Democratic National Committee panel rejects measure singling out AIPAC for criticism

Resolutions Committee instead advances resolution condemning ‘dark money’ more broadly, after proposed resolution only specifically named the pro-Israel US lobby group

JTA — The Democratic National Committee will not vote on a resolution that condemns the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC specifically, after a sub-committee rejected the resolution on Thursday during the DNC’s annual meeting in New Orleans.

The DNC’s Resolutions Committee instead advanced a resolution condemning “dark money” more broadly in electoral politics. AIPAC is one of several lobbies that have flooded elections with millions of dollars of spending, along with technology and real estate PACs, but it was the only one mentioned specifically in the proposed resolution.

Proponents of the resolution said AIPAC’s $14 million spend during Illinois’ primaries last month made it worth calling out specifically. But its critics — including some who are themselves critical of AIPAC — said the resolution’s singling out of AIPAC carried an “undercurrent of antisemitism.”

Chair Ken Martin said the DNC had opted to take the more inclusive approach. “We had various resolutions that focused on different industries and groups, and instead of going one-by-one, we passed a blanket repudiation,” he tweeted. “I have made my position on this clear from day one: We must end the influence of dark money in our politics and restore power back to the people.”

Jewish Democratic groups praised the decision.

“We agree with the rejection of dark money in politics — a topic covered in another more expansive resolution adopted by the Committee — but also believe that singling out any individual organization is both unproductive and unnecessarily divisive,” said Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America.

The DNC’s rejection of the resolution comes as a new poll finds that about 80% of Democratic voters say they have an unfavorable view of Israel, up sharply over the last three years. The Resolutions Committee also declined to adopt two resolutions supporting the Palestinians and opposing the war in Iran, instead referring them to the party’s year-old Middle East Working Group, which is also meeting this week.

Martin and other party leaders have portrayed the working group as an essential strategy to manage delicate decisions on a complex topic, but their critics say it is a mechanism to evade making decisions on a topic where party leaders and rank-and-file members may not share the same views.

“We’re pleased that the DNC Resolutions Committee rejected a set of divisive, anti-Israel resolutions,” Democratic Majority for Israel President and CEO Brian Romick said in a statement. “These measures would be a gift to Republicans, would further fracture our party, and do nothing to bring Israelis and Palestinians closer to peace.”