Progressives are growing increasingly angry with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) after "squad" member Rep. Cori Bush’s (D-Mo.) primary loss earlier this week.

Bush was unseated by fellow Democrat Wesley Bell in a primary where AIPAC spent aggressively against her. Just weeks prior, the group poured $15 million in a primary to defeat Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.). Both races taken together, AIPAC invested nearly $24 million to take out two of the most prominent Black members of the left-wing cohort.

“She was such a fighter for everyday people,” said one progressive organizer who was cheering for both Bush and Bowman’s reelection efforts.

“Now all that district has is a Democratic nominee who has proven that his loyalty rests with big money interests that don’t give a damn about hungry babies in St. Louis,” the progressive said.

AIPAC celebrated Bush’s loss against Bell, a prosecutor from St. Louis, as a key step toward protecting the country’s alliance with Israel.

“Our sole criterion for supporting candidates or opposing candidates is their position on the US-Israel relationship,” AIPAC spokesperson Marshall Wittmann told The Hill after Bush’s loss.

Wittmann pointed to Bell and George Latimer, who ousted Bowman in his Bronx-Westchester district, as important pickups whom he believes still carry the progressive torch in less divisive ways.

“The pro-Israel mainstream has sent a powerful message that America stands with Israel as it battles Iranian terrorist proxies,” he said. “Voters across America are rejecting anti-Israel voices in favor of candidates who understand the vital........

© The Hill