For decades, AIPAC (American-Israel Public Affairs Committee) has used its far-reaching influence to shape US policy on and support for Israel. Now, a new pro-Palestine super PAC, American Priorities, has been formed and is attempting to challenge that influence from within the US political system. American Priorities may still be relatively small, but its rise signals a changing political landscape.
Jessica Hall
24 August 2026
American politics are conventionally understood through a two-party system: Democrat or Republican. Political action committees (PACs) and super PACs have become increasingly influential in American congressional politics, capable of collecting and directing vast sums of financial support into electoral contests for their preferred candidates. Few organizations embody this more clearly than the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), America’s largest pro-Israel lobby, whose immense wealth and influence extend across party lines. However, a new counterweight has entered the field. Established in 2026, American Priorities (AP) is an independent pro-Palestine super PAC seeking to challenge AIPAC through the same machinery of political influence through campaign funding and support. Increasingly, congressional elections risk becoming contests not only on domestic representation, but also on which foreign policy positions attract the most organized financial support.
AIPAC: Adapting to change
AIPAC’s origins date back to 1954, when it was established as the American Zionist Committee for Public Affairs before adopting its current name in 1959. Today, the organisation describes itself as a coalition of Americans working to strengthen the US-Israel partnership. It pursues this objective primarily by lobbying the US government and supporting congressional candidates who favor a strong relationship with Israel, regardless of whether they are Democrat or Republican.
For most of its history, however, AIPAC did not contribute directly to political candidates. Instead, it promoted pro-Israel policies through lobbying, grassroots mobilization and its informal connections with independently operated pro-Israel PACs. That changed in December 2021, when AIPAC created two affiliated electoral organisations: AIPAC PAC, which can contribute directly to candidates within federal limits, and the United Democracy Project, a super PAC capable of raising unlimited funds and independently spending to support or oppose candidates.
Then-president Betsy Berns Korn presented the decision as a response to a political environment increasingly shaped by hyperpartisanship, rapid congressional turnover and the escalating costs of election campaigns, all of which were contributing to pro-Israel candidates losing their seats. The move represented a significant strategic shift. AIPAC was no longer just a voice behind the scenes, but was now deploying large financial resources to help ensure that pro-Israel candidates were elected to Congress.
Much of this super PAC funding is directed towards advertising campaigns. Many of these advertisements make little or no reference to Israel. Instead, they seek to influence voters through domestic concerns such as immigration, the cost of living and unemployment, while also emphasising a candidate’s personal background, competence and political record. This strategy suggests that AIPAC’s primary objective is not necessarily to persuade the average American voter to adopt an explicitly Zionist position, but rather to help elect candidates who, once in Congress, will advance policies aligned with its pro-Israel agenda.
American Priorities: Rocking the Boat
In response to this growing political influence, AP was launched in 2026. AP is a Super PAC that was explicitly created to counter AIPAC with a staunchly pro-Palestine platform. It has raised and committed $10 million to support its preferred candidates during the 2026 election cycle. This is currently the most well-funded pro-Palestine PAC.
While AIPAC emphasizes that its support extends across party lines, AP has focused specifically on Democratic candidates. Its spending has been substantial, particularly in races involving democratic socialists. In the recent primaries, it backed Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez in New York, as well as Melat Kiros in Colorado. AP also backed progressive Democrat Dr. Abdul El-Sayed who won the primary in Michigan’s Senate race against AIPAC-backed Rep. Haley Stevens. In August 2026, progressive California state Senator Aisha Wahab won a special congressional election to fill the U.S. House seat previously held by Eric Swalwell. Wahad did this despite millions in spending from pro-Israel groups backing her opponent with support of AP, which contributed $200 000 to counter pro-Israel spending.
Perhaps the most prominent democratic socialist in American politics today is New York’s recently elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani. Some of the American Priorites major donors have said that his success encouraged them to mobilize their wealth behind causes they care about, particularly opposition to Israel’s ongoing violence in Palestine and its genocide in Gaza. They see in Mamdani a leader who reflects their values and hope to turn his victory into the beginning of a broader political trend across the US, rather than a one-off success.
Unlike AIPAC, some of the campaigning funded by AP has been more explicit in its pro-Palestine stance. One of its greatest level of support has been directed towards Adam Hamawy, a Democrat running in New Jersey’s 12th District. Despite entering the race as a political unknown, Hamawy finished ahead of around a dozen other candidates in a highly competitive primary, emerging as a leading contender for Congress.
Like many AIPAC-funded campaigns, the advertisements focused heavily on Hamawy’s personal profile, which was itself distinctly connected to Palestine: he had served as a volunteer doctor at a hospital in Gaza. The advertisements highlighted his endorsement by US Senator Bernie Sanders. Sanders also endorsed Dr. Abdul El-Sayed and Aisha Wahab.
One of Hamawy’s chief political advisers described the funding as crucial to his campaign, while rival candidates said it was almost impossible to compete with the sheer visibility AP had given him. This reflects a broader trend across the super PAC’s activities, with much of its support taking the form of targeted, large-scale advertising campaigns. Several recipients have described this advertising boost as a decisive factor in their electoral success.
As of August 2026, AIPAC and its main super PAC, the United Democracy Project (UDP), have spent more than $104.3 million on the 2026 election cycle., towering over AP’s current spending of $6,104,271.87. American Priorities pledged to spend over $10 million throughout the 2026 midterm cycle.
AIPAC also benefits from decades of institutional experience, established political connections and a far more expansive network. AP remains a comparatively small and emerging counterweight, but its significance should not be understated. Its very existence reflects changing public opinion and the growing global momentum behind the movement for Palestinian rights.
Nevertheless, political funding must be scrutinized regardless of its intentions or how closely those intentions align with one’s own political compass. As American politics becomes increasingly intertwined with foreign-policy issues shaped by identity, culture and religion, congressional elections risk becoming proxy battles over international conflicts, fought through domestic campaign finance.
The question is therefore not only which political agenda prevails, but how much power unelected donors and organisations should have over who reaches Congress in the first place. The success of AP-backed candidates proves that there is a new political force in the US and this force is here to stay.
