Zeteo Screens AIPAC Documentary 'Night Flower' in Chicago, Raising Foreign Agent Registration Question

Zeteo, the news outlet led by editor-in-chief Mehdi Hasan, screened its documentary Night Flower: Inside AIPAC's Fight for Influence at Chicago's Pickwick Theater on Tuesday, followed by discussions Hasan led. The film covers the history of AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group, and its role in shaping U.S. policy toward Israel. It asks whether AIPAC should register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Filmmaker Dion Nissenbaum said the law covers those acting at a foreign government's request and that interviewees gave examples of AIPAC acting at Israel's request. The trailer features a former AIPAC staffer who said they feared retaliation for speaking out. At the event, Hasan cited a line from Daniel Biss, the former Evanston, Illinois, mayor now running for Congress, and called for a more honest discussion of Israel's role in U.S. politics.

Left-leaning outlets had not reported the story at the time of writing; alternative and right-leaning outlets had. Truthout and Democracy Now! present the film and its FARA question, with Democracy Now! quoting Nissenbaum and Hasan and tying it to AIPAC's role in this year's midterms. The Washington Free Beacon leads with the Chicago event, describing the film and speakers as promoting conspiracy theories and antisemitic tropes, and describes Hasan as a fired MSNBC host.