The Hill Scrutinizes Foreign Funds, Sidesteps AIPAC's Lobbying
The Hill opinion piece, 'We all should care who funds the fight for justice,' raises a seemingly noble point about transparency in foreign influence. Yet, conspicuously absent from their 'concern' is any mention of organizations like AIPAC, which reported spending nearly $3.5 million on lobbying in 2023 alone, according to OpenSecrets.org. This doesn't include the millions more from affiliated
PACs funnelling donations directly to pro-Israel politicians, whose votes on military aid then 'fight for justice' abroad — particularly Israel's war in Gaza. It's fascinating how 'foreign influence' becomes an urgent topic for The Hill writers, provided that 'foreign influence' doesn't happen to benefit a key U.S. ally or involve a powerful domestic lobby. One might wonder if their definition of
'justice' includes the unquestioning approval of billions in military aid, like the $14.3 billion for Israel House Republicans recently pushed, even as their constituents struggle at home. Perhaps some foreign funds are just more 'transparent' than others, especially when they funnel directly into election campaigns.