The American Israel Public Affairs Committee is ending candidate endorsements and contributions from its political-action committee, reversing the approach it adopted five years ago, as a growing number of candidates are distancing themselves from the group.

Aipac told members in a letter on Wednesday that “endorsements, direct PAC contributions, and earmarking will no longer be part of our approach.”It would instead be “recommending contributions to candidates who are worthy of your support” and helping direct donations to such candidates.

The letter said the change, which takes effect after the midterms elections, would let Aipac expand individual giving and build “a more strategic, consequential, and nimble political operation.”The letter was reported earlier by Jewish Insider.

In the letter, Aipac called 2026 one of the most challenging environments in recent memory and warned that 2028 would be just as tough. Opinion polls have shown plunging support for Israel amid the war in Gaza.

Aipac’s political-action committee itself isn’t being wound down. Rather, it will stop making direct contributions to candidates—which are capped at $5,000 per candidate per election, or $10,000 across a primary and general—but will continue giving to leadership PACs and other committees. Aipac said the PAC gave just over $3 million directly to candidates this cycle, a fraction of what Aipac members and the group’s affiliated super PAC deliver.

The changes won’t affect the super PAC, United Democracy Project, which raised over $110 million this election cycle and spent over $80 million through Sept. 30, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission. Super PACs can spend unlimited amounts on independent expenditures, such as ads.

The changes come as Aipac has become increasingly controversial, particularly among Democrats. Prominent Democratic lawmakers—including Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Ruben Gallego of Arizona, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom—have sworn off or pledged not to accept campaign contributions from Aipac, as have many progressives.

Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of J Street, a left-leaning Israel advocacy group, wrote on social media that Aipac “keeping its Super PAC while abandoning its own PAC only doubles down on the dark money politics that helped create its problem in the first place.”The changes apply to the next election cycle, a spokesperson for Aipac said. The website that features endorsed candidates and lets members donate to them will go dark after Election Day.

Aipac spokeswoman Deryn Sousa said in a statement that the group’s “mission and strategy remain the same” and that members gave more than $90 million directly to candidates this cycle, and that “organized, direct giving from our members will continue and increase.”Tensions with Democrats escalated in July, when 103 House Democrats backed an amendment to cut off aid to Israel. It failed, but Aipac then removed donation links from its website for over a dozen House Democrats it had endorsed for re-election who voted for the amendment.

Sousa acknowledged a broad debate within the Democratic Party over Israel and said Aipac’s community “is going to be very involved in the fight” to keep U.S. support for the relationship.