Israel has become a toxic brand in the US - so its advocates are shifting tactics

Israel has become a toxic brand in the US - so its advocates are shifting tactics Submitted by Mitchell Plitnick on Wed, 06/10/2026 - 20:25 New legislation could codify Tel Aviv's interests as a legal priority and grant it a permanent seat at the table for strategic decisions Demonstrators protest against US support for Israel amid the conflict with Iran, in Los Angeles, California, on 18 June 2025 (Scott Olson/Getty Images/AFP) On Israel’s position in American politics has shifted, dramatically and permanently. This is clear not only in opinion polls of US voters, but in the rhetoric of political campaigns, which are more focused than ever on foreign policy - yet go out of their way to avoid any mention of Israel . US policy continues to lag far behind public opinion, which now clearly wants an end to support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza , its invasion of Lebanon , and its outsized influence on US policymaking. But as each election cycle passes, more politicians are going to be elected who fastidiously avoid taking pro-Israel money, and who commit to a change in foreign policy. Presidential races are no exception; Democratic hopefuls have either distanced themselves from Aipac , the country’s most powerful pro-Israel lobbying group, or tried desperately - often embarrassingly - to avoid the topic. With Aipac having become toxic among Democrats, and increasingly viewed with suspicion even among some Republicans, Israel is pursuing a new strategy. Its advocates are crafting legislation that, building on years of lawmaking, would codify Israel’s interests as a legal priority and grant Israel a permanent seat at the table for strategic decisions. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Israel is collaborating with its American allies to ensure that it will be exceedingly difficult to disentangle it from US policymaking going forward, regardless of public opinion. It won’t be impossible, but it will be complicated, with layers of legal and structural obstacl