These 24 Democrats, including Pete Aguilar, visited Israel in August to ensure that they would continue to fund the apartheid state even if it meant neglecting their American citizens.
Pete Aguilar is the Democratic House representative from District 33. The former mayor of Redlands, the second in his party leadership, will re-run in the November 2024 general election. Until the end of September, he had raised 2.4 million for his election chest. His contribution to his campaign was zero. PACS contributed 41.33 percent, significant individual contributors accounted for 37.53 percent, others 17.84 percent, and individual contributors 3.28.
Pro-Israel PACs paid him $168,728, lobbyists were next with $139,500,
Securities & Investment $123,067, Lawyers/Law Firms $115,049 $92,049, and Real Estate His congressional voting record suggests that he voted according to the campaign donation.
It was no wonder that during the latest round of aggression by Israel against the Palestinians, in which more than 10,000 people, including 4,000 children, have perished, he would support extra funding to the state of Israel and defend its right to kill innocent people under the pretext of US national interests and Israeli security.
Lobbyists and PACS pay him because he has been a safe winner since 2014 and serves their interests effectively.
Aguilar's district 33 includes San Bernardino, northern Redlands, Bloomington, Highland, Colton, Grand Terrace, Rialto, and central Rancho Cucamonga, as well as the census-designated places Bloomington and Muscoy.
It has a population of 774,631, with a Median household income of $81,830. Hispanics are 48.3%. Whites are 41.5%, blacks are 4.3%, Asians are 3.2%, and two or more races are 2%
The district is overwhelmingly democratic. However, when thousands of voters wrote to him about the aggression of the apartheid state of Israel, he showed initial reluctance to listen to their point of view.
A coalition of voters collected over a thousand letters signed by voters in the 33rd district seeking a ceasefire in Palestine. The coalition included the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, Sahaba Initiative, Inland Valley Muslims, Inland Empire Immigrant Youth Collective, and Hispanos Unidos San Bernardino Community Services District. It said:
We, the undersigned organizations representing and serving millions of Inland Empire
residents, are writing to express our wholehearted support for the urgent call for a
ceasefire between Israel and Palestine. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has not
only resulted in immense human suffering but also has had a significant impact on
immigrant communities across our region.
We recognize the importance of fostering an environment of peace and stability, both locally and globally. We firmly believe that the ongoing hostilities in Israel and
Palestine not only disrupts the lives of those directly affected but also resonates deeply
within immigrant communities of all backgrounds here in the Inland Empire.
We join our voices with countless others in California in urging a ceasefire and an end to
the violence. We call on you, as our congressional representative to
- Endorse the Ceasefire Now Resolution (HR 786) and actively use your influence to
publicly support the Ceasefire.
- Support local and federal efforts to bring an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
- Take a strong stance against the current devastating military campaign in Gaza, in
which nearly 10,000 Palestinian lives, including over 4,000 children, have been killed,
over 23,000 injured, the loss of 1,400 Israeli lives, and over 1.4 million people were
displaced as of 11/01/2023.
- Cease current and additional military aid to Israel, as it would continue to be used for
war crimes targeting Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the West Bank.
- Demand that the United States reassert its leadership role and work toward a peaceful
resolution to this crisis by addressing the underlying causes, such as the 16-year siege of
Gaza, Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, and its apartheid policies.
- Lastly, we request a meeting with the congressman to discuss our concerns.
We stand in solidarity with those who yearn for peace, security, and a better life,
regardless of their country of origin. We call upon our elected officials and global leaders
to use their influence and diplomatic skills to facilitate a peaceful resolution to this
longstanding conflict.
We are committed to working with our local and global partners to promote
understanding, tolerance, and empathy among diverse communities and to ensure that
immigrants and refugees in the Inland Empire can thrive in an atmosphere of peace and
security.
On November 8, 2023, when his office agreed to meet a group of voters against genocide in his district, he sent his chief of staff, Boris Medzhibovsky, to meet them. The group included 11 people, including five non-Muslims and non-Palestinians. The group requested that other staff members attend the meeting to learn about the situation, but Boris declined to allow his staff to become aware of the most critical issue of our times. The chief of staff did not want his staff to learn the alternative.
The meeting was mainly a monologue. The group expressed its point of view, and Boris took down notes. He did not answer many questions raised by the group. His only explanation for pro-Israeli support was the Biden and Blinken policy. When asked about Aguilar's stand on the issue, Boris said he did not know it. Probably, he knew, but was not willing to share.
The group brought up the issue of funding the state of Israel at the cost of neglecting American taxpayers' basic needs. In Aguilar's district, more than 18 percent of people are poor. Pacific Islander residents have the highest rate of poverty (24.9%), while Asian residents have the lowest (7.7%). Among Latino residents, 14.3% are living in poverty. This substantial variation in overall poverty contributes to an Equity Gap Score of 3.2. This score means that the group with the highest rate of poverty (Pacific Islanders) is more than three times higher than the group with the lowest rate (Asians). However, when pro-Israeli PACS contribute a substantial amount to his campaign, when would he care for people experiencing poverty in his district as they have no money to raise electoral funds for him?
Aguilar was in Israel at the expense of the AIPAC. A delegation of 24 House Democrats, including House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, and Former Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer, traveled to Israel in August with the American Israel Education Foundation (AIEF)—the charitable organization affiliated with AIPAC. The members received exclusive briefings about the strategic threats facing the Jewish state, toured Israel's northern and southern borders, witnessed vital U.S.-Israel security programs up close, and met with top Israeli officials from across the political spectrum.
The group told him that Aguilar's re-election may not be easy, as people were unhappy with his performance and policies. They said people may not have money, but they have their votes and voices of dissent, which they would exercise fully in the next primary season.
These meetings are part of a genuine democratic process. Regardless of the outcome, people in each district should mobilize local resources to question the congress member's habit of voting their highest bidders.