WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amid growing internal divisions over U.S. policy toward Israel, Democratic primary elections in Michigan and across the United States are witnessing escalating political debate over the role of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, commonly known as AIPAC, in financing campaigns for candidates supportive of Israel, while their opponents increasingly target the Israeli lobby and make it a central theme in their election campaigns.

According to a report published by Reuters, this trend reflects widening disagreements within the Democratic Party over U.S. support for Israel amid the continuing fallout from the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as tensions linked to the conflict with Iran. The issue is intensifying divisions between the party’s progressive and establishment wings ahead of the midterm elections in November.

AIPAC, founded in the 1950s, is considered one of the most influential political lobbying groups in Washington. The organization advocates for strong strategic relations between the United States and Israel and contributes millions of dollars to support candidates who back Israeli interests, even, critics argue, at the expense of American taxpayers.

At the same time, political groups opposed to AIPAC have emerged, including Track AIPAC and Justice Democrats, which support more than 100 Democratic candidates. Some of those candidates have pledged not to accept funding from pro-Israel lobbying organizations and have called for reconsidering U.S. military aid to Israel.

Data reviewed by Reuters indicates that dozens of Democratic challengers are running against incumbent members of Congress who previously received financial backing from AIPAC, underscoring the expanding scope of the political confrontation inside the Democratic Party.

For its part, AIPAC says it is proud to support pro-Israel candidates, arguing that its mission is to strengthen the “strong partnership between the United States and Israel.” Progressive factions within the Democratic Party, however, accuse the organization of deepening internal divisions and backing controversial policies.

Political observers believe the growing divide could affect Democrats’ ability to unify their election messaging, particularly given the sensitivity of the Gaza and Iran issues among younger voters, who polls show are more critical of Israeli policies than previous generations within the party.

Several political reports also indicate that Republicans may attempt to exploit these internal Democratic divisions in upcoming campaigns by portraying Democrats as a party fractured over foreign policy and national security issues.