The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) will be holding its 2013 policy conference in Washington, DC next month under the banner of “Celebrating 65 Years of Friendship.”
For the people of the Middle East, the “friendship” that AIPAC pursues between the United States and Israel is nothing to be celebrated.
From the US invasion of Iraq to the current push for a military confrontation with Iran, from continued US support for Israeli occupation and apartheid to the United States siding with Israel as the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of Palestinian statehood, AIPAC’s grip on US policy toward the Middle East has impeded any chance for peace and justice in the region.
AIPAC has pushed for a US military attack on Iran and has successfully lobbied the US government to adopt crippling economic sanctions, which have hurt the Iranian people in many ways including fueling a medical crisis due to increasing prices of medical supplies.
As seen in the US elections just a few months ago, political action committees and individuals aligned with AIPAC’s agenda provide millions of dollars in contributions to politicians cheerleading Israel’s violations of international law and abuses of Palestinian human rights. This means that instead of sanctioning Israel for expanding illegal settlements and launching yet another military assault against Gaza, U.S. politicians compete in proving how much they stand with Israel.
And this year marks 46 years of Israel’s brutal military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem and 65 years of Palestinian dispossession. Yet AIPAC continues to demand unconditional U.S. support for Israeli occupation and apartheid policies toward Palestinians, including $30 billion in military aid from 2009-2018. US tax payers are paying for weapons to help continue Israel’s oppression of Palestinians instead of using this money to fund unmet community needs here at home.
The time is now to Expose AIPAC and its grip on US policy. Join the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation and its member groups CODEPINK, Fellowship of Reconciliation, and Interfaith Peace-Builders March 2-5 in Washington DC to Expose AIPAC and what this “friendship” truly means.
The Expose AIPAC mobilization will kick off with a Grassroots Advocacy Training by IFPB and FOR on Saturday, March 2. The day-long conference will feature panels on AIPAC and its role in determining U.S. policy toward the Middle East; workshops on boycotts, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaigns; and trainings about lobbying Congress. Speakers include Laila Al Haddad, Rebecca Vilkomerson, Josh Ruebner, Phyllis Bennis and many more.
CODEPINK will be coordinating direct actions outside of the AIPAC convention on Sunday, March 3 and Monday, March 4. And plan on joining the US Campaign Tuesday, March 5 for a constituent lobby day to bring our message to Congress.
In order to change US policy to support human rights, international law, and dignity, those working for a just Middle East policy must show government officials and members of Congress that there is a strong grassroots movement for change that is impossible for them to continue ignoring.
Expose AIPAC is an opportunity to do this. Check out the entire schedule and register today.
Let’s make this the last year AIPAC is celebrating anything.
I hope CODEPINK brings a donkey to the AIPAC convention.
Mass killings in the Arab World and Iran do not interest CODEPINK nor does sexual apartheid, gender discrimination and mistreatment of gays in that part of the world.
The Left supports some of the most repressive regimes in existence but it can’t be bothered to support a liberal democracy that just held free elections, that has a wide range of viewpoints in its society and which women, minorities and gays are fairly treated. Israel is not perfect but its human rights record far outshines that of its neighbors.
Those who support Israel’s enemies should not be the first to throw stones at the glass house.
How about some pies cooked with fast-acting truth serum, hung nicely on the faces of oooh at least ninety-seven senators, preferably in public and in front of mainstream and YouTube cameras. I tell ya them corrupt public servants are beyond normal methods of rehabilitation and would never fess up or let go of zionism, unless a precise measure of truthfulness is forced into their facial orifices, literally. Call it pie-boarding. Results guaranteed. Large chunks of mideast terrorism practically eradicated by dawn. Here is Grandma’s baking dish versus the vast military industrial complex that just keeps expanding itself and increasing in equal measure, the number of ‘inspired’ terrorists around the world. The CIA lab dudes in white coats should rush right now to Grandma’s house and deliver her a bucket of the above mentioned fast-acting truth serum, and a jar of sunny honey for pie-sweetener (we add the honey to show our good intentions, right?). Oh yeah and one more thing: no kleenex or wet-wipes should be allowed within fifty feet of the pied-up confessors till AFTER their collapse from the exhausting sport of truth-telling in public – and boy do they have a long list of truths to fess up!
Now if only I had a living grandma and a friendly connection to a CIA chemist ready to go rogue on the zio-infected system….
:-)
Seriously, you actually think the ‘left’ (who exactly are they?) support Saudi Arabia, China, Iranian and Zimbabwean governments? Please do give us some examples. Or drop the facile whataboutery.
In your simple binary world, apparently if you are against the appalling abuses of zionism, you must be in favour of all manner of dictatorial regimes. Cute. But stupid.
NormanF
Wrong topic Norman. BTW http://codepinkalert.org/section.php?id=439
“The Left supports some of the most repressive regimes in existence “
Twaddle
” a liberal democracy that just held free elections, that has a wide range of viewpoints in its society and which women, minorities and gays are fairly treated. Israel is not perfect but its human rights record far outshines that of its neighbors.”
Completely irrelevant to Israel’s ILLEGAL activities in “territories occupied” and never un-occupied.
Completely irrelevant to Israel’s ILLEGAL annexation of “territories occupied” and never un-occupied.
Completely irrelevant to Israel’s ILLEGAL settlements in “territories occupied” and never un-occupied.
Completely irrelevant to Israel’s obligations to the Law, the UN Charter, Conventions and Armistice Agreements in “territories occupied” and never un-occupied.