Hundreds of Young U.S. Jews Protest Outside AIPAC Against Occupation
The protesters, some of whom blocked the entrance to the conference center, carried signs and chanted calls against AIPAC's support of Israeli settlements
WASHINGTON - Hundreds of young Jewish American activists marched outside of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington.
The activists, who oppose AIPAC's support for the policies of the current Israeli government on the settlements, carried signs and chanted calls to end the occupation. Some chained themselves to the entrance of the conference center, blocking it.
IfNotNow, a group of young, left-wing American Jews organized the event, which was billed as a "Reclaim, Resist, and Reimagine" rally. Almost 700 people said they would attend on the event's Facebook page.
Protesters posted photographs and videos on Twitter using the hashtags #ResistAIPAC and #JewishResistance.
This is the first time in AIPAC's decades-long history that such a protest, taking place right across the street from the influential lobby's annual conference, has attracted such a large – and mostly Jewish – crowd.
Speaking on the first day of the conference, Israel's ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, said that "for the first time in many years, perhaps in decades, there is no daylight" between the governments of the U.S. and Israel.
A number of high-profile politicians, both Republicans and Democrats, are scheduled to address conference attendees.