Sara and Jonathan Mayo: Defending democracy

A serious threat to democracy is emerging as the 2022 election cycle draws near. Those posing the threat, of course, masquerade as protectors of our values.

We’re seeing it here in Pittsburgh in the primary to elect a new member of Congress. As Jewish voters in this district, we are dismayed that a Jewish organization, AIPAC, is the wolf in sheep’s clothing, and is targeting Summer Lee, who is running to become the first Black woman in the history of Pennsylvania to be elected to Congress.

With the primary just a week away, the attack ads from the organization’s Super PAC, the completely mis-named “United Democracy Project,” continue. Anyone who has studied this playbook knows how it works. There’s no mention of Lee’s opponent, who AIPAC endorsed, but rather a litany of lies about a proud daughter of this region who has served honorably in her two terms as a state representative.

Lee’s main opponent in this race, Steve Irwin, says on his own website that he cares about “Protecting our right to vote.” He claims he“watched with the rest of Southwestern Pennsylvania as extreme, Trump-supporting rioters stormed the US Capitol building, attacked and killed police officers, and threatened our democracy” and promises to “fight back by pushing for democracy reforms.” Yet at the same time, he’s accepted more than $400,000 in bundled donations from AIPAC. AIPAC’s Super PAC, which to date has dumped in more than $2 million to attack Lee, endorsed more than 100 Republicans who would not certify Joe Biden’s presidential victory, setting the stage for the very insurrection Irwin claimed to watch with dismay.

AIPAC’s mission statement claims: “The U.S.-Israel relationship is a mutually beneficial partnership that reinforces America’s moral values and strategic interests. America and Israel are sister democracies dedicated to the rule of law, human rights and freedoms of speech and religion.” Meanwhile, the United Democracy Project claims on its website that it “aims to support democracies around the world” and “works to elect candidates that share our vision of Americans coming together to support our mutual interests and belief in democracy.”

AIPAC’s main defense in these endorsements and money donated is that support of Israel supersedes any other issue, yet the ads attacking Lee and other candidates across the country don’t even mention Israel. And somehow, it’s single-issue focus managed to ignore an extremely pro-Israel Republican in Liz Cheney. Go figure.

AIPAC’s hypocrisy should not be ignored. On its website, Israel is described as “embodying our values of democracy, pluralism and the rule of law. Israel is a reliable American ally, sustained by a robust judicial system, free and fair elections and full voting rights for all its citizens.”

As American Jews, we find this support of Israel with complete disregard to these essential tenets of democracy to be extremely troubling. And frankly, it doesn’t help the state of Israel in its goal of being a democratic “light unto the nations.” How can an organization trumpet belief in democracy as a pillar of its mission, but support those who actively try to subvert it here?

And just as importantly, how can a member of the Democratic party, one who claims to want to fight for democracy reform and supposedly stand for other progressive issues, get in line with insurrection-fueling Republicans for these huge handouts?

Irwin is far from alone. New York’s Carolyn Maloney, who somehow is a member of the Congressional Progessive Caucus, and Henry Cuellar from Texas are both sitting members of Congress who have happily received an AIPAC endorsement.

Are these the people we want representing us in Washington, D.C., ones who talk about fighting for free elections, about protecting democracy, but who do an about-face the second someone offers them a check? This should be troubling to anyone, regardless of your views on the United States’ need to support Israel.

In our district, we have the chance to make sure another isn’t added to the congressional rolls by electing Lee. But her opponent, and elected officials like Maloney and Cuellar, can stand up to this powerful threat before Election Day. If Irwin really wants to be our “Neighborhood Congressman,” as he purports on his website, if those already in seats of power truly want to represent their districts, we — along with several prominent local elected officials — call on them to return the money AIPAC has raised for them. Only then could we begin to believe their claims of defending democracy.

Sara and Jonathan Mayo are members of the Jewish community in Squirrel Hill.