Nasser Beydoun, of Arab descent nominated for the U.S. Senate
US Senate candidate Nasser Beydoun revealed that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is putting pressure on him by luring him with money to agree to compete with Palestinian-born Representative Rashida Tlaib for her Michigan seat in the upcoming elections.
AIPAC is an American-Jewish organization founded in 1953 that is the most powerful lobby in the United States, the most influential on Congress, and aims to ensure continued U.S. support for Israel.
Beydoun, who is of Arab origin, said in a video posted on his X account on Monday, "AIPAC offered me $20 million in exchange for withdrawing from the Senate race and running against my friend Rashida Tlaib."
"The pro-Israel lobby is willing to do anything to remove anyone from the U.S. Congress who has any opposition to their agenda and their full and unequivocal support for Israel, regardless of whether Israel is good, bad or otherwise."
I was offered $20 million to withdraw from the senatorial race and to run against my friend @rashidatlaib. Even knowing where I stand on AIPAC's influence on our elections and foreign policy, the pro-Israel lobby had the nerve to suggest that I would even consider taking a dime... pic.twitter.com/QTvFhbExj9
— Nasser for Michigan (@NasserforMich) November 27, 2023
Beydoun sent a message to AIPAC: "You have to make sure that money is not the main catalyst for electing people, because the pro-Israel lobby is just a tool used to threaten politicians and lure them with money. But I tell them: America has come together to elect people who truly represent our values, not values with special agendas. Keep your money."
On Saturday, Beydoun posted a video on X documenting his appearance on a TV show, saying: "Michigan says no to AIPAC's dominance and occupation of Congress. People wake up and open their eyes to the influence of the pro-Israel lobby not only on our foreign policy, but on our elections as well. "Our campaign finance system is broken, and now is the time to put an end to the powerful lobbyists buying our elections."
Michigan is saying no to AIPAC's dominance and occupation of Congress. The people are waking up and opening their eyes to the influence the pro-Israel lobby has on not only our foreign policy but our elections as well. Our campaign finance system is broken, and the time is now to... pic.twitter.com/PmMlzhtur8
— Nasser for Michigan (@NasserforMich) November 24, 2023
This is not the first time AIPAC has aimed to field candidates to oust Rashida Tlaib, as American politician Hill Harper has disclosed that he received the same offer as support in exchange for entering the House elections against Rashida Tlaib.
Harper tweeted via X a week ago: "I didn't intend it to become a private phone call public, but now that it has happened, here's the truth. One of AIPAC's biggest donors has offered $20 million if it withdraws from the U.S. Senate race to run against Rashida Tlaib. I said no. I won't be bullied, bullied or bought."
I didn't intend for a private phone call to turn public. But now that it has, here's the truth.
One of AIPAC's biggest donors offered $20m if I dropped out of the U.S. Senate race to run against @RashidaTlaib.
I said no. I won't be bossed, bullied, or bought. https://t.co/Ji76jwPE3X
— Hill Harper (@hillharper) November 22, 2023
In another X post, he wrote: "For me, it's not about one person or one phone call. It is about the political system and the crooked campaign finance system that leans towards the rich and powerful. I'm running for the U.S. Senate because I think the rich and powerful have a very high representation in Washington."
"I compete to be the voice of the people. I will not be bought, controlled or bullied. I've been lucky, I've had a successful acting career, and I'm not someone who grew up thinking I wanted to be a politician. I'm not just running for the title."
"I'm not running against the only American-Palestinian in Congress just because some vested interests don't like her, I'm running because I want to break the stranglehold that rich vested interests impose on our politics, whether it's the Israel lobby, the National Arms Association, or big pharmaceuticals."
In a report by the US news site Politico on the subject, an unnamed source was quoted as saying that Harper rejected the offer on October 16, and that the person who contacted him was businessman Lynden Nelson.
Nelson, a Michigan businessman and former bipartisan donor to candidates, proposed that $10 million of the grant be allocated to contribute directly to Harper's campaign and leave another $10 million for independent expenses.
On November 22, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) released audio recordings of supporters of Israel discussing ways to kill Rashida Tlaib during her visit to Arizona last week.
According to a statement by CAIR on the X platform, pro-Israel activists discussed ways to "kill" Tlaib, and audio recordings released by CAIR offered to discuss the possibility of Tlaib being targeted during her visit to Arizona, and discussed "ways to sexually harass, harass and even kill Tlaib during her visit to Arizona."
Kiir's statement said that during those recordings, supporters of Israel discussed "whether it is legal to shout explicit sexual insult to a student," as well as "Arizona's gun laws."
On November 8, the US House of Representatives passed a resolution ceasing Tlaib for condemning President Joe Biden and Israel's policies on Gaza.
Source : Al Jazeera + Social Media