In the early 1960s, President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy directed the Justice Department to require the American Zionist Council (AZC)—the organizational predecessor to AIPAC—to register as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FAR)
Key Details of the Episode
The Target:
The Justice Department focused on the American Zionist Council, which coordinated public affairs and received funds tied to Israel, and its lobbying division, which later separated and became the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
The Legal Mechanism:
Under FARA, individuals or groups acting as agents of foreign principals in a political or quasi-political capacity are required to disclose their relationship, funding, and activities.
Senate Hearings & Investigation:
In 1963, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee investigated the funding and operations of the lobby, examining financial transfers from abroad to U.S.-based committees.
Outcome:
The effort did not result in formal FARA registration for AIPAC. Following the assassination of President Kennedy in November 1963 and subsequent shifts in the Justice Department, the push to compel registration stalled and was not pursued to enforcement. AIPAC has maintained that it is an independent American organization funded by domestic citizens
Max Blumenthal: LISTEN: AIPAC Leaked Audio.
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