Alameen Templeton
Ilhan Omar’s appeal to voters has displayed repeatedly its “Aipac-proof” abilities, so much so that the standing election fund protecting Israeli interests in the US now gives her a wide berth.
This year’s primaries election cycle is proving no different. Polling shows Omar has a sizeable, double-digit lead over her opponent, Don Samuels, and Aipac has avoided tackling her head-on for fear of another embarrassing defeat.
But her enduring popularity is proving just too much for some Zionists in the US where a group of them have launched a fundraising bid to unseat her.
They’ve reportedly raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, in an eleventh-hour campaign trying to unseat Omar, spurred on by a string of losses for “Squad” members Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman.
Their losses came after Aipac, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee spent tens of millions of dollars against the progressive lawmakers.
Omar has been able to raise triple the amount of funds that Samuels has – $1.6m, compared to Samuels’ $535,000.
The Intercept obtained access to a WhatsApp group, titled, “Zionists for Don Samuels Against Ilhan Omar” that claimed nearly $100,000 was raised in 24 hours for the campaign.
One participant, entrepreneur Michael Sinensky, said he had worked with a Super PAC, called, Make a Difference MN, to raise over $120,000 for Samuels since 31 July, the Intercept reports.
“I’ve heard dozens of questions of where is AIPAC,” Sinensky said in the WhatsApp group. “We are fucking AIPAC now.”
Sinensky told The Intercept he was not affiliated with the Samuels campaign, but decided to tackle Omar because “I was disappointed to learn that AIPAC wasn’t supporting Samuels and stepped in late to fill that void by rallying friends and family to donate.”
Aipac election spending has accelerated since Israel’s war on Gaza began last October, and has resulted in several wins, such as Bush and Bowman.
Omar is no stranger to attacks from pro-Israel groups. Since being elected in 2018, the Minnesota congresswoman has been a main target of Zionist attacks.
In 2019, she tweeted, “it’s all about the Benjamins”, criticising how Aipac and other pro-Israel groups lobby and spend big money on lawmakers who push policy in favour of Israel.
She later walked back that comment, but it seemed to have done the job, given Aipac’s wide circle around her.
Haaretz acknowledges this in an article Tuesday, noting Omar’s rock-solid appeal in her constitutency is probably Aipac-proof and that is the reason the fund is avoiding her.
Associated Press noted Sunday Omar has kept her powder dry and is well-prepared this time around.
“Even more critically, Omar is better prepared on the eve of her 2024 primary than she was for her 2022 primary, when she narrowly defeated Don Samuels, who is once again her top challenger.
“Omar has improved her fundraising significantly over the last two years. In her pre-primary financial disclosures that year, Omar reported spending $2.3 million for the cycle. In this year’s pre-primary financial report, she reported raising more than double that amount, about $6.2 million. Samuels has raised about $1.4 million,” AP reports.
In 2022, The United Democracy Project, the Aipac-affiliated Super PAC, spent $350,000, but failed to unseat Omar in her primary election.
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