Pro-Israel vs. Pro-Arab/Muslim PAC Campaign Contributions
(2002 - 2018)
A Political Action Committee (PAC) is an organization that campaigns for or against particular political candidates, initiatives, or legislation.
At the federal level, an organization becomes a PAC when it receives more than $1,000 according to the Federal Election Campaign Act. A PAC can contribute up to $5,000 to a single candidate
Pro-Israel PACs include: NorPAC, National Action Committee, Citizens Organized, World Alliance for Israel and the Republican Jewish Coalition, among others. A total of 82 pro-Israel PACs have made contributions since 1990, but only a handful of those have made contributions in any given year.
Pro-Arab, Arab-American, & Muslim PAC’s include: Arab American Leadership, Iranian American PAC, American Task Force on Lebanon Policy and Council on American-Islamic Relations. Only five of these made donations, totaling less than $100,000, in 2020, down from $260,000 in 2018. The largest donor, at $60,000, was the Iranian American PAC. The next largest was Free Syria’s $16,100.
Election Cycle | Pro-Israel PACs | Pro-Arab PACs |
2020 | $8,718,254 | 97,772 |
2018 | $8,099,491 | $263,550 |
2016 | $7,173,679 | $86,350 |
2014 | $5,640,571 | $71,750 |
2012 | $5,124,400 | $102,150 |
2010 | $4,814,724 | $80,700 |
2008 | $4,136,842 | $143,955 |
2006 | $3,390,559 | $124,411 |
2004 | $3,599,733 | $145,170 |
2002 | $3,037,064 | $177,184 |
2000 | $2,166,404 | $155,246 |
1998 | $2,460,200 | $132,150 |
1996 | $2,534,199 | $39,880 |
1994 | $2,440,259 | $20,450 |
1992 | $4,073,060 | $15,100 |
TOTAL | $75,321,778 | $1,558,046 |
*Figures for 2008 on include J Street as a pro-Israel PAC.
Source: Open Secrets.