Day: March 14, 2026

#Israel engages in aggressive and unceasing  #meddling in U.S. domestic politics and  #elections – Google Search  google.com/search?q=Israel+e…
Reports and investigations have documented instances of the Israeli government, and individuals acting on its behalf, attempting to influence U.S. domestic politics, foreign policy, and elections, often utilizing tactics that go beyond traditional lobbying. These activities, which analysts describe as aggressive and at times covert, are often designed to ensure unwavering U.S. support for Israel, particularly regarding its policies on Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and opposition to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. [1, 2, 3]
Key Aspects of Influence and Meddling

Political Interference in Elections: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused of meddling in U.S. elections, including attempting to sway the 2016 election toward Donald Trump and intervening in presidential diplomacy. Netanyahu has also been accused of trying to influence the 2024 election by ignoring President Biden’s requests regarding the war in Gaza, which some analysts believe was intended to align with the political fortunes of his preferred candidate, Donald Trump.
AIPAC and Electoral Spending: The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has become a powerful force in U.S. elections, with its affiliated PACs and the United Democracy Project spending over $100 million in the 2024 election cycle. AIPAC targets candidates—primarily progressive Democrats—deemed insufficiently supportive of Israel’s right-wing government policies, spending heavily to sway primary results.
Espionage and Intelligence Activities: US officials have previously described Israeli intelligence activities against the U.S. as “alarming” and “damaging”. Reports have detailed cases of spying and attempts to gather intelligence on American officials to influence U.S. policy, particularly concerning the 2015 Iran nuclear deal negotiations.
Lobbying Against BDS and Anti-BDS Laws: The Israeli government has admitted to pushing for legislation against the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement in numerous U.S. states. Israeli officials, including the Ministry of Strategic Affairs, have coordinated with pro-Israel groups in the U.S. to push anti-BDS laws and target organizations that criticize Israeli policies.
Disinformation Campaigns: Reports have indicated that Israeli-backed efforts have included the use of fake social media accounts to influence U.S. lawmakers and public opinion, particularly to push for funding for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) or to spread narratives against organizations like UNRWA. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]

Contrasting PerspectivesWhile critics argue that Israel’s intervention is unprecedented for an ally, defenders of the relationship note that pro-Israel lobbying is a legitimate, grassroots-supported activity protected by the First Amendment. Supporters argue that this influence helps align U.S. interests with Israel’s, which they consider a reliable democratic partner in the Middle East. Pro-Israel organizations argue that their efforts are necessary to combat what they see as unfair bias and delegitimization of Israel. [1, 7, 9]

AI can make mistakes, so double-check responses

[1]  jacobin.com/2024/03/israel-m…
[2]  youtube.com/watch?v=mWgqoUx3…
[3]  youtube.com/watch?v=mWRRka4p…
[4]  youtube.com/shorts/f4RI_ovPO…
[5]  thehill.com/homenews/senate/…
[6]  thehill.com/homenews/senate/…
[7]  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel…
[8]  theguardian.com/world/2024/a…
[9]  aipac.org/policy-relationshi…

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Mar 14, 2026

Gemini –  #Article Summary
#Israel‘s Aggressive US Political  #Meddling  gemini.google.com/share/cbb4…
Based on the provided article by Branko Marcetic in Jacobin, here is a summary of its main points:

Extensive Interference: The article argues that Israel engages in aggressive and unceasing meddling in U.S. domestic politics and elections. The author contends that this interference far exceeds that of other foreign powers and makes Israel act more like an adversarial state than a nominal ally.
Influence of Right-Wing Factions: The piece asserts that this political interference has become an “open secret” that has escalated into public knowledge under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The article claims these efforts are largely driven by Israel’s most right-wing political factions rather than the government as a whole.
Lobbying and Disinformation: The author highlights various influence campaigns, including recent social media operations pushing Israeli government talking points onto U.S. lawmakers (particularly targeting Black Democrats). It also points to the Israeli government’s active role in promoting anti-BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) laws across dozens of U.S. states.
Election Interference: The article alleges a history of Israeli involvement in U.S. presidential elections. It cites Netanyahu’s public criticisms of Barack Obama in 2012 to aid Mitt Romney, extensive ties and alleged coordination between the Trump campaign and Israeli state actors in 2016 (arguing Israel was a bigger factor in foreign election interference than Russia), and historical claims surrounding the 1980 “October surprise” involving the Reagan campaign and Iran.
Espionage and Policy Sabotage: The author outlines instances of alleged Israeli espionage against the U.S., such as the Jonathan Pollard case and attempts to bug U.S. officials. Furthermore, it details Israeli intelligence efforts to steal U.S. secrets and use them to lobby Congress to undermine U.S. diplomacy, particularly regarding the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal.
AIPAC’s Role: The article characterizes the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) not just as a pro-Israel lobby, but as an “operational wing” of Netanyahu’s far-right government. It argues that AIPAC has historically coordinated with Likud leaders to impede peace processes and shape U.S. policy to align with right-wing Israeli interests.

Ultimately, the author highlights what he views as a deep hypocrisy: Israeli officials publicly complaining about U.S. meddling in their domestic affairs while historically running vast, well-funded operations to influence U.S. elections, intelligence, and foreign policy.

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Mar 14, 2026