On June 16, eight U.S. House members and two staffers arrived at Tel Aviv’s luxurious Kempinski Hotel for a four-day immersion in Israeli politics, as Benjamin Netanyahu continued to defy Joe Biden over the war in Gaza. The lawmakers and aides met with speakers aligned with Netanyahu’s views, including the prime minister himself, during a trip hosted by the nonprofit arm of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). This trip was one of many AIPAC has organized over the past decade to promote the Israeli government’s agenda.
Despite a brief pause following an attack by Hamas in October 2023, AIPAC trips have resumed this year, with 71 House members and staffers participating in eight trips from March through early September. Lawmakers are now under pressure from both sides regarding U.S. aid to Israel, with some calling for a halt to arms sales and others demanding increased funding for Israel’s defenses. Many members are drawing on their experiences from AIPAC trips to inform their views.
Rep. Glenn Ivey, who has taken two AIPAC trips since September 2023, stated that his time in Israel has been valuable in understanding the U.S.-Israel partnership. A new analysis shows that Israel is the most popular destination for privately sponsored foreign travel by members of the House and their aides, with more trips to Israel than to the entire Western Hemisphere and Africa combined.
Critics argue that these trips provide lawmakers with a one-sided view of U.S.-Israel relations and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, amplifying the policies of the current Israeli government. AIPAC’s charitable affiliate, the American Israel Education Foundation, sponsors about 75% of trips to Israel, taking advantage of a loophole that allows some 501(c)(3) organizations to sponsor travel.
AIPAC spokesperson Marshall Wittmann defended the trips, stating that they educate political leaders about the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship and provide a comprehensive understanding of various issues concerning cooperation between the two countries. Trips to Israel are just one part of AIPAC’s strategy to promote Israel’s interests, including hosting an annual conference in Washington, D.C., and engaging in lobbying efforts. A total of $50.9 million was funneled into the 2022 election cycle by AIPAC and its super PAC, as reported by OpenSecrets. AIPAC has prioritized its travel program by spending at least $10 million on sending members and staff to Israel from 2012 to 2023, according to LegiStorm data. The Howard Center’s analysis revealed that about half of current House members have traveled with AIPAC since 2012, including first-term congressman Ivey, who received $6 million in support from AIPAC’s super PAC during a 2022 primary against former Rep. Donna Edwards.
Ivey participated in two AIPAC trips, the first with eight other members of the Congressional Black Caucus in September 2023, and the second in June focusing on Israeli politics and the October 7, 2023 attacks. Despite meeting with Palestinian-Israelis, the trips did not include visits to Gaza or the West Bank. High-ranking Israeli officials were among those they met, with the focus shifting towards exploring paths to a two-state solution in the September 2023 trip. AIEF sponsored both trips, costing $68,000 in total and providing luxury accommodations, including a trip to Israel and Rwanda to discuss relationships with the U.S.
Although some have questioned the influence of AIEF-sponsored trips on Ivey’s positions, he emphasized the importance of transparency and following the rules. AIPAC’s super PAC, United Democracy Project, spent $6 million in independent expenditures during Ivey’s 2022 primary, while his campaign also received significant support from other pro-Israel groups. Ivey supported the Israel military aid package in April 2020 but voted against a version that excluded aid for Gaza in November.
Former Rep. Donna Edwards, who avoided traveling with AIPAC during her time in office, opted for more liberal organizations like J Street for trips to Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. She highlighted the issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank as a major obstacle to a two-state solution. The spread of settlements was observed to be less prominent on AIPAC trips compared to J Street trips, where travelers typically meet fewer Palestinians.
The Howard Center’s outreach to over 30 current and former House members and staff who traveled to Israel between 2012 and 2023 revealed varying experiences with AIPAC trips. Some declined interviews, including Rep. Mike Levin and Democratic Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. Levin, who traveled with both AIPAC and J Street, emphasized the importance of understanding the U.S.-Israel relationship through firsthand experiences on the ground. Jeffries, in his 2023 disclosure report, stated his involvement in issues related to the US-Israel relationship as part of his leadership role in Congress. “These issues — as outlined by AIEF — are connected to my leadership and representational official duties.”
Neither Levin’s nor Jeffries’ communication teams did not respond to requests for an interview or comment.
AIPAC takes the position that to be pro-Israel means supporting the Israeli government, which for much of the 21st century has meant supporting the right-wing policies of Prime Minister Netanyahu, said Dov Waxman, professor and director of the UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies.
Among the achievements touted on its website, AIPAC credits its efforts in recent years for Congress’ continued funding of billions in unconditional military and security assistance to Israel and for increased sanctions on Iran. AIPAC has also lobbied Congress to limit individuals’ and companies’ abilities to participate in the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israeli companies and supports Israel continuing the war in Gaza until Hamas’ military and government are dismantled.
For the first several decades of its existence, AIPAC was “unrivaled within the pro-Israel lobby,” according to Waxman. But he said the emergence and growth of the more liberal J Street threatens to erode AIPAC’s influence.
J Street was founded in 2007 and has sponsored congressional travel to Israel since 2010. It was the second-largest sponsor of travel to Israel from 2012-2023.
Yet the volume of travel sponsored by J Street — which similarly identifies as pro-Israel but is more open to criticizing the Israeli government — is surpassed nearly seven times over during that period. AIPAC has also attempted to maintain its dominance on the Hill, and as a travel sponsor, by painting J Street as anti-Israel — a characterization that both Waxman and J Street dispute.
Even when covering the same ground, AIPAC and J Street trip participants reported markedly different experiences. In February 2022, two AIPAC delegations — one Democratic and one Republican — and a Democratic J Street delegation visited Israel and the West Bank at the same time, with both Democratic groups even staying in the same hotel. The groups met separately with Mohammad Shtayyeh, the then-Palestinian Authority prime minister.
Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) had traveled to Israel with AIPAC in 2013, but this time he traveled with J Street. In a YouTube video posted by J Street, Huffman said he traded notes with his colleagues traveling with AIPAC after the meetings with Shtayyeh. Shtayyeh’s use of the word “apartheid” drew contrasting responses, he said.
“They were there to some extent to do pro-Israel combat and I think we were there to listen and learn,” said Huffman in the YouTube video.
Huffman did not respond to requests for an interview.
One of the only sponsors of congressional trips to the region that focuses on meetings with Palestinian families living in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank is the small organization Rebuilding Alliance.
Four groups of House staffers — and no members — traveled there between 2018 and 2023 with the organization, which took them to witness Israeli military court proceedings against Palestinian children and to meet with Palestinian families whose homes had been destroyed by the Israeli military.
Nisreen Malley, senior advocacy coordinator at Rebuilding Alliance, said, “When you’re physically [visiting someone] who’s talking to you about how their home was demolished … it’s hard to ignore that when you’re thinking about your policies.”
Andy Levin argues the scale of Congress’ focus on — and travel to — Israel overall has caused the U.S. to lose sight of other key international issues.
“Israel and Palestine are very important,” he said. “But so are Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. … Obviously, Asia — South Asia, East Asia — there are many important conflicts and difficult conflicts and economic opportunities.”
Baird agreed.
“I think we’ve neglected our own hemisphere, and to our detriment, because the Russians and the Chinese surely have not neglected our hemisphere,” Baird said. “The focus on the Middle East takes the oxygen out of the room for so many other issues.”
Aidan Hughes, Cait Kelley and Daryl Perry are reporters for the University of Maryland’s Howard School for Investigative Journalism. POLITICO’s Mike Zapler contributed to this report.
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