Why is a pro-Israel lobby targeting US Congress member Cori Bush?

Washington, DC – On Tuesday, a progressive Democrat will fight to save her seat in the United States Congress — against a threat from within her own party.

That Democrat, Cori Bush, faces a punishing primary challenge from county prosecutor Wesley Bell, as they both compete to represent Missouri in the House of Representatives.

But experts say their battle boils down to one central issue: how to approach Israel’s war in Gaza.

Bush, a member of the progressive “squad” in Congress, has been vocal in her opposition to Israel’s military offensive, which has claimed more than 39,600 Palestinian lives.

She maintains that the primary challenge she faces is part of a larger effort to silence critics of Israel, a longtime US ally — and sow division among Democrats.

“This is only the beginning,” Bush told the Associated Press in an interview published last week. “Because if they can unseat me, then they’re going to continue to come after more Democrats.”

Political observers have also noted that Bush’s rival, Bell, has the backing of powerful pro-Israel lobbies.

Their race is the latest Democratic primary to see a massive injection of cash from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and its affiliated super PAC, the United Democratic Project (UDP). Those two organisations have poured $8.4m into backing Bell’s bid for Congress.

In this explainer, media breaks down the issues at stake in the Missouri race — and what the outcome could mean for the future of the Democratic Party.