Senator Stith Moulton announced his decision to return all donations previously received from AIPAC and to decline any future support from the organization. This is perhaps the first high-profile, public instance of a Democratic member of Congress taking such a step.
Political commentators have described the move as historic and unprecedented in recent memory, noting that his stance may encourage other members to follow suit. The history of the Zionist lobby on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean reveals decades of careful religious and political advocacy. In Britain, pro-Zionist lobbying can be traced back to the early 19th century, when certain Christian and Jewish leaders began promoting the idea of the return of Jews to Palestine.
In 1839, evangelical figures petitioned the House of Commons to support Jewish resettlement. By the late 19th century, prominent figures such as Theodor Herzl and Chaim Weizmann were actively lobbying senior British officials, culminating in the 1917 Balfour Declaration, in which the British government expressed support for establishing a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine. Before World War II, many dominant Jewish organizations were largely anti- Zionist, with Zionist lobbying confined to more specific channels.
Over time, however, support for Zionism grew significantly, particularly after the Holocaust and the founding of the State of Israel in 1948. In the United States, pro-Zionist Jewish lobbying began in the early 20th century but became more prominent after World War II with the establishment of the American Zionist Council (AZC) in 1949. The AZC united various Zionist organizations to lobby both Congress and the public on behalf of Israel. In 1951, the American Zionist Committee for Public Affairs was formed, later renamed in 1959 as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Initially focused on public relations, AIPAC soon moved into direct legislative lobbying and quickly became one of Washington’s most influential lobbying groups.
Its influence grew significantly after the 1967 Six-Day War, which galvanized and intensified American Jewish support for Israel. Although Zionist lobbying groups in Britain and the United States often coordinate their strategies, the differences in political systems and public attitudes have required different approaches. Historically, British Zionism relied more on the elite class, while in the United States it focused on mass mobilization, fundraising, media campaigns, and direct engagement with Congress.
Since the 1970s, Zionist organizations in both countries have built strong ties, frequently collaborating on policies, messaging, and crisis management. As a result, the Zionist lobby in the UK and the US has evolved from its religious and diplomatic origins into a highly influential advocate for Israel and Zionist interests, employing organizational expertise, political access, extensive activism, lobbying, and aggressive tactics against its opponents.
In an unprecedented move, and for the first time in its history, AIPAC has launched a strong advertising campaign in response to the damage its reputation has suffered due to Israel’s actions in Gaza. The campaign emphasizes that AIPAC is a patriotic American organization whose members are devoted to their country’s interests and believe that supporting Israel represents sound policy for the United States.
By Ahmad alsarraf
e-mail: [email protected]
e-mail: [email protected]
