Why this AIPAC conference is different from all other years
Pro-Israel activists hope this week's conference emerges as a pivotal point back toward warmer ties between America and Israel in the wake of recent tensions.
By Nathan Guttman and The Forward Tags: AIPAC Jewish World Israel newsThe American Israel Public Affairs Committee's annual parley is known for pulling in top names from the administration, Congress and the Israeli government.
But this year, the pro-Israel lobby's policy conference will put many of the key players in the American-Israeli relationship onstage, as relations between the two allies are at a rare pitch of tension.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will get a chance to explain her views on Israel's settlement activity only 10 days after scolding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a 45-minute phone conversation. Netanyahu himself will take the stage later that day, expecting to receive a needed dose of support before facing President Obama at the White House on March 23.
The conference will host hundreds of lawmakers, many of them torn between supporting the administration and wishing to show their friendship to Israel. Some 7,000 AIPAC activists are also expected to attend during the course of the three-day conference.
AIPAC's annual show of force comes at a crucial time for the organization. The group that prides itself on maintaining strong and intimate ties with any administration has taken the unusual step of openly criticizing the Obama administration's treatment of the settlement dispute with Israel as a source of "serious concern."
The criticism, in the form of a March 14 official statement, came in response to the administration's strong and repeated public criticism of Israel's announcement of new, exclusively Jewish housing construction in predominantly Palestinian East Jerusalem just as Vice President Joe Biden was visiting to reinforce the two allies' ties.
Immediately after this revelation, Netanyahu apologized for the timing of the announcement but reaffirmed his government's commitment to continue such construction.
Since Clinton's March 12 dressing-down of Netanyahu, AIPAC's call to lower the flames and return to a more friendly way of doing business was echoed by many other major Jewish groups. The calls now seem to have taken root within the administration.
The White House and the State Department have toned down their rhetoric, and Clinton even praised Netanyahu's response to America's demands regarding building in Jerusalem, calling them "useful." According to press reports, the prime minister told Clinton that Israel would take "confidence-building measures" in the West Bank but would not announce a building freeze in East Jerusalem.
Pro-Israel activists hope the conference emerges as a pivotal point back toward warmer ties between America and Israel. They certainly want to avoid it becoming a source of deeper conflict caused by AIPAC delegates booing Clinton during her speech, as some commentators have suggested could happen. For these activists, the focus on American-Israeli ties and on the Palestinian issue is a major distraction.
This year, the lobby has built its annual conference, and its entire lobbying agenda around the issue of Iran. When AIPAC activists mount the buses March 23 to go meet their representatives on Capitol Hill, they?ll be carrying an advocacy message that emphasizes Iran as the immediate and current concern.
In lobbying meetings following the conference, AIPAC will also ask members of Congress to complete the new Iran sanctions bill, which has passed both chambers and is now awaiting reconciliation between the two versions in the conference committee.
In addition, AIPAC will urge lawmakers to sign a letter to the White House calling for the United States to bypass the United Nations Security Council by enacting sanctions against Iran without waiting for the international body to take action.
Another issue on the lobbying agenda will be reiterating the need to keep up foreign aid to Israel. Activists will also ask their representatives to sign a letter supporting Israeli- Palestinian peace negotiations and affirming the strong friendship between the United States and Israel.
AIPAC's stated mission of strengthening ties between American and Israel could prove to be just a little more difficult this year. While declarations of support for the strong relations poured in from the administration and Congress in the days leading up to the conference, some of Israel?s strongest supporters chose to criticize the Netanyahu government over the settlement dispute.
Among those making their reservations public were Democratic Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland and California Democratic rep. Howard Berman, who chairs the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Public opinion polls still show that AIPAC is entering its conference with a comfortable level of support among Americans for the Jewish state. According to a new poll by Rasmussen Reports, conducted after Biden's visit to Israel, the number of Americans who view Israel as an ally of America remains steady.
Most Americans also support the idea of military aid to Israel from the United States. At the same time, the poll found that 49% of Americans believe Israel should be required to stop building settlements.
Contact Nathan Guttman at guttman@forward.com
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That is an easy question to answer. Traditionally the American President visits Israel towards the end of his presidency as you very well know. It might have escaped your notice but the United States is currently at war in Iraq, and for the last nine years in Afghanistan. As much as people don't want to say it, these wars are not about land, these wars are about ideology, there can be no peace without engagement, and guess what the ideology of the other side is based in and guess where those who will strap a bomb to themselves come from. Which is why the US is the closest it has being to leaving Iraq since invading, I guess you disagree with what Obama is doing and you want another 4000 dead American soldiers to massage your ego.
But, forgetting the palestinians for a second. It is Judaism itself and Israel that are diverging, something that's becoming obvious to many jews of the diaspora. Zion has been shown to be guilty of the same kind of idolatry - material worship of land and goods - that much of jewish lithurgy has warned about, going back to biblical times. Those who speak of the "third temple" are really trying to erect a golden calf in disguise - even as their zealot supporters in the US applaud. In the meantime, something is happening just under the surface with the american public. Maybe republican minded neocons can't see that, but the body-politic of the democratic party - the rank and file, including most jewish people there - the very ones who so wholeheartedly supported Obama - is fracturing, with the majority tilting away from AIPAC's likudnik winds of war. I see this phenomenon taking place in virtually every left-leaning blog and organization. Just keep up humiliating our president.....
