An informative guide to understanding the situation in Palestine. I do not claim ownership of any multimedia referenced in this book-- attribution and sources provided as always.
Astoria E Greene
Communicating with any official in the legislative or executive branch for the purpose of attempting to influence legislative or administrative action or a ballot issue.
2. Lobbyist (Noun, individual)
A person who takes part in an organized attempt to influence legislators.
3. Lobby (noun, group)
A group of people who band together to try and influence politicians and other individuals in public office. Often formed to influence government officials to act in a way which is beneficial to the lobby's or industry's best interest, either through favorable legislation or by blocking unfavorable measures.
4. AIPAC (Noun, group)
Acronym for American Israel Public Affairs Committee. AIPAC is a lobbying group that advocates pro-Israel policies to the legislative and executive branches of the United States. It is the largest pro-Israel
_________________
Hey friends,
I'd like to give a quick rundown over something known as lobbying. Defined above, lobbying is the act of seeking influence on a politician or public official in order to further ones own agenda or political cause. Although it may not sound like it, lobbying is actually completely legal under the US Constitutional right to peaceably assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances. So you might think of it as say, an enormous loophole for organizations and other particularly wealthy individuals to legally push an agenda or political cause, protected under the constitution.It's pretty much legal bribery, for lack of a better term.
If you're wondering how this relates to the crisis regarding the Palestinian genocide, (in which, since October 7th 2023, the UN has reported a death toll of 20,000 persons, 10,000 of whom are reported to be children, and over 52,000 persons severely injured) you're probably aware of the fact being that the vast majority of Israel's weaponry is manufactured and funded by the US. In fact, the US has given Israel more military assistance than any other country since World War II, providing aid worth more than $124 billion USD.
Now, this brings into the question of the hour, and perhaps even the century being why? Why does the US government send so much money to Israel? Why is it that political figures who are widely regarded as left leaning, such as President Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton so oddly loyal to Israeli-backed policies and agendas?
AIPAC was founded in 1953 and was originally called the American Zionist Committee for Public Affairs, but they've since changed their name. AIPAC pays American politicians tens of millions of dollars annually in order to push Pro-Israel policies and economics. Below, you can find a graph showing the US Senators who received the most money from Pro-Israel lobbyist groups from 1990 - 2024.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
And while we're at it-- a quick look at the front page of the AIPAC website, the lobbying group's opening statement provides some pretty substantial insight into their mission. Pay close attention to the language used, jargon such as "America must stand with Israel" and "America must give Israel the time resources and support... to achieve its objectives." Again, this is from the homepage of the official AIPAC website.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
To conclude, this information begs the question of Why is lobbying still legal? Should US citizens be concerned about the influence lobby groups pose in comparison to the American vote? What actions hold more weight in American government policies and elections, and who really has the biggest say in a democratic government?
The current demand for a ceasefire in Palestine has shown to be one of the largest disconnects from a bipartisan standpoint between both the American people and the United States government. See the graph below.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
So if republicans, democrats, and independent voters alike are all in favor of demand for a ceasefire, it brings into question who really has the biggest say in American politics? Is it the United States citizens? Or is it the money and donations provided by organized lobby groups?
What are your thoughts?
written by Astoria E Greene
21 December 2023
Sources
"AIPAC - Israel at War." AIPAC, www.aipac.org/israel-at-war. Accessed 21 Dec. 2023.
Graham Harrison, Emma, and Julian Borger. "Palestinian Death Toll in Gaza Nears 20,000 with Nearly 2 Million People Displaced." The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 19 Dec. 2023, www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/19/palestinian-casualties-in-gaza-near-20000-with-nearly-2m-people-displaced.
Springs, Abby. "Voters Agree the U.S. Should Call for a Ceasefire and de-Escalation of Violence in Gaza to Prevent Civilian Deaths." Data For Progress, Data For Progress, 20 Oct. 2023, www.dataforprogress.org/blog/2023/10/19/voters-agree-the-us-should-call-for-a-ceasefire-and-de-escalation-of-violence-in-gaza.
"Summary How States Define Lobbying and Lobbyist." National Conference of State Legislatures, www.ncsl.org/ethics/how-states-define-lobbying-and-lobbyist. Accessed 21 Dec. 2023.
