A coalition of progressive organizations has launched a campaign aimed at pressuring Democratic candidates into skipping the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference in Washington.
IfNotNow, MoveOn, Indivisible and the Working Families Party’s #SkipAIPAC effort was kicked off last when Jewish student, and IfNotNow member, Sarah O’Connor asked Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Bernie Sanders whether they would attend the event. Warren skipped the conference last year and said she planned to do it again. When O’Connor asked a follow-up question inquiring what Warren would tell candidates who are considering attending, she shifted the topic to a wider discussion about policy.
NEW: Progressive coalition of IfNotNow, @MoveOn, @IndivisibleTeam, & @WorkingFamilies announces #SkipAIPAC Campaign to pressure 2020 Democratic candidates to not attend @AIPAC’s conference.
Our first move: asking @ewarren to #SkipAIPAC. She gave a firm commitment to join us! pic.twitter.com/xQ8HOB3HF4
— IfNotNow? (@IfNotNowOrg) February 7, 2020
Sanders also skipped the conference last year and was the only Democratic candidate to skip it in 2016, but surprisingly he didn’t rule out attending this one. “Well if I do go — I don’t think I am, I don’t think it’s going to be on my schedule — but you know, I have no objection to going, but the question is what I say when I get there,” he told O’Connor, “That’s the point. And what I will say is something that I have said for years, and I speak as somebody who’s Jewish, and that is we need a foreign policy in this country, we need a Mideast policy which absolutely protects the integrity and the independence and safety of Israel, but also understands that the Palestinian people have needs and they have got to be treated with respect and dignity. And that is not the case right now. So that is my view. We will treat all people with respect and dignity.”
Joe Biden told IfNotNow that he wouldn’t skip the conference, but that he’d use it to “convince them to change their position.”
AIPAC opposed diplomacy during the Obama admin — but AIPAC lost. The Iran Deal took us off the path to war with Iran, which Trump has reversed. @JoeBiden didn’t convince AIPAC before & he shouldn’t share their stage to offer them legitimacy now. #SkipAIPAC pic.twitter.com/VU4mgmKYAn
— IfNotNow? (@IfNotNowOrg) February 10, 2020
South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg told the group that he wasn’t sure when the conference was and would have to check his schedule before making a decision.
NEW: "I haven't made any scheduling decisions about that…I don't even know when it is." – @PeteButtigieg when asked if he will join @ewarren and #SkipAIPAC.
*Paging @MarkMellman and @DemMaj4Israel*
This guy doesn't even know when your — er, @AIPAC's — Conference is ? pic.twitter.com/KbXPeIlg8O
— IfNotNow? (@IfNotNowOrg) February 10, 2020
Last week, AIPAC pulled four Facebook ads and apologized for running them. The ads targeted “radicals in congress” such as lawmakers Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN). One of the ads implied that, by supporting pro-Palestine legislation, these congress members posed a greater threat than ISIS. “It’s critical that we protect our Israeli allies especially as they face threats from Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah ISIS and — maybe more sinister — right here in the U.S. Congress,” it read.
AIPAC statement: https://t.co/4lq6zGCcgj pic.twitter.com/8UzGsfZgHR
— AIPAC (@AIPAC) February 8, 2020
“This is a test of moral leadership for the presidential field,” said Working Families Party National Director Maurice Mitchell said in a statement announcing the launch of their campaign, “AIPAC has given a platform to toxic bigotry and provided cover for right-wing nationalists like Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu. We call on presidential candidates to skip AIPAC’s conference and to embrace a progressive vision where all people, including Palestinians and Israelis, can thrive.”
Donald Trump, will be bought and paid for again by his billionaire puppet masters, Sheldon and Miriam Adelson – at least $100 million!!
https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Sheldon-Miriam-Adelson-to-spend-100-million-for-Trump-re-election-bid-617187
“Sheldon, Miriam Adelson to spend $100 million for Trump re-election bid”
“The Guardian said most of the money would be funneled through political action committees and ‘dark money’ groups that are not required to reveal donors.
The Jerusalem Post, Feb. 11/20, by RON KAMPEAS
WASHINGTON (JTA) — “Sheldon and Miriam Adelson plan to spend $100 million on electing Republicans and re-electing President Donald Trump.
“The Guardian on Monday quoted three Republican fundraisers it did not name as saying that the couple, known for their generosity to Republicans, pro-Israel causes and medical research, was ready to spend nearly the same amount, $124 million, as they did in the 2016 cycle. One of the Guardian’s sources said it could reach $200 million.
“Sheldon Adelson is a casino magnate and Miriam Adelson is a physician and medical researcher. The Guardian said most of the money would be funneled through political action committees and ‘dark money’ groups that are not required to reveal donors.
“The Adelsons did not favor Trump in the 2016 cycle until May of that year, something he has teased the couple about now that they are close. A number of Republican Jews were wary of Trump at first because of a confrontation between the candidate and the Republican Jewish Coalition in December 2015, and because he originally would not commit to moving the embassy to Jerusalem.
“As president, however, Trump has delivered on Israel-related issues favored by the Adelsons to a greater degree than any of his White House predecessors. He has moved the embassy to Jerusalem, cut virtually all funding to the Palestinians, recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal and advanced a peace plan that would allow Israel to annex nearly a third of the West Bank.
“Trump awarded Miriam Adelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2018.”
Yes, Steyer is definitely an interesting figure, and one that doesn’t need AIPAC’s blood money either. As you say, he’s not stupid, though. While he doesn’t, since he doesn’t need to, grovel and beg for lobby money, I’m sure he doesn’t want any of the trouble the lobby could cause him as he struggles for viability.
All of this , I believe, makes Bernie’s success while standing up to the lobby, and suffering the attacks that have come about as a result, even more remarkable. If he does manage to beat the Republicans, along with the Democratic establishment, and become president, I wouldn’t be surprised if he proves to be even closer to our side on the I/P issue than he has let on to date.