracy Project. According to Politico, AIPAC has raised more money for Latimer than any other candidate. That money comes from about 1,800 donors, and almost half of those donors (40%) have previously given to anti-abortion, Republican candidates. In other words, even as Latimer publicly supports reproductive rights, he continues to accept funding from donors who are building toward a federal abortion ban.  In a statement shared with Jezebel, Bowman pointed to his reproductive rights bonafides through his first Congressional term, including his co-sponsoring the Women’s Health Protection Act and "strongly supporting" the Right to Contraception Act. "Democratic voters deserve a Congressman that will not only defend, but fight like I have to expand their abortion rights and reproductive freedoms against the MAGA extremists desperate to strip them away," Bowman said. He continued, "I’m the only candidate endorsed by Planned Parenthood in this race. There is no room for compromise on reproductive freedom, but my opponent has done just that: sold out to AIPAC and their right-wing donors who want to ban abortions nationwide." Nine of United Democracy Project’s top 10 donors are Republican billionaires and mega donors who have backed former President Trump and Trump-aligned candidates pushing an anti-abortion agenda. United Democracy Project has already spent $19.8 million on competitive Democratic primaries this year, per Politico’s report. Consequently, the super PAC is the biggest outside group involved in Democratic primaries this year, spending more than the next 10 biggest spenders in Democratic primaries combined. Bush has been another top target of AIPAC’s spending this cycle. Her primary challenger is Wesley Bell, a moderate Democrat who originally ran for Senate against Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), only to transition to primary Bush; he’s since accepted close to $1 million from…