El-Sayed Wins, AIPAC Losing Its Grip?, the Gaza Board of Peace Grift, & More w/ Richard Silverstein

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On this edition of Parallax Views, returning guest Richard Silverstein—journalist, founder of the Tikun Olam blog, and contributor to The New Arab and Jacobin—returns to discuss whether Abdul El-Sayed's stunning victory in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary marks a turning point in the political influence of AIPAC.

Silverstein argues that despite unprecedented spending by AIPAC's United Democracy Project and its billionaire-backed network, El-Sayed's grassroots campaign demonstrated that people-powered organizing can overcome massive outside money. We examine why Silverstein believes the race, alongside recent progressive victories in New York City—including Zohran Mamdani's win despite millions spent against him—signals that AIPAC has lost the aura of political invincibility it once enjoyed.

The conversation explores the changing dynamics inside the Democratic Party, including the growing divide between establishment centrists and an energized progressive base. Silverstein discusses Republican and Wall Street donors' involvement in Democratic primaries, the effectiveness of accusations of anti-Semitism and communism against critics of Israel, changing attitudes toward Zionism among American Jews, and why he believes more Democratic lawmakers are beginning to distance themselves from AIPAC.

We also delve into the ongoing war in Gaza and the controversial "Board of Peace" proposal, which Silverstein describes as an unrealistic geopolitical project detached from conditions on the ground. He explains why he views the initiative as a political and financial grift, examines former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's role, and analyzes Israel's evolving demands regarding Hamas, Palestinian displacement, and postwar governance.

Finally, we turn to the broader regional picture, including Israel's confrontation with Iran, Benjamin Netanyahu's strategy toward the Iranian regime, the future of Hezbollah and Lebanon, and what an Abdul El-Sayed victory in the general election could mean for the balance of power within the Democratic Party, the U.S. Senate, and the future direction of progressive politics in America.