Posted on 06/01/22
| News Source: Arutz-7
A new super PAC led by “Black and Jewish” leaders has endorsed five black Democrats who have positions that are friendly to AIPAC, the latest sign that pro-Israel donors are determined to stem erosion of support for Israel among African Americans.
In its May 27 launch statement, first reported by Politico, the Urban Empowerment Action PAC does not mention Israel, instead saying that it “will support pragmatic, solutions-oriented congressional candidates dedicated to the educational empowerment and economic uplift of Black Communities.” It says its “supporters include a broad coalition of Black and Jewish business, political and civic leaders.”
But Bakari Sellers, a political commentator who appears in the PAC’s literature as a spokesman, told Politico that Israel was “definitely high up on the list” in the decision by the super PAC to endorse Janice Winfrey, the Detroit City Clerk who is challenging incumbent Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib. Tlaib is Israel’s most strident critic in Congress and the only one who openly says it should not exist as a Jewish state.
“It’s not the primary focus,” Sellers, a former South Carolina state representative, said, referring to Israel. Nevertheless, Urban Empowerment Action’s launch document does allude to the fraying of black-Jewish ties, once resilient in the civil rights era. Winfrey and the other four candidates it endorsed, meanwhile, are known to have Israel positions close to those favored by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Sellers and the PAC did not return requests for comment.
The PAC arrives after years of tension between the center-right pro-Israel community and black Democratic lawmakers, spurred in part by the antagonism between former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Barack Obama. Some black Democratic lawmakers were especially furious with Netanyahu for accepting an invitation from Republicans to speak to Congress in 2015 to attack Obama’s Iran policies; a move they argued was a sign of disrespect.
Since Netanyahu’s election loss last year, Israel’s government has pledged to repair ties with Democrats, and the mainstream pro-Israel movement has made cultivating black political leadership a priority. A number of pro-Israel PACs have in recent months lent considerable support to black candidates facing progressives who are skeptical of the depth of the U.S.-Israel relationships. The pro-Israel donors have scored successes, among others, with Rep. Shontel Brown in Ohio, and with two primary candidates in North Carolina, Don Davis and Valerie Foushee.
Urban Empowerment Action has pledged to spend an eye-popping $1 million on Winfrey; by contrast, the only other expenditure has been for Rep. Nikema Williams in Georgia, an incumbent in the Atlanta area who did not face a serious challenge in the primary this month and will not face one in November.
“This joint effort builds on the strong relationship between African American and Jewish leaders to uplift all communities,” Sellers is quoted as saying in the launch document. “Instead of allowing our communities to be divided, history teaches us that when black and Jewish communities stand together to fight for our common ideals — we create positive change in society.”
The PAC’s only disclosed donor is Third Point LLC, a New York-based hedge fund helmed by Daniel Loeb, who is Jewish and who gives mostly to Republicans. Third Point gave Urban Empowerment Action $76,355. Loeb’s wife, Margaret, gives mostly to Democrats. Super PACs may solicit and spend unlimited amounts as long as they do not coordinate directly with a campaign.