Nothing justifies this response

[OrangeJoe]

46. Congressional support for Israel

AIPAC the powerful pro-Likud lobby for Israel is a huge donor to political campaigns. Politicians are loath to cross them. Representatives in a congressional district that favors their party find themselves primaried if they vary even one step off the Likud definition of supporting Israel.

Look up the story of former Representative Andy Levin. He is a rabbi, a self described Zionist, and a liberal Democrat from the most prominent Jewish Democratic family in Michigan. He dared to sponsor a bill which would have restricted US foreign aid from financing illegal settlements on the West Bank. That was it for him. AIPAC poured millions into his primary and he was gone. The evil genius of this was that EVERYBODY in Congress (I'm a former Hill staffer & I know a lot of people still working there) took note of this. The message: We'll do this to one of our own if they step out of line. Defeating Ilhan Omar or Rashida Tlaib does not have nearly the impact of whacking someone who is seen as a member of the family.

Until Citizens United is overturned and we have publicly financed elections the big donors of all stripes are going to run the show.