(MintPress) On the single most important primary election day leading up to the Republican National Convention, GOP candidates took time to address the audience at the AIPAC policy conference in Washington, DC. Although politicians are usually on the receiving end of lobbying efforts, the roles seem to be reversed when it comes to the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the largest and most powerful foreign policy lobby group in the United States.
Republican hopefuls, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum, each addressed the AIPAC conference on Tuesday, either in person or via webcam, in an effort to bolster campaign support from the most powerful pro-Israel lobby in the world.
AIPAC, which aims to “strengthen the ties between the United States and its ally Israel,” by definition is focused on influencing decisions made by government officials. However, given the power of the Israeli lobby in the United States, politicians must lobby AIPAC in return in order to garner the support necessary to win elections.
Although AIPAC “is not a political action committee and it does not rate, endorse or contribute to candidates,” several influential AIPAC members have contributed greatly to political campaigns over the years. The Center for Responsive Politics reports that between 1990 and 2010, Pro-Israel interests have contributed over $98 million in individual or group donations to federal candidates and party committees in Congress.
More specifically, “Between the 2000 and the 2004 elections, the 50 members of AIPAC’s board donated an average of $72,000 each to campaigns and political action committees,” reported the Washington Post. “One in every five board members was a top fundraiser for President Bush or John Kerry.”
Donations by AIPAC members to political candidates and political action committees have increased substantially since the controversial 2010 ruling in Citizens United, which lifted restrictions on the amount of money corporations, unions, and non-profits can spend on political advertising.
Influential AIPAC supporter, Sheldon Adelson reportedly donated over $10 million to Newt Gingrich’s super PAC in January. Adelson, casino tycoon and 8th wealthiest person in America, has provided private travel services for Congressional AIPAC trips in the past and has suggested he may donate another $100 million to Gingrich’s super PAC, Winning Our Future, to keep him in the race.
GOP Candidates Seek Support at AIPAC Conference
At the conference this week, each candidate made a valiant effort to demonstrate why he would make the best ally to Israel. Ron Paul was not scheduled to speak at the conference, perhaps because of his controversial views on eliminating $3 billion of annual U.S. foreign aid to the Jewish state, which some have interpreted as anti-Israel.
“On the very first day as President, I will move the American embassy to Jerusalem in recognition of Israel’s sovereignty,” promised Gingrich. The former Speaker of the House commended AIPAC members for their dedication to strong U.S. foreign aid and support programs to Israel, saying, “the people who care about the American-Israel relationship have done overwhelmingly 95% of the work that has kept America committed internationally.”
Santorum, addressing the audience in person, expressed his desire to “come off the campaign trail” to speak at the AIPAC conference because of his concerns of Iran as an existential threat to Israel and the United States. Yet, the former Congressman seemed to be very much on the campaign trail as he vowed to AIPAC members that under his administration “we would find no gap between Israel and the United States because our interests are united.”
Whether intentionally or not, Romeny used almost identical terminology to describe his own campaign pitch to AIPAC. “In a Romney administration there will be no gap between our nations and there will be no gap between our leaders.”
Romney also thanked AIPAC and reiterated the unquestionable bond between his campaign and the Israeli government. “AIPAC has a vital voice,” said Romney. “Together let’s achieve peace for the region and ensure a secure future for Israel and America.”
What do Obama and Republican Presidential Candidates have in Common?
Even Democratic President Barack Obama was able to find common ground with the Republican candidates at the AIPAC conference. Despite differences in opinion on how to solve the potential problem of Iran, Obama, Santorum, Gingrich, and Romney all agreed on the power of AIPAC and their commitment to an unbreakable relationship between Israel and the United States.
The President, however, may have been the most vocal of all in voicing his underlying desire for political backing from AIPAC in the upcoming 2012 election.
“When the chips are down, I have Israel’s back,” said Obama. “Which is why if during this political season you hear some questions regarding my administration’s support for Israel, remember that it’s not backed up by the facts. And remember that the U.S.-Israel relationship is simply too important to be distorted by partisan politics.”
Obama’s sales pitch to AIPAC continued as he urged members to examine his support not just on his words, but on his actions – “Because over the last three years, as President of the United States, I have kept my commitment to the state of Israel. At every crucial juncture, at every fork in the road, we have been there for Israel every single time.”
While politicians lobby AIPAC for campaign support, AIPAC spends a significant amount of money on its own lobbying efforts in Congress through conferences, face-to-face meetings, paid trips to Israel, and more.
As President Obama said, “because of AIPAC’s effectiveness in carrying out its mission, you can expect that over the next several days you will hear many find words from elected officials describing their commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship.”
In fact, AIPAC can expect to hear many words of commitment from elected officials for several decades, not days, given the influence AIPAC continues to have on the outcome of elections and actions of legislators.