The Incumbent’s and My Record on Gaza and Israel:
The Importance of Following the Money
On April 2nd, 2024 - I heard the news that 7 people who worked for World Central Kitchen (WCK), a nonprofit humanitarian organization which brings food aid to Gaza and other war-torn areas and disaster zones, had died. After the team unloaded more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid at the Deir al-Balah warehouse, they were struck with an IDF. The same day, I sent their D.C. address some flowers with a card. This is an organization I had donated to before, and one of my friends used to work there.
I wasn’t ever able to donate a lot to WCK, but I give what I can. Though I have heard people paint me as some rich tech person, that’s not true. My wages are a little over the national average [1], even though I work well over 40 hours a week and live in the Bay Area, which has a notoriously high cost of living [2]. The home I live in is possible because I manage the property in exchange to stay here. That means I do even more work per week than just tending to my own charity full-time - at which I get paid the least at my own organization, even though I am the founding Executive Director. You can see this in our IRS filings. My organization builds civic tools and provides education on socio-political issues,
But why does that matter? The point is, I could use money. But there are some places I would never take money from - and that includes any Pro-Israel PACs. The same can not be said about the incumbent (which I will detail below). To be clear, I am not writing this article to attack her. I am writing this article because, as I just said, “providing education on socio-political issues” is my full-time job. And this is an issue that a lot of people care deeply about, yet it doesn’t seem like many local journalists have an interest in covering it. So I am happy to organize this information for you.
Screenshot of email confirmation. Name omitted
So, to put it bluntly, Lateefah Simon has taken Pro-Israel PAC money according to OpenSecrets and her campaign’s FEC filings, which she later refunded months later. I’m told this was after pushback from voters. I was told this directly by the people who called, texted, and pressured her on this. That being said, she is still, presently, endorsed by a Zionist Pro-Israel PAC, which acts as a “pass-through” PAC to allows individuals to find her and donate via their website. The donation button is right on the endorsement page. The PAC is JStreet, which some consider “dovish” compared to AIPAC, but it is a fully self-described Zionist, Pro-Israel organization. Their words, not mine.
< Screenshot from OpenSecrets
Select the “ideological” tab to see a drop-down of ideological PACs. You can see $27k in Pro-Israel money, and $-1k under Pro-Israel PAC (I’m guessing her team over-refunded the donations).
To get endorsed by Jstreet, they stated on their now deleted “Myths & Facts” page (which you can look up a backup copy from March 2026 in the Internet Archive to see) that they interview candidates in order to determine endorsements. They wrote that they only interview candidates “about their views on issues related to American policy toward Israel and the Middle East. The PAC does not interview candidates about any other issue.” JStreet is on TrackAIPAC’s own list of Pro-Israel PACs. In 2025, TrackAIPAC highlighted the incumbent, though I do not see her on their endorsements list for candidates currently, and she does not appear in their Congressional search now. She was listed a few months ago, but I am guessing and hoping they have updated their records since. But again, many folks think this organization is “dovish,” and because they likewise advocate for democracy and peace, this endorsement and this money shouldn’t be a problem. However, I think it is a problem. I think it’s a slap in the face to Palestinians and a betrayal of American citizens. I think any congressperson with integrity should refuse all money from any PAC that is “Pro-another-country,” let alone Israel which is committing a genocide.
Although the Congresswoman has been vocal about Gaza and Palestine, as it is said - talk is cheap, and money isn’t. She gave back some of the money (her net is still $26k according to OpenSecrets), but why would she accept it in the first place? Why would she go through the endorsement process with Jstreet? Again, I am not attacking the incumbent. These are facts and questions that people care about.
But this may be the moment at which some people may call me anti-semitic, because I would refuse any Pro-Israel PAC money, openly talk about the undue influence of Israel in our politics, call what’s happening in Gaza a genocide, agree that Netanyahu is a war criminal, and in my bill, The MAD Act, I aggressively exempt Israel from investigative protections in Title VII and argue that AIPAC should register under FARA in Title IV. But no, I am not anti-semitic. Anyone who knows me knows that. I even have a small, documented history of supporting Jewish causes - specifically, the preservation of endangered Jewish dialects, which I was quoted in JWeekly about in 2021. Being critical of Israel is not anti-semetic. This isn’t a Jewish ideological PAC. It is a Pro-Israel ideological PAC.
And in case you’re upset at me while reading this, please know: it should be ok to be able to criticize both our own government and any foreign government. I repeat: it is ok to criticize both our own government and any foreign government. That doesn’t mean I have any ill-feelings towards Israeli people, and especially not towards Jewish people. I do, however, feel great disappointment when anyone in elected office accepts money that is “pro” another nation. And I am disgusted by any member of Congress who takes money from Israel-aligned organizations at this time.
Despite the incumbent raising so much more money than I have, I would rather lose this election than take blood money. If Israel wanted to improve its image and relationship to the United States in earnest, it should invest this money in good causes, in charity, in food for Gaza - not in trying to control seats in Congress. I don’t know if its pernicious paranoia on the part of Israel out of self-defense or what, but I do know that Palestine should be free.