The Incumbent’s and My Record on Gaza and Israel
The Importance of Following the Money: She Took It, I Don’t
Screenshot of email confirmation. Name omitted
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. So I sent flowers to their D.C. address 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. At my own charity, I get paid the least, even though I am the founding Executive Director. You can see this in our IRS filings. At my org, we build civic tools and provide 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. 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.
So, to put it bluntly, Lateefah has taken Pro-Israel PAC money according to her campaign’s FEC filings which can be plainly seen on OpenSecrets. Later, she refunded the PAC money. I’m told this was after pushback from voters. I was told this directly by the people who pressured her on this. However, she is still, presently, endorsed by a Zionist Pro-Israel PAC, which acts as a “pass-through” PAC to allow 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. What makes this confusing is that TrackAIPAC still lists the incumbent as endorsed by them after initially tweeting about her in 2025, but I am guessing they just haven’t updated their records.
Again, many folks think this organization is “dovish,” and because they likewise advocate for democracy and peace, those people argue that the Jstreet 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 online and off, 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 though I haven’t combed through her FEC filings since she refunded money), but why would she accept it in the first place? Why would it take so long to refund it and only after voter pressure? 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. They are worth pointing out and worth asking about.
So what about her votes and co-sponsorships? She has voted against the wrong bills and co-sponsored the right ones, right? Her cosponsorships, floor votes on defense spending, and public rhetoric place her among the most vocal critics of U.S. military support for Israel's Gaza campaign in the House, some would say. Again, talk is cheap. “Introducing” a bill just means dropping it in a box. These are easy actions, and if you if you have never been awakened to the concept of the “rotating villain,” then its worth looking up. Massie even actually brought up the “rotating villain” concept at his 1hr floor speech today. It’s essentially a coordination mechanism among established parties to allow members in competitive or ideological districts to vote against the party as long as the math still shakes out in the parties’ interest. But every once in a while, someone has to be the “villain” and ensure something passes or fails. Ever wonder why nothing seems to get done and ‘the people’ always seem to lose? That’s why. The parties don’t represent us, they exist to perpetuate themselves. And to be clear - I do like to think that the incumbent actually cares about Gazans, but ultimately, I do not think she will oppose the establishment that gave her this position and continues to award her with cushy, ceremonial committee assignments.
These committee roles aren’t rewards for being an independent firebrand progressive, they are rewards for being an establishment team player. The incumbent is establishment. For goodness sake, she’s Kamala Harris’ mentee. She does give a good speech and has a rough background that makes her likable. That’s in part what’s makes her a valuable team player. But she has also been asked twice if she would support Hakeem Jeffries as the speaker of the House (once at her Berkeley town hall this year and secondly at her Emeryville one during the QnA session), but she declined to answer it straight. She redirected and said “he has the votes” so he will inevitably be speaker. But this is unacceptable. Hakeem Jeffries might as well be on TrackAIPAC’s most wanted list.
Lateefah actually yelled at me at the Emeryville town hall alluding that I “talk crazy,” (that’s a long story which I will also write about, and have on video), but what I am saying is not crazy. This is partisan politics and I have little doubt this kind of coordination happens. I can understand that if folks have never contemplated this before, they may be resistant to to the idea. We all encounter information at different times and that’s ok - but you can wake up too late, and it’s already almost midnight for democracy. So please open your eyes soon.
Likewise, 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 remember: it should be ok 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 it’s pernicious paranoia on the part of Israel out of self-defense or what, but I do know that Palestine should be free.