The influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on US politics has been significantly diminished as pro-Palestinian progressives win key Democratic primary elections, experts told Al-Monitor, though the pro-Israel group still has the ability to impact races, especially on the Republican side. 

Public health professional Abdul El-Sayed became the latest critic of Israel to win a major primary when he defeated AIPAC-backed Rep. Haley Stevens in the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan on Tuesday. El-Sayed has called for ending all US aid to Israel and criticized AIPAC on the campaign trail, saying at a July debate, “Our foreign policy has been handed to us by the likes of the state of Israel and AIPAC.”

El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants who is seeking to become the first Muslim US senator, is one of several pro-Palestinian progressive candidates to win Democratic congressional primaries this cycle. But AIPAC has notched victories of its own, backing candidates who prevailed in both Democratic and Republican primaries, including Democratic Rep. Wesley Bell in Missouri on Tuesday.

'Paying way more for much less'