Who Controls Rafah? Ask the Senators with AIPAC Money
When Al Jazeera explains the complexities of Rafah's control, it's a solid primer. What's often left out of these tidy explainers? The fact that the 'decision-makers' in Washington are heavily invested—literally—in maintaining a particular status quo. For example, Senator Mike Rounds, who recently co-sponsored an amendment to increase aid to Israel, received $16,339 from AIPAC in 2022-2024,
according to OpenSecrets.org. This is not to mention the $14.5 billion aid package recently passed in the House (H.R. 7217), with many 'yes' votes coming from politicians who have been generously supported by pro-Israel PACs. So, while analysts debate international agreements and operational control on the ground, the inconvenient truth remains that U.S. policy, which directly impacts Gaza's
crossings, is influenced by hundreds of thousands, if not millions, in lobbying dollars. How many humanitarian crises does it take for mainstream media to connect these very obvious dots?