Many Democratic candidates for president are skipping the AIPAC conference because it’s offering a red carpet to a racist, Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israel prime minister’s explicit slurs of Arabs have alarmed American progressives. But Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Bill de Blasio and the New York Times haven’t noticed.
A new Bernie Sanders ad highlights his criticism of Israel. Just as Sanders spoke out against South African apartheid ahead of others, says activist Shaun King, “today he speaks out against apartheid-like conditions in Palestine even though it’s not popular.” The progressive base wants that message.
Robert Fantina asked the Bernie Sanders campaign for his position on Palestine and was told the candidate supports “diplomatic efforts to end the occupation and broker a two-state solution.” Fantina says that as Sanders continues to ride his populist wave across the dismal political landscape of the United States, he will continue to burnish his credentials as being progressive except on Palestine.
On Wednesday, Senator Bernie Sanders sent a one-page letter to David Friedman, President Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. ambassador to Israel, asking the envoy-designee to explain his funding of a West Bank settlement and to consider repealing the tax-exempt status for charities financing settlements, like the one Friedman runs.
In a wide-ranging interview, Norman Finkelstein says the Palestinians are, at this moment, a defeated people, they should recall the success of the first intifada, and “I used to live for my teaching” but has not had a job in ten years.
By bashing Netanyahu and living to do it again, Bernie Sanders has transformed the US discourse on Israel. And his leftwing base made him do it, as JJ Goldberg of the Forward explained in Washington last night.
Bernie Sanders caved to rightwing Jewish leaders when he suspended Simone Zimmerman as Jewish outreach director. The movement she joined, Open Hillel, explains that Jewish leaders are alienating young Jews by enforcing pro-Israel litmus test.
The fact that Bernie Sanders is Jewish and is slamming Israel over the number of Palestinian civilians it killed in Gaza sends a signal to Americans that it’s not antisemitic to criticize Israel.
Yesterday the Bernie Sanders campaign released the speech Sanders would have given to AIPAC had the presidential hopeful been allowed to show a pre-recorded message at the pro-Israel lobby’s annual policy conference. The speech includes harsh words for Israel on settlements, Gaza and occupation.