Pro-Israel lobbying group Aipac ends endorsements, direct funding to US candidates

As US voter sentiment grows increasingly antagonistic towards Israel, the foremost pro-Israel lobbying group has now announced it will no longer publicly endorse political candidates nor make direct financial contributions to them. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) said on Wednesday in an email blast to supporters that as it "evaluates the political landscape and adjusts [the] approach to meet the moment", it will shift to a seemingly less visible strategy to support Republicans and Democrats who fully back Israel. "To win the fight for the future of the country and the US-Israel alliance, we must build a more strategic, consequential, and nimble political operation," the statement said. "We will prioritize increasing direct, organized contributions from individual Americans to candidates - expanding upon our current efforts - and maximizing the emerging political fundraising tools. Endorsements, direct PAC contributions, and earmarking will no longer be part of our approach so we can expand individual giving and utilize new tools to help our friends win." Read more: Pro-Israel lobbying group Aipac ends endorsements, direct funding to US candidates Former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken addresses the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's annual policy summit, on 5 June 2023 in Washington, DC (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/AFP)