Why is a moderate Democrat's primary loss being called an AIPAC backfire?

"But the race is being called a loss not just for Malinowski but also for the influential pro-Israel organisation that opposed him: the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). In recent years, Malinowski, a former Congress member, has offered only mild criticism of Washington's unconditional support for Israel, suggesting conditions could be placed on US aid. That, however, was enough to trigger an onslaught of targeted attack advertisements from the United Democracy Project (UDP), a super PAC linked to AIPAC."

"Critics say the campaign against Malinowski is a sign of AIPAC's zero-tolerance strategy towards any criticism of Israel, despite the risk of blowback from a Democratic electorate increasingly wary of Israel's actions. In this case, UDP's spending appeared to help Mejia, the most critical candidate in the race of US-Israel policy. Malinowski's concession on Tuesday comes five days after the February 5 Democratic primary, as officials finish tallying outstanding votes."

Tom Malinowski, a moderate Democrat, conceded defeat to progressive Analilia Mejia in a crowded New Jersey Democratic primary for the US House. AIPAC-backed attack ads run by the United Democracy Project targeted Malinowski after he suggested conditions on US aid to Israel. Those ads and UDP spending appeared to benefit Mejia, who is the most critical candidate on US-Israel policy. Critics view the campaign as evidence of AIPAC's zero-tolerance approach to criticism of Israel despite potential Democratic backlash. As officials tallied outstanding ballots after the February 5 primary, Mejia led by roughly 900 votes, while Tahesha Way finished a distant third.

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