Washington, DC – Tom Malinowski, a moderate Democrat, has conceded defeat to progressive Analilia Mejia in a crowded primary race in New Jersey for the United States House of Representatives.

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.

As of Tuesday, Mejia, a former campaign official for progressive Senator Bernie Sanders, leads by about 900 votes.

Tahesha Way, a former lieutenant governor of New Jersey, came in a distant third, despite having been embraced by conservative Israeli media in the final stretch of the race.

Malinowski, too, had previously enjoyed AIPAC’s support and describes himself as “pro-Israel”. He formerly served as a congressmemeber representing a different New Jersey district from 2019 to 2023.