People’s Conference for Palestine closes with a bold demand: AIPAC out of politics!
Congressional representative Rashida Tlaib amplified a new campaign targeting the pro-Israel lobby, which was announced by organizers at the second annual People’s Conference for Palestine
Rashida Tlaib speaks at final day of People's Conference for Palestine (Photo: PC4P)
The second annual People’s Conference for Palestine closed out on Sunday, August 31, after three days of plenaries, workshops, and sessions on the global movement for Palestine. On the final day, Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American woman elected to Congress, closed out the conference by amplifying a new grassroots campaign with a bold demand: a campaign to kick AIPAC out of US politics. This campaign was announced by organizers at a session earlier in the conference titled “Towards practical action: Popular strategies in isolating Zionism.”
AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee) is one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the United States. It advocates for strong US–Israel relations and works to influence US foreign policy in Israel’s favor. AIPAC primarily does this by lobbying members of Congress, organizing trips and briefings, and channeling fundraising networks toward candidates who align with its agenda. Critics say it wields outsized influence in Washington and often pressures politicians to adopt pro-Israel positions, even when those conflict with broader public opinion or human rights concerns given the ongoing genocide and mass starvation in Gaza.
“It’s showing up time and time again in polls that show huge majorities of Americans reject the propaganda and reject the sell-out representatives’ excuses,” said US representative from Detroit, Rashida Tlaib, speaking on the last day of the conference. “More Americans than ever are now signing the ‘Take AIPAC out of US politics’ petition,” Tlaib said, holding up a card that read “sign the petition” with a corresponding QR code.
Amid the hemorrhaging of public support for Israel among the Democratic Party base, AIPAC has invested millions of dollars into influencing Democratic Party politics. A new Gallup poll released July 29 shows US public opinion turning sharply against Israel’s war on Gaza. Approval of Israel’s military campaign has fallen to just 32% – the lowest since Gallup began tracking in November 2023. Since October 2023, Democratic voters have expressed stronger opposition to Israel’s actions than other groups, and Gallup now records their lowest support levels yet: only 8% back the military campaign.
AIPAC has waged a fierce battle against this trend, attempting to hold onto its sphere of influence within the Democratic Party. According to the lobbying group, “all 129 AIPAC-backed Democrats who have had their primary races in 2024 have won.” AIPAC poured in millions to sponsor the candidates who would take the congressional seats of representatives Jamaal Bowman in New York and Cori Bush in Missouri – both of whom represented the most staunchly pro-Palestine wing of the Democratic Party within Congress.
The “AIPAC out of US politics” campaign website claims the lobbying group “threatens free speech, devastates workers’ economic interests, advocates for endless wars, and sabotages international diplomacy – all at the cost, and against the will, of the American people.” The campaign urges people of conscience to sign a petition to reject “Israeli influence on US policy”.
