US rights group maps AIPAC's ties to US, Israeli governments

A US-based human rights organization released data Wednesday mapping the professional networks of more than 3,000 current and former staff at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) showing ties between the pro-Israel lobby group and both the US and Israeli governments.

Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) said in a statement that the data — drawn from LinkedIn profiles — shows a “revolving-door relationship” between AIPAC and US and Israeli governmental institutions.

According to DAWN, at least 66 former AIPAC staffers are now working in the federal government, including the White House and in various branches of the military, and 40 currently work in Congress, including in the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Twenty-three current AIPAC staffers previously held US government positions, with 17 current staffers having previously worked in Congress, according to the report.

The data also shows connections to Israeli government institutions, with seven former AIPAC staffers now employed by Israeli governmental bodies and six current AIPAC staffers having previously worked for Israel.

"AIPAC shapes US policy in the Middle East but operates entirely in the shadows," Omar Shakir, DAWN's executive director, said in a statement. "AIPAC's tax-exempt status means that American taxpayers effectively subsidize the pro-Israel lobby and they deserve to know how AIPAC works and who works for it."

The dataset, developed in partnership with open-source intelligence analyst Matthew Penn of Eagle Mission, covers nearly 400,000 individuals tied to more than 2,000 organizations, representing over 1.2 million professional connections, DAWN said.

The report comes as AIPAC faces scrutiny over its role in the 2026 midterm primaries amid a sharp deterioration in American public opinion toward Israel. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in late March found that 60% of US adults now hold an unfavorable view of Israel.

AIPAC on its website describes itself as "an American organization" that takes no direction or funding from the Israeli government.