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AIPAC is the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee. Founded in the 1950s, AIPAC serves as a stoplight for the many Political Action Committees that channel money and votes to those Congress people who support Israel. It also channels support to opponents of those Congress people AIPAC decides are not pro-Israel enough.
AIPAC is believed to be one of the key reasons Representative Paul Findlay, ten-term Illinois Republican, was defeated by Richard Durbin in 1982. In 1984, AIPAC targeted the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Charles Percy, also of Illinois, and helped elect Paul Simon in his stead.
Today, AIPAC has
50,000 members. The New York Times has called AIPAC the most important
organization affecting U.S. ties to Israel. According to AIPAC, it
has helped pass more than 100 pro-Israel legislative initiatives a
year, including the nearly $3 billion in aid. AIPAC is active on about
200 college campuses.
Report on Effect of
Israel Lobby Distorts History, Critics Say
April 7 2002 Jerusalem
Press Conference
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