AIPAC and U.S. Lobbying

Axios reports that Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, widely seen as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, is now attacking AIPAC and refusing to detail how much he donated to the group after years of significant pro‑Israel giving through his family foundation. Tax filings reviewed by Axios show the Pritzker Family Foundation gave $82,000 to Friends of the Israel Defense Forces between 2005 and 2010 and about $1.7 million to the AIPAC‑affiliated American Israel Education Foundation from 2008 to 2016, with contributions continuing until at least 2020, even though Pritzker says he stepped away from the foundation in 2017. Pritzker, who is Jewish, now says he "withdrew his support" from AIPAC more than a decade ago when it "began to lean much more to the right and much more pro-Trump," and tells reporters the group has "lost its way" as he focuses most of his criticism on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rather than Israel itself. AIPAC counters that it remains "extremely bipartisan" with "millions of pro-Israel Democratic members" and argues that in races where it has polled, Israel ranks relatively low among Democratic primary voters’ concerns, even as online activists try to make AIPAC politically radioactive. The story comes as polling, including a recent NBC survey finding 57% of Democratic voters now view Israel negatively amid the Gaza war, shows a sharp shift in the party’s base that is forcing national hopefuls like Pritzker, Ruben Gallego and Gavin Newsom to recalibrate their relationships with pro‑Israel lobby groups.