The anti-Israel lobby is escalating its opposition to pro-Israel forces in America’s political scene. A coalition of nearly two dozen progressive organizations is starting a campaign to counteract the influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

The move highlights a growing contention in the Democratic Party with far-left elements going against moderate lawmakers who support Israel’s effort to eliminate Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The campaign is called “Reject AIPAC,” and it comprises groups such as Justice Democrats, Our Revolution, the Sunrise Movement, the IfNotNow Movement, and others.

The aim is to influence United States policy toward Israel and the Palestinians and apply pressure on both parties to take a stronger stance against the Jewish state.

A coalition of nearly two-dozen progressive groups on Monday launched a seven-figure effort to defend progressive Democrats in Congress who have criticized both Israel’s military offensive in Gaza and continued U.S. support for Israel -- marking a major new development in the intraparty battle over support for Israel in the Democratic Party.

The “Reject AIPAC” bloc, which includes Justice Democrats, Our Revolution, the Sunrise Movement and the IfNotNow Movement, plans to rally voters as part of a “electoral defense campaign” to support Democrats who have been criticized by the pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Our Revolution, the political organization first launched by Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2016, separately joined the effort to encourage Democratic voters to choose “uncommitted” in the Michigan primary to pressure President Joe Biden to change his administration’s policy toward Israel and Gaza.

The anti-AIPAC coalition will also organize demonstrations calling for a cease-fire in Gaza and for lawmakers to impose new conditions on U.S. military support for Israel as Israel targets Hamas fighters -- while encouraging lawmakers to sign a pledge to not take campaign contributions from AIPAC.

The latter group has deep ties in Washington, across both sides of the aisle, and regularly endorses both pro-Israel Republicans and Democrats every election cycle.

AIPAC has traditionally been seen as a powerhouse in American politics. Antisemitic figures on the left have pointed to the organization’s lobbying for Israel as evidence that Jewish people are exerting excessive influence over America’s leaders.

The Reject AIPAC coalition seeks to counter AIPAC’s efforts by rallying Democratic voters and elected officials against the pro-Israel organization and pushing U.S. foreign policy in a more antagonistic direction toward Israel. The plan is to organize against AIPAC across various areas, including political, digital, and electoral arenas.

Beth Miller, political director at JVP Action, lauded the new endeavor, referring to it as “incredibly significant” during an interview with Al Jazeera. She noted that the coalition is “a unified response” from the left “to the threat that AIPAC poses both to the work that progressive groups are building here at home and to Palestinian lives in Palestine.”

This campaign could represent a critical juncture in U.S. foreign policy debates. Since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, pro-Hamas and anti-Israel organizations have staged protests and rallies across the country, calling on Israel to stop defending itself against the terrorist group and pressuring the government to compel Israel to halt its offensive in Gaza.

The new initiative suggests that the anti-Israel lobby is ramping up its efforts to influence policy toward Israel and the Palestinians by countering AIPAC’s efforts. This escalation, if successful, could push Israel policy in a drastically different direction.

This unfolding story is also a part of the internal conflict within the Democratic Party. Left-leaning lawmakers will be pressured to adopt a more antagonistic stance on Israel. What remains to be seen is whether they will bow to this pressure.