The 2026 midterms ‘bluenami’ was more than just a rousing defeat of Republicans and MAGA. It was also a defeat of AIPAC, the powerful pro-Israel lobby. More than two-thirds of the $84m it spent this cycle went to candidates who lost, according to the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. As Politico reports, more than 30 AIPAC-backed candidates also lost, totalling three quarters of competitive races.
Its biggest defeats were in Michigan and Maine, where Democrats Abdul El-Sayed and Troy Jackson won their respective Senate Races.
AIPAC’s losses are now raising questions about whether its influence in U.S. politics is waning, about its relationship with the Israeli government, and if it is acting as a foreign agent. Zeteo explores all of that in a timely, original documentary, ‘Night Flower: Inside AIPAC’s Fight for Influence.’
Watch the groundbreaking film above, which follows the powerful and polarizing pro-Israel lobby from its roots as a one-man advocacy operation to the present day, where it plays a key role in the U.S. elections. It features interviews with multiple former AIPAC officials and insiders, members of Congress such as Reps. Thomas Massie and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and leading activists as it examines America’s most influential pro-Israel lobbying group.
“Always remember, a lobby is a night flower,” former AIPAC staffer M.J. Rosenberg recalls being told on his first day. “It blossoms in the dark and withers in the sun.”
Paid subscribers can watch the full film above. Free subscribers can watch a 9-minute preview. If you would like to watch the full documentary, and support this type of journalism and the work we’re doing at Zeteo, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription.
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“I’ve decided to speak out on what’s going on with AIPAC because I’m disappointed. Something has to change.” - Former AIPAC official
