Aipac affiliate has funded lavish trips to Israel for dozens of Congress members since 7 October, filings reveal
Summary
Since October 7, 2023, dozens of U.S. Congress members and their staff have taken paid trips to Israel funded by a group linked to Aipac, an organization that supports Israel. These trips included meetings with Israeli officials and visits to sites related to Middle East politics, costing over $4.2 million in total.Key Facts
- At least 26 Democrats and 52 Republicans went on these Israel trips since October 7, 2023.
- The trips were paid for by the American Israel Education Foundation (AIEF), an affiliate of Aipac.
- AIEF spent more than $4.2 million on at least 15 trips, averaging over $26,600 per participant.
- The trips included briefings with Israeli leaders like Benjamin Netanyahu and visits to West Bank settlements.
- Attendees stayed in luxury hotels and ate at high-end restaurants during the trips.
- AIEF is a nonprofit that helps Aipac bypass rules stopping lobbying groups from funding foreign travel.
- Support for Israel has dropped among many Americans, especially Democrats, but lawmakers from both parties continue to join AIEF trips.
- Some lawmakers took multiple trips in this period, such as Democrats Steny Hoyer, Greg Landsman, and Brad Schneider.
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