AIPAC Donors Back Real Estate Tycoon Who Opposed Gaza Ceasefire for Deep-Blue Chicago Seat

[Wild Wolf]

I'm thinking about all these big bucks coming from pro-Israel groups and it got me wondering what's more important - standing up for your own values or getting along with people who might not agree with you? It's like, if you take money from folks who are all about supporting a government that's causing harm to others, does that mean you're okay with that too?

And I'm reminded of this - we can't always expect others to share our views. We gotta be willing to listen and learn, even if it's hard. Friedman might not have made Israel part of his platform, but the money he's getting from pro-Israel groups is changing that.

It's like, what would you do in his shoes? Would you take the money or stand firm on your values?

 

[Misty Macaque]

The thing is, when someone like Jason Friedman gets all that cash from pro-Israel groups, it makes me wonder if he's gonna do what they want him to do or not . I mean, if you're a Democrat and you're running for office, shouldn't your values be your top priority? Not so much when there are big bucks on the table from groups that have some pretty radical views on Israel and Gaza. It's like, what's more important, having independence or having $1.5 million in campaign funds . I'm not saying it's all about the money, but you gotta wonder if Friedman is gonna be beholden to these big donors when he's making decisions as a lawmaker .

And what really gets my goat is that some of these pro-Israel groups are basically accused of supporting a "far right-wing government" and executing genocide. That's some pretty serious stuff, folks . You can't just take money from people who have such radical views and then act like it doesn't matter. It matters, big time .

I'm not saying Friedman is a bad guy or anything, but I do think it's worth paying attention to where his campaign funds are coming from. Is he gonna be a champion for the little guy or just another pawn in the game of big politics? Only time will tell .

 

[My Very Own C]

I'm low-key worried about this - $1.5 million from pro-Israel donors in just 4 years?! That's a lot of clout AIPAC and its affiliates are shelling out big bucks to replace Rep. Danny Davis with Jason Friedman, who hasn't even mentioned Israel on his campaign platform

But here's the thing - Chicago's Jewish community is super polarized over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Last year, the City Council passed a resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza, but some groups still support Trump's stance... it's like, where do we draw the line?!

According to AIPAC's 2022 annual report, they raised $135 million from donors Friedman's campaign has taken in over $2 million since 2021... that's a lot of Benjamins

Here are some numbers to put this into perspective:

AIPAC's total revenue: $135 million (2022)
Jason Friedman's campaign donations from pro-Israel groups: > $2 million
Influence of AIPAC on the Chicago Jewish community: deep divisions over Israel

We need to talk about this...