Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid visited Washington and Democratic leaders embraced him and offered empty statements about the Palestinian future. Nancy Pelosi and the Israel lobby group Democratic Majority for Israel were thrilled by the restoration of bipartisan support for Israel that Trump and Netanyahu threatened.

Kamala Harris visited a political science class at George Mason University in Virginia on Tuesday and after a Middle Eastern student described personal pain over Israel committing “ethnic genocide and displacement of people, the same that happened in America,” Harris nodded and said everyone’s perspective must be included in a democracy. The interchange became a scandal — and Harris has rushed to assure pro-Israel groups that she disagrees with the student.

Progressive forces enjoyed a triumph for Palestinian human rights last week before House leadership called for a standalone vote that went 420-9 for Israel military aid. The pro-Israel lobby still has a “stranglehold” over policymaking because it has the overwhelming backing of the organized Jewish community, and a lot of money to spend on political races.

Democratic Majority for Israel raised well over $3 million in untraceable “dark money” to defeat Nina Turner by warning of the prospect of electing an anti-Israel advocate to Congress. As the tide of public opinion turns against Israel we can expect more dark money to be spent in an effort to defeat candidates who argue for a more balanced US policy.

Breakdowns of the Shontel Brown victory in Ohio 11 say she vastly outspent progressive Nina Turner, in closing weeks with money from the Democratic Majority for Israel PAC; as mainstream reporters fault Turner for retweeting the “apartheid” charge against Israel, supposedly alienating the Jewish suburban vote. But 40 percent of young Jews agree!

Nina Turner lost a big lead in the Ohio-11 congressional race, apparently because of an onslaught of negative ads that were paid for by the Democratic Majority for Israel but that said nothing about Israel, just questioned Turner’s commitment to Joe Biden. Turner blamed “dark money,” but declined to make Israel an issue in the race. Even though the Democratic base overwhelmingly blames Israel and not the Palestinians for the latest fighting.

Progressive leader Nina Turner was defeated in the closely-watched Ohio primary for Congress tonight by establishment candidate Shontel Brown, according to reports in the media. The victory is a big win for the pro-Israel lobby inside the Democratic Party– and a blow to the insurgent left wing in the party.

“Why are they spending all of that money on little old me? Inquiring minds want to know,” Democratic candidate for Congress Nina Turner says of “millions” pouring into the Ohio primary from special interests. One obvious source of the money is the pro-Israel crowd, which has embraced Turner’s rival Shontel Brown, who says the special relationship between the U.S. and Israel will help the black community fight “hatred” and “persecution.”

Nina Turner, running for Congress in Ohio, says a group is targeting progressive candidates of color with “dirty money”– in an apparent reference to Democratic Majority for Israel. Turner has called for conditioning U.S. aid to Israel, while her rival Shontel Brown recently visited the country at the behest of a rightwing Israel lobby group.

A recent poll confirms the trend that more and more American Jews are shifting their attitudes towards Israel.