Jewish Democrats, led by younger voters, express rising opposition to AIPAC’s role in primaries

The Israel lobby’s political muscle is facing a generational stress test ahead of the November midterms, with younger Jewish voters in particular signaling they’re tired of AIPAC’s involvement in Democratic primaries as support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government continues to slip.

A new J Street survey conducted by a Democratic‑aligned polling firm underscored just how much the ground has shifted. Jewish voters overwhelmingly said they oppose the American Israel Public Affairs Committee pouring money raised from Republican donors into Democratic primaries.

Younger Jewish Democrats went even further, saying an AIPAC endorsement would make them less likely to support a candidate.

Overall, 66% of Jewish voters said they don’t want AIPAC using GOP‑raised funds to target Democrats critical of Mr. Netanyahu’s government, and more than half said they feel strongly about it. Only Orthodox and Republican Jews backed the spending.

When Jewish Democrats were asked how an AIPAC endorsement would affect their vote, 47% said it wouldn’t matter, while 40% said they would be less likely to support the candidate.

Just 13% said they would be inspired to back someone AIPAC endorsed.

The generational divide is hard to miss. Among Jewish Democrats under 35 years old, 66% said an AIPAC endorsement would turn them off. That drops to 46% among voters in their late 30s and 40s, and by the time you get to those over 64, most say it wouldn’t influence them either way.

J Street is a left‑leaning pro‑Israel advocacy group that frequently clashes with AIPAC over U.S. policy toward Israel and the Palestinians.

These findings add to a broader shift within the Democratic Party. 

A recent Pew survey found that 80% of Democrats and Democratic‑leaning independents view Israel unfavorably — a sharp rise from just a few years ago.

Among voters 18 to 34, negative views have jumped dramatically in the past year alone. The J Street numbers suggest the skepticism runs deep within the Jewish Democratic electorate.

Across the country, Democrats are rejecting AIPAC donations as they try to energize grassroots activists in Senate primary races, including in Maine and Michigan.

That stance has created tension inside the party.

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer — the highest‑ranking Jewish elected official in the country and a longtime advocate for Israel — is facing pressure from the party’s left flank to block weapons sales to Israel. 

The Democratic National Committee, meanwhile, has struggled to find a middle ground on Israel‑related resolutions that have exposed generational fissures. 

Zohran Mamdani’s insurgent mayoral campaign in New York City last year served as a showcase for a growing wing of Democrats who reject unconditional support for Israel and take a more sympathetic view of Palestinians. 

His forceful criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza and his vow to honor the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Mr. Netanyahu drew a backlash from pro‑Israel groups — but energized voters who feel no personal ties to Israel and resent seeing U.S. money spent abroad while urgent needs at home go unaddressed.

Democrat Analilia Mejia is leaning into a similar message heading into Thursday’s special election in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, where AIPAC’s involvement in the primary last month drew pushback.

That’s a remarkable turn for an organization that for decades cultivated relationships across party lines.

For Democratic politicians, such as Hillary Clinton, showing up at AIPAC was long seen as a standard stop for anyone seeking pro‑Israel credibility. 

The shift accelerated after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. 

As Israel’s military campaign in Gaza intensified and Democratic public opinion shifted toward the Palestinians, AIPAC’s aggressive spending in Democratic primaries — backing pro‑Israel candidates often against liberal challengers — turned the group into a flashpoint inside the party rather than a unifying force.

AIPAC pushed back against the J Street poll, which first appeared in Politico’s playbook, saying the group “has to base its data off a bogus push poll premise - and then reporters run with it.”

“AIPAC wants America to stand with our democratic ally Israel, and our individual Democratic and Republican members support candidates who back a strong partnership,” the group said on X.

Several likely 2028 Democratic presidential contenders have already begun distancing themselves from AIPAC.

On the Republican side, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia are among those skeptical of U.S. foreign aid who have clashed with the organization.

The J Street survey was designed by GBAO, a Democratic and liberal‑aligned polling and research firm, and conducted March 23–25 among 800 self‑identified Jewish registered voters nationwide. It carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.