If Obama?s goal was not to destroy US/Israeli relations then why is there so much talk about Israel creating stumbling blocks, when the PA has not fulfilled one obligation agreed to under any of the previous agreements? Why has Obama come out and stated that the US is no longer a Christian Country? Why has Obama gone to Four Islamic nations but never Israel? Individually we just shrug them off, but when you take them in their entirety they show a pattern that is a 180 deg change that most Christians can not support. Is America being slowly being Islamized by a president?s action?
If the reduction in support was broken down by age group Israel's peril would be obvious , Most of their lost support is among YOUNG Americans and you wont get them back . Rachelle Corrie , The Lebanon attack and cast lead have influenced their perceptions of Israel for the rest of their lives. And Calling then Anti Semites wont budge that perception ( they call their best friends worse than that) If Israel ever wants peace they beter move on it now , all they can expect is gradually losing support as time goes on in the USA
for the Prime Minister of the Israel to be in Washington DC so that he can come into direct contact with and influence members of the US congress... much in the same way US presidents attend America-first lobbyist conventions in Jerusalem so that they could influence members of the Knesset.
It was pretty fun this year. On Wednesday, the members all gave Ahmadinejad the Handheld High Menorah Salute with only one candle and no menorah. Actually, I wandered in there by mistake. I was looking for my glasses and then my false teeth fell out. I think I ended up leaving with someone else's false teeth and glasses.
It's about time that Israel stops taking the USA for granted and shows some humility. Also Aipac should not give Israel blind support as such a policy will be counter-productive in the long run. Their first allegiance should be to their own country, i.e. the USA.
All this stuff is bundled up in elite circles. Average American cannot even show where Israel is ona world map yet he is told to accept that Israel is the best friend of US, he is not taught to ask why. Average American is ignorant enogh on whose head you can carve the phrase Palestinians are terrorists, and that is it.
Their poll showed Americans thinking of Israel as an ally had dropped from 70% last August to 58% now. The support amongst the indifferent oblivious Americans is probably solid but fickle, due to hasbara, but the recent spat seems to have demonstrated the fickleness. I expect most to be hasbarazised again, although the internet shatters the hasbara stanglehold. Israels worst scenario is fair-minded Americans researching Iserael themselves, but then fair minded people probably don't make up a majority of the population anyway.
Do not forget that Senator McCarthy met his match when he began to complain about the US military. President Obama is the commander-in-chief and when other US military leaders comment in public about the price of support for Israel being the lives of US soldiers it could be time to listen. AIPAC might be well advised to use their conference as a time for reflection rather than vituperation.
2.Add USD blns buys Cong./world media to hid Israel apartheid.AIPAC is threat to US national security US MILITARY TOP BRASS SAID and its true, AIPAAC should be forced to list themselves as AGENTS OF A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT, RELLY they are not part of the US and no not the 51th state. Just cash and weapons whores for sure!
Key news-nuggets, nurried at the bottom of the article: :Public opinion polls still show that AIPAC is entering its conference with a comfortable level of support among Americans for the Jewish state. According to a new poll by Rasmussen Reports, conducted after Biden's visit to Israel, the number of Americans who view Israel as an ally of America remains steady. "Most Americans also support the idea of military aid to Israel from the United States. At the same time, the poll found that 49% of Americans believe Israel should be required to stop building settlements." And the other 51% of Americans think Kid David, or maybe Solomon or maybe a Herod, still rules. We don't follow Israeli domestic politics, and even I can't make much sense of Labor, Likud, Kadima, Chas, and the far-right fanatic religious parties. The US faces a super recesssion, we face structral unemployment as jobs fly off. We have two wars. Israel is far down of the the list.
Secy Clinton must be uninvited from the conference. Some lesser factotum could be allowed to speak but it's of no consequence either way. What is she going to do? Be outraged? Good, maybe her head will explode.
AIPAC represents a foreign country, not America. It's not even registered as such. They want to help Israel's leader practice Jewish supremacy over the Palestinians. Jstreet is an American group. It's clear.
It is a foreign lobby with a pretty name. Boycott all foreign lobbyists.
US is commited to Israels security, if Bibi misunderstand this as commitement to the ockupation and settlements Isarel is in serious problems. The ockupation and the settlements are today not increasing the security of Israel,but increases Israels problems. The best security measure would be a just peace with the palestinians.
America is tired, broke and not very much in the mood for another war. Let's let some other country have the thankless and expensive honor of being Israel's best friend.
Has AIPAC registered as a fouriegn lobby? How are US politicians allowed to accept these donations? AIPAC has one agenda and that is Israels self interests and they do it with money,influence and propaganda. No wonder the US herd answer polls that give unquestioning support! If only this time it was truly DIFFERENT and they came down on settlement building and demanded true peace negotiations not just empty rhettorical stalling tactics and more illegal land annexation. ....Peace never?
to shut you down
To be invited to an AIPAC treason fest is a great honor for American politicians. It means you have finally hit the big-time.
AIPAC influence is on the wane. The Justice Department has been asked to make AIPAC register as agents of the Israeli MFA. The US military is asking the Congress to reign-in Israel and end its provocations in the region. The Supreme Court just removed campaign spending limits oil companies and that level the playing field for donors representing Arab interests.
Part of the AIPAC problem is that they have an increasingly less attractive product (Israel) to market.