PAL PAC launches to challenge pro-Israel lobbying in US

A new political action committee has launched in the United States with the aim of backing congressional candidates who support Palestinian rights ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The Peace, Accountability and Leadership PAC, known as PAL PAC, announced its formation on social media on Wednesday.

In a post on Instagram, the group said it was "dedicated to building a world where human rights, dignity, and international law are universally upheld".

"By helping elect candidates who embody these principles, we can transform the landscape of American politics and send a powerful message: the era of unconditional support for oppression is over," the post added.

According to its website, the PAC's "defining priority" is "ending Israel's ongoing human rights abuses against Palestinians and stopping US complicity".

The group publicly backed four members of Congress as part of the announcement, including the only Palestinian-American member of congress Rashida Tlaib, who said that PAL PAC "has my full support as the only PAC exclusively committed to justice and accountability for the Palestinian people."

The other three include Summer Lee, Ilhan Omar, and Delia Ramirez, with congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh, who is running in a democratic primary to be a congressional candidate for Illinois's 9th district, being added on Thursday.

PAL PAC has links to the Institute for Middle East Understanding's Policy Project, and according to Anadolu Agency, is led by Margaret DeReus, who also serves as executive director of the IMEU Policy Project.

Anadolu quoted DeReus as saying that "we are living in a new political moment", describing the upcoming midterms as an "unprecedented opportunity" to shift the debate on Palestine in Congress.

The PAC's endorsement of Abughazaleh places it in direct contrast with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), one of the most influential pro-Israel lobbying groups in the US.

According to The Intercept, AIPAC has spent just under half a million dollars on advertisements supporting Illinois state senator Laura Fine, who is also running in the race.

Reacting to the endorsement, Abughazaleh said that as a Palestinian-American, she was proud to stand for Palestinian freedom.

"Our government cannot, and must not, continue to fund genocide and endless war abroad," she said.